The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-07-15
The Work of Southern Men.

Iyear.
The Work of Southern Men.
We took occasion last week to COM
mend and quote extensively from an
address delivered in Mississippi by
Mr.. r. II. Edmunds, Editor OF the
Manufacturers Record, of Baltimore,
and at the same time called attention
to second address delivered by him
before the Alabama Polytechonic Insti-
tute:
In this latter address, Mr.. Edmunds
discussed the part borne by Southern
men in the developing and upbuilding
of the country and its enterprises. He
answered the frequently heard state
ment that the present development in
the South is due to the influx Of
Northern citizens with thrift and en-
terprise, and pointed out the facts as
shown by the United States census re-
cord that while the South has received
from foreign immigration only small
number of whites it has sent out to
other sections a million and-a-half
white immigration.
In the whole state of Georgia there
are only II, 403 foreigners. Missis-
sippi with million and-a-half popula-
ton has less than 5000. North Caro-
lima with nearly two million had only
IS, 000 and South Carolina with ], $40, :
31e population had only 5, ,52s.
Mr.. Edmunds declares that "Mea-
sured by whatever standard you may,
whether by mere number Or by materi-
al accomplishment, whether in the
past or the present, the South has
given to the upbuilding Of the nation
far more in numbers and energy in
brain and brawn that it has received
from other sections - Then taking up
some of the large southern enterprises
that are familiar to the commercial
world, Mr.. Edmunds declares that in
large majority there will be found
as presidents and managers Southern
men who have created them. We quote
from his address, as follows:
"Take the cotton mill industry as
an example. Pelzer, with its 81, 600,
600 of capital and its town of 1000 peo-
Pile, is the product of the brain of
Charlestonian of ante-bellum activity
united with the money of the same
city. TIE same man is also president
of several other mills and is now build
ing for New England people in New
Bedford a million dollar mill. One
North Carolina family owns about ff-
teen or twenty mills. One of the most
successful Of South Cardinals noted
mills is controlled by son Of one of
the great economic leaders of the
south of 1S40-50, while there passed
away recently South. Carolinian who
had built and was at the time Of his
death the controlling power in several
mills, each represeting capital of over
81, 900, 00o,n
tThe cotton seed oil industry, twen
ty years ago represented by forty mills,
with IS, 500, 600 capital, now counts
more than 700 mills, with capital of
$50, 900, 090 and an annual output of
s125, GOO, 600, and has been largely the
result of the work of southern men,"
zone of the most successful furnace
managers in the south, handling
furnace and mining plant costing over
$500, 600, is southern boy % years
of age, while the s5,000,000 company
to which this plant belongs is equally
as we'll managed by his father, who
was an officer in the Confederate ser
vice.
Possibly the greatest lumber con-
cern in America, owning l,000, coo
acre of timber and cutting LOCO, OOC
feet of lumber day, was organized
and is controlled by Texan born in
1885,"
tSamuel Spencer, the president Of
the Southern railway, with it's 10,000
| miles of track, is southern man. as
is also J. S. Williams, the president
of the Seaboard, whose titanic fight
against powerful financial Influences
| in the purchase and development OF
! this system, a few years ago made
him national character. The con-
trolling genius Of the Atlantic Coast
Line, which recently secured majori-
ty of the Louisville and Nashville
stock, thus bringing together 10000
miles of road, is Marylander.
"Southern men created the fertilizer
business of this section, and southern
men organized and financed and now
manage the $50, 600, 600 fertilizer com
pany which furnishes the bulk of the
fertilizers used in the south. -
In the brain of southern man the
great tobacco combination was born,
and the same man has made it one OF
the most powerful business organiza,
tions in the world Augusta Cnron-
icle.
The hammocks being sold by 81. G.
Osteen & CO., haven't superior IL