The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-05-15
Wilmington Star.

StateS, the ricnest
cities are manufacturing cities. The
richest community is not the one
which produces the most crude ma
terial, suitable for manufacture, but
the one which converts that material
into some useful article or articles
for which there is demand. The
South produces annually about 3, 000,-
900 bales Of cotton, worth in round
numbers about $500, 900. 900. A bale
Of this cotton converted into ordinary
cotton goods would be worth three
times as much as the raw lint. That
would make the cotton crop worth
5000, 900, 900 instead OF $500, 900. 900.
This doesn't simply mean that the
crop would be worth that much more
to the people who owned and manu-
facturcd it, but it means that a very
large portion Of these added 5000, ,000,-
900 would 60 to.the many thousands
of people employed in the operation
OF the spindles and looms with which
the cotton was woven and spun, and
most OF this from them to the people
from whom they purchased their daily
supplies, household articles, clothing,
etc, millions of people thus being
benefited by the enhanced value OF
the cotton crop. from passing through
the spindle and the loom.
We all know what manufactures
do in a general way, for there has been
abundant evidence of that in the
great wealth of Massachusetts,, which
became wealthy from manufacturing
the cotton OF the South and making
shoes out of the hides OF the West.
But local illustrations are, perhaps,
more impressive, for they bring the
object lesson nearer home, whore it
can be studied with much better
effect. A short while ago Capt. w. H.
Snow, the pioneer OF the manufactur-
ing industry in High Point. to whom
we have heretofore made reference in
these columns, published q short COM
munication in the High point Enter
prise, from which we make the follow
ing extract:
I'm the year OF 1875 High Point was
q little hamlet containing about 800
people, most of them idle, without
employment, a few stores buying rab-
bit skins, sassafras oil and blackber-
ries, and selling cheap goods at high
prices.
I'm the space OF twenty-five years
the little idle hamlet has been trans
formed into = populous city Of about
5000 inhabitants and nearly fifty dif-
ferent factories, separate companies
or chartered corporations, employing
over 5000 men and women who are
paid about $4,000 for their labor
every two weeks. Over two million
dollars are invested in mills and ma
chinsry, all homo capital, most Of il
made by the citizens during the TWEEN
ty-five years above mentioned.
The city has eleven churches anc
the best school buildings that can be
found in tho State of North Carolina,
for both white and colored. The white
graded school has q daily attendance
Of 700 pupils, managed by Prof. Gro
we'll, and the scribe thinks it the bes
equipped and managed school to b.
found anywhere. The colored grades
school, managed by Prof. Griffin, i
inferior only in number of pupils.
The city owns the electric ligh
plant and is run at q small cost to tn
tax payers. A first-class system c
waterworks is we'll under way an
when finished will be q source G
revenue to the city treasury.
What High Point was twenty-iiv
years ago it correctly stated by Cap
,, Snow. The most pretentious institt
|, , tion then was two-story brick hote
.. which seldom had guests enough in
: to occupy half its rooms. That b
; correctly describes the High Point
: today we have no doubt, for there
: corrobative evidence enough Of tha
. There are other towns in the Stat
which were towns OF some pretensior
when High Point was an obscure vi
lage, and they are dead. or might I
J well be, while this obscure village hi
!. grown into a young giant. and is y
= but on the threshold OF its important
u as a manufaci uriDg center. And y
e these moribund towns had greater a
vantages in location and transport
tion facilities than High Point di
But they didn't have the people vi
h had the same push and the vim a
E. the thrift in them as the High Poi
5 people. when they found some one
# point and lead the way. High Poi
1t has just right TO feel proud Of h
e progress. for it is the work OF her o,
people, cooperating with each oth'
.r building one factory and out OF th
= building many. and pursuing the We
until they have now, rs Capt. Sn'
e. says. fifty manufactures OF differe
Is kinds. Most Of these were built n
c. operated by home capital. but IL
IS likely the reputation the town b
y, made has drawn to it some man
y facturers from elsewhere.
- The factories there employ abe
Of 3. 900 men and women or ten times
es many as the total population Of
town twenty-five years ago. and tt
lie pay in wages about $35. 900 . mon
OF most Of which OF course goes for 81
ne things as the wage earnsrs have
OF buy, thus making business for oth'
to and putting that much money II
To- circulation.
But that isn't all they pay out,
he they spend many thousands a mol
err for the materials they use, nearly
fit OF which goes to the producers
ley these materials who live in the col
o = try. Thus the town merchant, groc
IN. butcher, baker. and others, and
OF farmers who supply food studs I
ns- the farmer whose lands supply tim
Of are all benefited BY these manufac'
ich les and in . great measure owe
Them nearly. II not all, Of their p'