The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-04-26
Special Statistical Letter.

sued by the census bureau, regarding
the industrial conditions of the va
rious states of the union, the one con-
tanning statistics of manufacture and
mechanical industries of the state of
Mississippi contains much interesting
information, not only for the people
of that state, but throughout the en-
tire south.
When we glance through the tables
and notice the wonderful increase that
has taken place in this state during
the last ten years in the number of
manufacturing establishments, in the
amount of capital invested in the va
rious industries and in the number of
wage %earners, the fact at once makes
itself apparent that at least this state
has awakened from the lethargy in
which its business body had practical
1y lain since the beginning of the re-
bellion. The revival shows every sign
of being genuine and at the present
rate of increase before another census
shall roll around, Mississippi bids fair
to be among the foremost of produc-
ing states OF the south.
We must remember in this onnec-
ton that Mississippi is properly an
agricultural state and possesses few
of the natural advantages which fos-
ter manufacture. 1t possesses no i'm
portant harbor, little waterpower and
few mineral resources, although hav-
ing cotton lands of inexhaustible fer
tility and extensive forests of pine and
hard wood.
Mississippi's industrial history dates
back to the early years of the century.
Among the manufacturing establish
ments reported at the census of 1910
were % cotton factories, ten tanneries
and six distilleries. There was a
steady increase until the opening of
the ~Chickasaw cession to settlement
in 1892, when a period of gigantic spec
ulation terminated in the financial
panic of 1887. But this is ~straying
from the subject; it may be stated,
though, that it was not until 1860 that
the state had entirely recovered from
these speculative influences. The in.
dustrial stagnation throughout the
south during the next 90 years is well
known. This brings us to the year
1880, and during the following decade
the industrial development of the
state may properly be said to have be-
gun, and the last census shows with
what energy the people have contin-
ned the work.
In the year 1890, there were 1908
manufacturing establishments in the
state, with an invested capital of S14.-
s96,ss4, employing on an average A.
465 wage earners, being IL per cent.
of the total population of the state
at that time. The statistics for the
year 1900 show that the number of es-
adjustments had increased to 4,772,
an increase of 1.s1 per cent, with an
invested capital of $685. O7, 419, an in
crease of 1904 per cent, and employ
ing wage arner to the number of
26,41s, an increase of s2.6 per cent,
IT per cent. of the population. In
comparing these figures the reader
should remember that the figures for
WV eiio" "a improvement
over those of 1880; by doing so a better
idea of the development that has taken
place may be had. The figures of in
vested capital does not include the
capital stock of any of the corpora
tions of the state.
An interesting fact that these fig
ures bring out is the evident general
introduction of labor saving machin-
cry in the various factories, for while
the number of establishments had in
creased but 1913 per cent. between the
years 1880 and 1890, the number of
wage earners had increased 1882 per
cent. The figures of the last census
show a material change, the increase
in establishments being over $50 per
cent, almost trebled, while the num-
Der of employees had less than doubled.
The value of the products turned
out by the shops and factories of the
state in 1900 is returned at S40,431,-
1856, to produce which involved an out
lay of $10,115, 761 for salaries, wages
and miscellaneous expenses; the cost
OF materials was $21 ,692 ,092. 1t must
not be assumed, however, that the diff
ference between the aggregate of
these sums and the value of the prod
ucts is indicative of the profits to the
manufacturer during the census year.,
as the census schedule takes no cog
nizance of the cost of selling manufac-
tured articles and other expenses and
natural losses, and is simply the gross
value fixed at the factory, and not the
net or true value.
In the foregoing figures, 1890 small
establishments with a product of less
than $500 a year were not included.
The value of their products amount
ed to only $3,4ss, 1872, or only s.4 per
cent. OF the total, and consisted prin-
cipally of the sums received for Gus
tom work and repairing.
We will now go a little further into
the subject and see how some of the
various industries have grown. The
state may properly be said to have
eight leading industries, ranking in
the following order according to the
value OF their products: Lumber and
TIMBER products; oil, cottonseed and