The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-29

cotton. In 1870 there was about twenty.
five mills In the state operating 47aS4
splndles which consumed approximately
20,45o bales.
Growth of Industry.
Comprehensive figures giving the growth
< at the cotton Industry In North Carolina
are printed. but are too lengthy to be
Reproduced here. They show a steady
increase In the volume OF tho Industry.
The number OF mills in the State at
present Is given as s36. operating l.'e6.-
800. consuming 53l.255 bales. or 9s.S per
cent. Of all the cotton produced in the
State The fact that less than four per
cent OF the cotton raised In North caro-.
lima is now sent outside tho state to
be manufactured will perhaps surprise
those not familiar With the wonderful
strides made by the North State In man
ufacturcs in recent years. which eS-
plain the prosperity Of North Carolina.
From 1890 to the present time the IN
dustry has developed in most remarka-
BILE manner. The number Of mills has
Increased from 81 to asb. or l5S per cent.
and the number OF spindles from SS',-
1856 to 1.79s,S9o. or 43. per cent. while
the number OF bales consumed has in-
creased from 114,37l to 5sl,2eS. or SeS
taken for domestic consumption has IN
creased from o3.9 per cent In 1890 II 70
es.s per cent. In laoe-oS.
Georgia now third in Importance, was
second among the Southern states TO
besin the manufacture Q! cotton. As
early as 11sS cotton mill company WAS
incorporated. but there is nothing TO
show that organization under me ohar-
ter was ever completed. In 1899 there
was small mill in operation at Louis
willie. The first cotton mill OF any Inv
portauce in the State was the Bolton
factory. and was built in 1911 on Upton
creek, nine miles southeast OF Washing
ton, in Wilkes county. The mill was sixty
by forty feet. two stories, attic and base
ment. and was constructed Of brown
stone. In March, 1927. the foundations OF
a mill with 1000 spindles and thirtr
looms. was laid at Moore's Mil. four
miles from Athens. This was the sec
ond in the State run by other than horse
power. In 1898 four mills are salc 10
have been constructed and put into
operation. one at Augusta, two at Mill
ledgeville and one at Indian Springs. IN
Butts county. A mill was also built at
Athens in 1884. In 1887 mill was in
operation at Columbus and one was built
at Roswell in 1882 In 1916 two mills
were constructed--one at Troup Factory
and one at Waymanvile. In 1870 there
were nineteen cotton mills in operation
in Georgia, operating 2,5s9 sptndles,
and consuming approximately 1880 bales
OF cotton. In 1850 there was mill built
at Jewell Hancock county. Three mills
are said to have been in operation In
1850 at Columbus The first OF the mills
which have made Augusta so prom
inent as a cotton manufacturing center
was erected in 1855. A mill was built at
snoai creek, in 1850.
Virginia,
Undoubtedly the manufacture of cotton
was begun by Virginia at very early
date, perhaps as early as any other
State. but the records are not clear as
- when the first cotton factory was es-
ia blished Gallatin's report shows that
cotton mill was in operation In Peters
burg in 1909. operated by water power.
According 10 the report of the secre-
tary OF the treasury made TO the Senate
in 1924. three cotton spinning mills had
been Incorporated under State laws. one
in each OF the counties OF Bedford.
Louisa and Powhatan. The census OF
1920 did not return any mills In opera :
ton. and the returns showed only three
thousand pounds OF cotton consumed.
aIcGreg0r's Commercial Statistics
cnumerates only seven mills In operation
in 1881, working s,aH spindles and con
suming 1l52.O0o pourds OF cotton. But
the date OF the erection Of these mills or
their location are not given. In 1893 a
site was donated and $4,000 was sub
scribed for the establishment OF NH
at Petersburg. 1t Is uncertain whether
the project was success. There Is nc
douht that few years later two cotton
mills were erected at Matoaca, near
petersburg. one OF the mills went into
operatior in 1885; the other mill may
have been IN operation q year or t"e
earlier. In 1888 an oflcial repTt stated
that there was one cotton mill IN opera
ton In Richmond and one IN Mancnes-
ter, across the river.
In 1850 there were twenty-five mills IN
operation in the State, operating 42,l8l
spindles and consuming approximately
II 700 bales OF cottOn. During that year
there was mill erected at Petersburg,
and the authorities estimated the con-
sumption at more than 10000 bales.
The official figures Of cotton manufac-
ture in the State at present show mat
there are seventeen mills IN operation
representing 1885 spindes. consuming
1881 bales The total cotton production
OF the State is put down as 15.s14 bales
In Other States.
The frst cotton mill In Mississippi wal
erected at Natchez In 1874, and tho frs
IN Louisiana wss put In operation som'
time prior to 1870. an the cens'ls OF tina
year reported two mills In tho State
| Huntsville In 1860 by the State govern
ment, and the iirEt In Arhansas at Cav
| Hill, In Washington county. In 1894
| Missouri began manufacturing cotton be
| tween 1870 and 1870, the census OF tn
! latter years Being the first official men
/ lion OF factory In the state.
! Though never a large consumer OF cot
/ ton, Kentucky began The manufacture
| early In tho last century In 1909 thcr'
were ak small horse power mills II
| operation, and In 1890 an Official rcpor
6tateB that there we're eighteen mills "
operation located in fifteen counties
| The Ara large mill IN tho State wa
built Bt Coylngton In 1898 at cost Q
/ sos, 900
The progress of cotton manufacturing
In these cotton States has been sloH
brl with the exception OF Missouri, sac'
State shows snbstasItal gains IN rtcen
YEAR, and this is especially true OF MISS
issippi, Texas, Kentucky. and In les
| dE2ree NJ Virginia The conBnmptIon {