Fergus County argus., 1905-10-20
Railroads and South's DEVELOPMENTS

doing for the south, Sylvester Baxter,
in the New York Sun, gives interest
ing details as to the operation of the
industrial departments of the more
important railway systems. Among
other statements he says:
The south, being an old section,
has a population already existing and
distributed throughout the entire area,
with old established customs, de.
mands, wants, prejudices and idiosyn-
crasies, all of which have to be care
fully considered and regarded. While
there is almost unlimited room for
new growth, there are hundreds and
hundreds of old established cOmmun-
tiles, most of which serve as nuclei
for the flourishing centers of the new
south.
In the work of studying and keep
ing run of the resources and industrial
possibilities of the south there have
to be various district agents in the
several leading sections each with his
own particular territory to look af-
ter. On the part of these district ag-
ents there has to be a close and con-
stant observation of everything of
interest that is going on, keeping run
lines, in land transactions, in lands Of
fered for sale and other properties
that are going upon the market Wheth-
er mercantile, forest or manufacture
ing. Watch is also kept upon munich
pal improvements, like waterwOrks,
sewerage, new streets, paving, elec-
trlc lighting, new public buildings and
of all bond issues for these various
things. Run is kept of all the new
industries proposed or already estab-
lished also Of the possibilities for the
same, and studies are made of the in
dustries wanted in certain places or
most appropriate for such locations.
All this information is recorded and
made the subject of concise monthly
reports from each agency to the cen.
tral headquarters at Washington
There all this material is systematical.
ly filed and indeXed ready for imme'
diate reference. In the district agen'
cies close watch is kept of every par.
ticular new industry. If there is a
new industrial process at work any
where, run is kept of it in all it's stages
of experimentation and development
Information Of every kind relating tC
such things is collected in exhaus
tive files by each agency
The department has it's representa-
tives throughout this country, in the
north as well as in the south, and also
in Europe Therefore if any demand
arises anywhere, whether industrial
agricultural or in relation to immigra
ton, the parties making it are referred
to the point where it can best be met
in the opinion of those who are best
informed upon such matters. For in
stance, a representative of the depart
ment happens to make the acquain
tance, say, in a New England city, OF
some person who is occupied by Ger
tain line of woodworking industry
This fact is communicated to the cen
tral department, and the matter is
placed on file. Suppose it to be the
making of bobbins for use in mills
Perhaps the next year the department
becomes informed of a piece of wood
land that has come upon the market
somewhere where the growth is spec
tally adapted to the making Of bob
bins. All possible information con
cerning this property and the oppor
tunities for manufacture and market
ing in a profitable way are commun'
icated to the man in New England
The result is that he sees a good op
portunity, takes advantage of it, and
the south acquires another new indus
trial establishment. Such instances
may be multiplied by the hundreds
The sum of their value is colossal, as
may be seen from the fact that in the
total new investment in the south
amounted to the tremendous figure OF
$34O,OO0,O00. Probably the greater part
of this may be traced either directly
or indirectly to the work of the land
and industrial departments of the rail
roads.
This work for the southern railway
set on foot ten years ago, soon proved
such monumental success that simi
lar departments have been instituted
by all the great railroad companies
These departments have no trade sec
rets; they feel what one does in the
way of advancing the interests of its
own section advances the interests OF
the entire south. Therefore, the work
is mutually encouraged and the assO
citation of agents has been organized
with conspicuous success. One result
has been the creation of a new pro
| fessiOn in the vocation of the railway
land and industrial agent. The exist
ing demand for such services is said tC
be greater than the supply. The youns
men who enter the work are enthusi
astic over it. They say it is an educa
tion in itself in the way in which i
brings them into contact with all thu