The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-17

Observer. to the pamphlet entitled
"Facts About The South by r. H Ed
monds. editor of the Manufacturers Re-
cord, of Baltimore?
If not, | think you would render a
real service to every intelligent reader
by doing so, for it is, so far as my knowl-
edge extends, the most valuable paper
in regard to the industrial life of the
South. both before and since the war,
that has ever appeared. There has been
so much misrepresentation, and conse-
quently so great misapprehension and
ignorance Of the facts about the condi-
ton and progress of Southern industries,
especially before the war, that the pres
ent generation of our own people have
grown up with entirely false ideas On
the subject. The general impression
prevails that the Southern people lacked
enterprise and industry even in the one
or two occupations outside of politics
and the professions, to which they were
supposed to have confined themselves
that they were, therefore. not only a poor
people, but far behind the Northern and
Western people in the development of
their resources, and the conduct of bust
ness OF any kind.
To all who labor under this dclIsion
the pamphlet OF which / Speak will be an
astonishing revelation and even TO those
better informed the official statistics
and facts and figures, taken from the
census tables which it contains, WEI be
surprising.
The author says: ct needs but little
investigation to show that prior to the
war the South was fully abreast of the
times in all business interests, and that
the wonderful Industrial growth which
it has made since 1880 has been due
mainly to Southern men and Southern
money; and he begins his recital of
its manufacturing experience with this
sentence: The South from the time of
its first settlement until 1860 devoted far
more attention to manufacturing interests
than it has ever received credit for"
The first subject discussed is iron-mak-
ing in the early history of the country
which was carried on by the leading citi-
Zens, the father of George Washington
being one of the pioneers in it.
The extent of this industry in the
South during century was considerable,
as is evidenced by the fact that prior
to 1856 in Virginia alone there were
nearly $50 furnaces, FORCES, bloomeries,
and rolling mills built in 81 counties.
There We're a number III the Carolinas,
Georgia, and Tennessee, one Of them in
South Carolina having capital of a
quarter of million. These and other
industries, however, were largely aban-
doned when the demand for cotton and
the great profits of its cultivation pro-
duced a craze for cotton-raising which
prevailed up to 1919 Then the low prices
of the staple, and the stimulation to
business by the gold discoveries in
California again turned attention to in
dustrial matters, and new life was in
fused into the business of railroad con-
struction and the development of manu-
features, until 1S60-just before the war
began. There was no decline, however,
in the steady advance that was making
the South one of the richest agricultural
sections of the world" as the author
says From 1850 to 1860, while the New
doubled their railroad mileage the South
had quadrupled hers by an expenditure
OF 100000 600 Official figures), the great
bulk of which was local capital. In the
latter year 0S60) she had one mile of
railroad to every 700 white inhabitants,
while all the other sections combined had
one mile to every 1000 inhabitants. If
slaves were included she still stood on a
par in per capita mileage. During this
same period QS50-1660) the percentage of
her increase in iron founding was much
larger than that in the whole country, and
in the manufacture of steam engines and
machinery she gained over 200 per cent,
while the gain in the rest of the country
was less than 40 per cent Cotton manu-
facture then began to attract attention
and by 1860 over one-hundred and sew
enty-five millions of dollars We're in
vested in it.
Although the foregoing facts are but n
small part of the evidence to prove that
the Southern people We're enterprising
and energetic, even in those industries
of which they We're supposed to be ig.
norant or careless, they are sufficient
for that purpose. But the great fact,
which is lost sight of in such a discussion
is this, viz: that 1.-The energy and en-
terprise displayed by the South in the
extension of it's agricultural interests
was as great as the energy displayed in
the development of New England's manu-
A"NtuhSS VA IHdC Vi the plOueeIS WHO
opened the West to civilization" For
proof Of this take the census report of
1860, which shows that although the
population of the South was, counting
the negroes, just about one third of the
population of the country, and, exclud-
ing the negroes, less than fourth,
still she raised more than one-half of the
total agricultural products Of the coun-
try. She not only raised all the cotton,
rice and sugar, (Which the world thought
was about all she did raise) but raised
Al per cent. of the total corn crop Of the
country about fOur-fifths of the tobac-
co, nearly all the sweet potatoes, more
than 40 per cent. of the value of the
live stock, practically all the molasse3.
more than half the beeswax and honey
aid soforth-while the cash value of
her farms had increased between 1850
and 1860 by 81, 300, 900 600, and was more
than one-third of the cash value of all
| the farms in the country. She possessed.
| in 1860, onethird of the total banking
capital of the country, and had Al per
cent. of the total assessed value CT prop
| erty in the United States. The assessed
value Of property in Georgia in 1860 was
greater than the combined Ucal I'm or