The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-10
TuRPENTINE AND nosIN.

almost multiplied itself by three dur
ing the decade between 1890 and 1900.
! When the tenth census was taken there
was but little more than "a, 000, 900 capt.
tai employed in the turpentine BUSH
ness, while In June. 1900, the amount
so employed was nearly $12, 0OO, 900. In
1890 there were a few more than Is 900
| laborers in the turpentine manufacture
ing business, and in 1900 the number
was a few short of $4,000 The wages
paid at the former date totaled 81, $780,
500, and on the latter date IS, 1893, 500 in
round numbers. The turpentine busi-
ness is not one that calls for child la
Dor, there being only 316 children under
16 years of age connected with it in
any capacity whatever.
The bulletin shows that the steady
drift of the turpentine business has
been down the Atlantic coast and to-
wards the Gulf of Mexico. In 1850 North
Carolina had practically monopoly
of the industry, producing 81 per cent.
of the naval stores of the country. In
1900 North Carolina produced only 5
ness reached it's hight in South Caro-
lima about 1880, since which time it has
steadily declined. In 1856 Geor-
gia began to take an interest in tur-
pentine, and during that year 1874 bar
rels of naval stores were Clipped from
the port of Savannah. In 1901 Savan-
nah shipped 1,457, 400 packages of naval
stores, while Brunswick shipped some
300. 900 packages. For a number OF
years Georgia has held first place in
the production of naval stores, and Sa-
vannah has held the position of the
leading naval stores port of the world.
The census figures show that in 1900
Georgia had nearly 80 per cent. of the
total number of turpentine manufac-
turing establishments, and that their
products amounted in value to practi-
cally 40 per cent. of the total for the
country.
The growth of the industry in Flor
ida, as indicated by the census statis-
tics, has been marked during the last
decade. Fifty years ago Florida pro-
duced something like $4,000 worth of
naval stores. In 1900 she had $3.50 estab-
lishments. with capital of s5.526, 500,
and produced spirits turpentine and
rosin to the value of $6,469, 500. AS late
as 1890 she produced less than 5000, 900
worth of turpentine and rosin. This
ness has developed during the past few
years. Jacksonville is now becoming a
very important naval stores port, and
is destined to do a business much
larger than her present one. har
Alabama IS coming into prominence,
too. as turpentine state. In 1890 she
produced only 210 gallons of spirits tur-
pentine. In 1900 she produced $4,000
gallons. The probability is that these
figures were more than doubled last
year., as much new timber was cut in
| that state in the winter of 1900. Missis-
sippi and Louisiana never have done
and are not now doing much in the way
of producing turpentine,
While North Carolina has lost prece-
dence as a tdrpentine state. she retains
her lead as a tar state. producing in
1900 something more than II 900 barrels.
New York followed North Carolina in
tar, with 9,73S barrels. IT. may be of
interest to refer to the fact that Maine.
Maryland, MASSACHUSETTS,. Michigan.
Montana, Idaho, New York, the Da-
kotas. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Yer
mont and Washington each produce
nd ip1,i in
1900 for instance, made 307. 200 gallons
of spirits turpentine and Vermont 1885,
| no gallons. They We're the leaders of
the small producers, the others turning
out from few gallons to a few hun
bred gallons.
According to the census bulletin, 1885,
2s5 barrels of spirits turpentine reached
the ports for distribution during 1901.
OF this number Savannah received
3s7 ,452 barrels, leaving $50, 1873 for all the
other ports. The receipts of rosin at
the ports We're 1.755,700. Savannah's
receipts were 1,119,957 leaving 6S5, 743
to be accounted for at the other ports.
| These figures illustrate Savannah S
| pre-eminence in the naval stores trade.
81
| Some months ago Mrs. Nancy B. IT.
wine OF Kansas offered a prize of ST.
900 to any business man having an in
come of $4,000 a year who would
make affidavit to the fact that he had
been absolutely honest and truthful in
| his business for a period of thirty
days. The woman asserted that she
| did not believe business, under exist
ing conditions. could be conducted on
an honest and truthful basis. She now
announces that nobody has come for
ward to claim the prize, therefore she
considers that she has proved her as
scrtion and that there is not an hon
est business man in the United States.
OF course that is all nonsense. The
fact is that the business men of the
country have simply ignored Mrs. Ir-
wine. They refused to be parties to
her self-edvertising scheme. They
have declined to subject themselves TO
the notoriety and annoyance that
would have followed the acceptance of
her challenge 1t would be risking
nothing to say that the great ma jor-
ity OF business men are honest and
truthful, for the very simple business
reason, If no other, that dishonesty
| and unt-uthfulness constitute the poor
est business policy in the world 1t
might be possible for q man to tell