The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-19
4 BIG NEW INDUSTRY
Making Mating From Cur
Swamp Rush.
n sn,esrs 10 be the Same as That Used in j.
pan in Their Great
Industry.

The past few years have marked a ma
terial growth and era of prosperity in the
history of the United States, and partic-
ularly the Southern States as will change
the whole attitude of this section in the
commercial world for generations to
come in the development of her natural
resources and raw material. From the
forests of North Carolina we see her fur
niture shipped TO all parts of the world
and from her cotton fields to almost
every port in the commercial world is be-
ing shipped her cotton in a manufactured
state, the finished product of her South
ern factories.
Northern and Eastern capitalists reallze
the natural advantages offered in the
South and the profit which manufactur-
ers are realizing on account of cheap Ia
bbr. mild climate and raw material ID the
face of the ever existing sharp competi-
ton, while our Southern States with the
aid of Eastern capital have done Well IN
the erection Of, and promoting manulac-
turing enterprises in utilizing ihahy
classes of the raw material grown III tue
Southern States, and arc yearly dlstFlpu-
ting millions of dollars amongst our peo-
ple as a result There seems to be a
tenacious desire on the part of many or
our Southern business men 10 continue
the erection of manufacturing plants to
make the same class of cotton goods now
turned out by a majority of the Southern
factories which naturally endangers the
fylfure success Of these now profitable in
rHa brought
overproduction, when there are many of
lines which are not made South that could
be made more profitably here than in any
other section, thus creating diversity
There is one class of raw material
known in this State as Rush now
growing wild on the swamp lands along
the coast and larger water courses IN
Eastern North Carolina to which l desire
to call special attention, as 1t is one
which in the near future promises to be
a source of great revenue to this State,
as it appears to be the same as that now
grown and used extensively in the manu-
featuring of mating used for floor COW
ering. This Rush" grows principally IN
the North Temperate Zone and is pc
rennial and perfectly hardy plant, grow
ing wild and in large quantities on
swamp lands now belonging to the State,
which, because of their location, are al
most without value
am informed by Mr.. Lester II. Dsncy,
Botanist in charge of Fiber Plant De-
partment at Washington, d. c., that this
Rush" appears to be the same as that
grown in Japan and is known as 'juncus
effusus" except having never been Guilt
fa1 nd Gle
necessary to give to the reader some idea
what the cultivation and promotion OF an
industry would mean to North Carolina,
which would utilize this product not only
in the direct creation of new source OF
revenue from the raw material, but
would enhance the value of the land on
which this Rush grows to the extent
of several hundred thousand dollars in
North Carolina and the other Southern
States according to their acreage and
quality of material produced.
The problem of marketing this product
when manufactured into mating is one
which is practically solved by the enor-
nous present demand of the United
States for this article, which up to this
time has been manufactured in China and
Japan by hand by the natives, who work
for a mere pittance, producing the manu.
featured article far below the cost tc
make in this country owing to the fact
that no machine has ever been patented
which would weave this mating as cheap.
ly in this country as it has been made
abroad, and now that a machine has beer
found which it is claimed will do the
work, the last obstacle seems to have
been overcome
What would be thought of this South
ern country now if with an average o
ten million bales of cotton grown yearly
upon her soil the hum of no factory were
TO be heard, but doubtless there are
amongst us older citizens who remember
we'll when this state of affairs existed
who have lived to see the South a lead
ing manufacturing center in many lines
and who will in the near future see a
greater development of her now unused
resources for the material growth ant