The news & observer., 1905-08-22
TAR HEELS SECOND
In Extensive Cotton Man
ufacturing.
North Carolina Leads Most of the
States. Should EndeaVor to Secure
"a Larger Portion of China's
Trade.

Mr. T.. r. Sawyer, of the New York
Commercial, has nearly completed the
preparation of material for the North
for the August 2St issue of mis- paper.
He sees with enlightened eyes great
industrial achievements for this state.
In an interview with reporter yes
terday he reviewed the remarkable
progress of cotton manufacturing in
this state, and he believes that within
a few years North Carolina will lead
the world. Glorious are its pOssibili-
ties. greater are its opportunities.
Mr.. Sawyer also urges North Caro-
lima to put out hand for part Of the
wonderful trade with China. in
speaking of the cotton manufacturing
industry here, he said:
North Carolina, which now ranks
second among the cotton consuming
States of the South, was the third
one to engage i'm the manufacture of
cotton. its first mill having been
erected i'm Edgecombe county in 1918.
Two years after this mill began oper-
atiOns another was built near Lincoln
ton. In 1929, or about that date a
mill, run by steam power, was erected
at Greensboro. 1t operated 5000
spindles and IS looms. The first of a
number of mills in Cumberland county
was erected at Fayetteville in 1896.
In 1897 a mill was built at Rocking
ham 1t was burned during the civil
war and rebuilt i'm 1870, A mill at
Cumberland and one on Alamance
creek in AlamanCe county, were also
erected during 1897. The latter
equipped with 52S spindles anI 16
looms, was founded by the late Ed
win NJ. Holt, and is the first mill south
of the Potomac to manufacture col
Ored cotton goods. This mill was the
forCrunner Of the large Holt cotton
mill interests, and the AlamanCe mill
is still operated by the Holts. The
present owners are l.. r. Holt son Of
the founder. and his sOn-in-laW, r. s.
Mebane. The late Governor Thomas
NJ Holt. brother Of l.. =. Holt. in an
article published in the News and OBJ
server some years ago, tells of the be
ginning of the manufacture of color
ed goods. i'm 1853. with a copper boiler
and a washpot as equipment for the
dye-house. A regular dycing equip
mcnt soon followed. and short time
later the goods then and now known
AS the 'Alamance plaids' appeared.
The original mill was burned in 1871
and a now and larger mill, recently
equipp.d throughout with new and
improved machinery, has taken its
place.
Little is known as to the con-
sumption Of cotton in North Carolina
prior to 1910. According to the CEN
sus returns for 1920 there were only
2SS spindles in operation. which con-
sumed $4,000 pounds Of cotton. In
1910 there were about 25 mills in the
state, operating 47,934 spiudles, which
consumed approximately, 2O,430
bales. The census of 1890. as in the
case Of South Carolina, gave sur
prising evidence of the rapid growth
of the cotton industry showing that
in ten years the number Of mills had
increased from 40 to 81, the number
of spindles from 10000 to 333G1S0,
and the number of bales of cotton con-
sumed from 27.642 to 114,3Il. From
1890 to the present time the industry
has continued i'm a career of remark
able development, the number of mills
having increased from 81 to 236, or
15S per cent; the number of spindles
from 337.786 to 1.796.390, or 1872 per
cent. and the number of bales of cot
ton consumed from 114,371 to 53I255,
or 1868 per cent