The semi-weekly messenger., 1902-07-04

\ y
lis not such, perhaps, as would attract
general attention, yet the growth shown
igives it peculiar interest. In 1890 there
were six little furniture factories il the
Istate, with a capital of slightly more
than S125,000, and the total value of
products from these six factories was
only $4,000. In 1900 there were forty
four furniture factories, with a capital
of more than s1,000000 and a product Of
more than 81 500. 900, an increase of near
ly one thousand fold in ten years.
Mr.. Small dwells at some length upon
land goes into detail as to the developed
land undeveIoped water power of the
lstate, showing how vast are the possi-
Utilities On this subject he says:
Mineral and timber wealth, a gener-
Ious and fertile soil bestowed by ma
lures lavish hand, d. not necessarily
make a state great and rich, but if in
addition to these things nature has pro-
lvided that power which enables man to
transform these raw materials into fin
Iished products, then that community
or that state offers exceptional advant-
ages to enterprise and industry. With
IperhapS one exception, there Is no state
in the union bordering on the Atlantic
ocean that is SO rich in the number and
lextent of water powers as Is North
lCarolina. 1t has been estimated by an
lauthority that the water power of the
lstate is $500, 900 horse power. If the
streams Of the state can supply an en-
lergy equal to 20 per cent. Of this esti-
mated horsepower there is no measuring
Iher industrial possibilities. Phe cleo
Itrical transmission of energy is becom-
ing so general that it is only a question
of time when more than 100000 horse
power. which is now going to waste in
the streams of the state, can be made
available for industrial growth. With
1.-THE exception of Niagara, the greatest
lwater-power in the United States east
of the Mississippi river is found at the
famous Narrows of the Yadkin river.
1t requires today in round number lit
tie less than $4,000 horsepower to run
all of the cotton mills of the state.
ABOUT one-third of this energy now in
use is water power. At the famous
lpower just mentioned on the Yadkin
river there is available and capable of
development nearly as much power as
is now necessary to operate all the cot
Iton mills of the state. This great power
is now being developed and will make
all that region perhaps most econom-
Iical manufacturing center in the Unit
led States. But this is but one. and
while it is the greatest not only in
North Carolina. but as already stated,
leXcept Niagara, the greatest in this
country east of the Mississippi river,
there are scores of other points in the
state at which tremendous powers are
awaiting development"
Mr.. Small devotes much of his speech
to our forest recources, showing the
vast extent and great variety of hard
wood trees and pines. On this subject
he gives the following figures:
"Twenty-four oaks occur in this
state, which are more than occur in
lany other state in the union. Of the
Ihickories in the United States, are
found in North Carolina. All of the
eastern NAPLES, and all the lindens
occur here as do all of the magnolias.
The 8 most important timber species Of
the birches are found in North Carolina;
Is of the IL pines; both species of
hemlock and balsam fir, and of the 5
lelms. The crypress is a tree of great
commercial value. Tt occurs in the
c astal plains along streams and
swamps, and the timber is especially
igood for shingles and is used extensively
for construction and for interior finish
ling In the year 1900, 81, ,345, 900 board
feet of this timber were cut and 63, 49,
loco shingles were made. White cedar
lis also found in great abundance in the
coastal plains. The shingles manufac-
tured from this timber in 1900 were 2S,-
ISSOO 900. The yellow poplar is perhaps
1.-THE most important of the hardwoods.
lit occurs all over the state, but is most
abundant, attains it's greatest size, and
lproduces the finest timber on the lower
mountain slopes west of the Blue Ridge.
In this region the poplar sometimes
grows to 8 to 10 feet in diameter and
trees are more than $50 feet high. In
the year 1901 about 197,0OO,000 feet OF
lmerchantable yellow poplar was stand
ling il the mountains of western North
lCarolina. The lumber product of pop
lar in 1900 was 81, ,6S6,000 feet"
Mr.. Small also shows the value of the
mining industry in gold, copper, iron
and coal. In the variety Of gem min
erals "the state exceeds, perhaps, any
other territory of similar extent on the
face of the globe"
| Being from the tide-water section,
Mr.. Small does not forget the fishing
Industry, and his figures show how vast
this is.
Mr.. Small closes his speech with the
educational question, showing what ex-
lertions the people have made through
the taxing power of their legislators and
the untiring energy and exertions of
their state executive officers to stamp
out illiteracy and provide liberal educa-
tions for all who will avail themselves
of the advantages offered.