The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-10-03

The first of the Southern furniture
factories OF which | can find rccor,
was built in 1870 nea london, Tenn.
aud in il modest way was successful
1t attracted no great attention at first
hut rs il paid good dividends and had
Il market close at hand for all it could
produce, those who had at first regard.
cd the venture with diStruSt BEGAN tC
| think that the South might not only
supply its own limited requirements
but those OF other markets, domestic
and foreign, as well. Gradually fac
tories were built at Knoxville, Chattan-
ooHa, Atlanta and Other centres, afford
my good facilities for railroad diSlribu
ton. They did SO well that others
quickly followed. There are now in
the South about 25O manufacturers of
this kind, and 4 great many more are
planned winch will be in operation
within The next six months. Probably
The most important centre in the busl-
ness IS at High Point, n. G. It's first
furniture Factory was built i'm 1889. II
now has some twenty-five and 1t is Onlv
second t. Grand Rapids, Mich. in this
line OF business. AS there is at IIimh
Point, according TO a local SlatlSlician,
one furniture factory for every lG3 in
habltmh&, it follows that the cntlc
population is engaged in the business
is some capacity.
AT the outset the Southern shops
confined themselves to the production
OF the pIaincst and simplest kinds Of
household furniture, Of the grades
decmcG bcst suitable TO the local mar
kct. Cheap bed room suits were the
iavoriic product. The prices at which
they were prOduccd attracted the attcn
ton OF dealers III other parts Of the
country, nad OF exporters as well, and
as inquiries came for other grades and
classes Of furniture the produce rapidly
differentiated and soon covered cvcry-
thing standard in the furniture line.
The history Of this industry has been
vr!y much like that OF cotton manufac.
turc, which, as will be remembered,
began with heavy and medium warns.
and WAS not expected in amy event to
develop beyond coarse shcctuws and
shirtings. The first furniture made in
the South had little beyond chcapucss
to commend II. This may have been
wise, bat 1t was soon found that any-
thing that could be made at Grand
Rapids could be ma,,c as well in any
mill a;l at less cost. The
Skill and experience was soon acquired.
ana capable designers were secured al
home anG abroad.
Al iI:st the best patterns were imi
laic'!, Dut the more Cnlcrprisinw manu-
lacturcrs arc now displaying considers
able Skill in originating designs. Much
OF the southern work is strictly fist
class III every respect, and wilhin CON-
parauvcly few years The business
promises TO become as rNtcns,vu and
Important rs the manufacture of cotton
iAhrlcS. The cNp"rtatiOu of Southern
iurnliuc IS already important al.d
shows steady increase. The aIvan-
iaTcS OF ihC South for furniture manu
lacturc are practically identical with
those claimed for its textile industry.
OF thcS" the most obviouS, as we'll 1hc
the most important, is the great va
riCty of woods. lMmbcr available for
furniture manufacture, which costs $50
per 900 feet in Grand Rapids, includ-
ing an average hallayc by rail of 900
ihiiGs, costs IN the South m average Of
$40 per ,OG0.
Ihc South is still we'll lmhcrcd and
thousands Of square miles Of IFS noun
tain slopes are virgin forest. Every va
licty OF hard wood known IN the
North and West may be had there in
great prc~cnt abundance, and in adai-
II Il many which arc practically uu
known in the North. The foot hills
of the great Appalachian chain will be
the Icpcndcncn OF The lumber marl,ct
for the next century, and perhaps
longer. The forests Of these vast tracts
may be drawn upon by the lumbrrmcn
Tor generations without destroy inc their
forest character. The laml is sc2lcclv
avaianl" Ior farming purposes, so that,
with conservative forestry, nature will
rcpiacc large part Of the annual cut
by current growth. This matter should
have attention from the States IN which
the conservation Of their timber wealth
IS of consequence. Thus far it has been
quite neglected.
The labor supply available for the
Furniture factories is drawn from the
same class as that Of the cotton mills.
The latter offer employment to famil-
les and are especially attractive 10 wo-
men, who prefer them to the barren
farms OF the foot hills. They arc
much less attractive to the unmarried
men OF this class, rs well as To those
who find it more satisfactory TO sup
port their wives and children than TO
be in whole or IN pat supported by
them.
Furniture making requires some
what higher mechanical intelligence
than spinning or weaving. II is mars
work, in which lie does not compete
with women or children, and if he is
ambitious and has the natural GuaIifca-
lions il offers hlm Il better chance for
advancement. The wages Of the fur
nlturc factory arc somewhat better
than those Of the cotton mills, but are
still lower than those paid in ;hc Nortll
and West. With the machinery en-.
ploycd i'll wood working most Of tn,
labor IS relatively unskIlcd. Unlcl