Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-10
WORK a0FIH RAIL WAYS
Stimulating Manufacturing
Enterprises in Mississippi.
BOOM 40 THE STATE
LAND HAS BEEN GREATLY IN
CREASED. IN VALUE.
Policy of the Railway Commission Has
Been to Work in Harmony
With the Roads.
BY VIM. E. CURTIS.

statistics tells me that there are more noes
in Mississippi in proportion to the popuia-
ton, than in any other state In the Unloh'
an average of more than one for every
man, woman and child; but all of them are
not busy. There is a great consumption OF
hoes. Hundreds of thousands of them are
shipped into the state every spring, out
none are ever shipped out, and, ike pms
1t is a mystery what becomes of them. Inc
big planters down in the Yazoo valley Or
der 500 and 1000 hoes at time from deal
ers in New Orleans, Memphis or st. Louis.
Carloads of hoes are landed almost daily
this time of the year at the stations on the
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroad, and
you can see them stacked up in front or
the hardware establishments and planta-
ton supply stores. A new supply is neces-
sary on a plantation every three years ana
sometimes even more frequently; not pc
cause 1.-The man behind the hoe wears out
that useful implement in the corn and cot
ton fields, but because plantation tools van
ish in a most unaeeenntable manner.
Increase Of Manufacturing.
Mississippi is regarded as purely an agri-
cultural state. Ninety-five per cent of the
population depend upon agriculture d.
rectly or indirectly: Mechanical industries
have been as scarce down here as they are
but of late manufacturing is picking up
little, especially here in Jackson, where
there. are now thirty-seven plants of va
rfous kinds, representing an investment OF
nearly 81, 600 and having an output or
several millions. They have located here
because of cheap raw material, cheap la
Dor, good climate, low cost of living ana
excellent railroad facilities. The railway
companies, through their Industrial com
missioners, are responsible for bringing
ind Sfril int 10
purpose of creating traffic, as they have
done in Alabama. Fifteen and even ten
years ago there was very little freight to
haul, except cotton, but now the truck
farms, the saw mills and the factories are
furnishing almost as much as the cotton
fields. There Is a bureau at the state house
at Jackson for the purpose of furnishing
information to immigrants and investors,
and it is doing good work; but its jurisdic-
ton is limited; it has no outside agencies
and the funds at its disposal are insufficient
to accomplish much. The railroads, how
ever the Illinois Central, the Southern and
the Mobile ana Ohio, the Yazoo and Mis-
sissippi Valle&Sall have agents in the
northern citieS and spend large sums of
money advertiSfpg the attractions and adj
vantages of thf Estate
Work Of the Railways.
In speaking of whM the railroads have
done to build UP the south, Mr.. V. c. Grif-
fin, clerk of the Alabama railway commits
sion, said the other day:
"They have accomplished more and adj
vaneea the states farther than any other
agency. They have brought US new peo-
pie to farm our lands and to employ the
native laboring classes; they have assisted
wonderfully in the birth and upbuilding of
our cities; they have shown our people how
and where to market their crops, and the
advantage of work over idleness. They
have given them incentives to work and
ia
from their labors. Within the last thirty
years 1t is to be remembered that the city
of Birmingham was nothing; box car for
a station and not more than 500 indolent
Inhabitants in the town. Today it is max
ing bid for the first place in the iron
markets of the world, and that is due to
the energy and progressive policy Of the
railroads that go through that city.
I'm southeastern Alabama" continued
Mr.. Griffin, there is a section of country,
including about six counties, which was
formerly classified as the "wire-grass dis
trict,' meaning a growth of tough, coarse
grass which afforded only poor fodder for
cattle and was good for nothing else. This
district owes its present prosperity to the
railroads of Alabama. 1t is now one of
the thriftiest sections of the state Col
onists have been imported by the Louisville
and Nashville and Southern railroads. fer
tilizer factories have been organized and
started by those companies, ground has
been cleared and sown, and the whole dis
trict is a model of industry and thrift. In
many cases the railroads have loaned
money to responsible farmers who have
shown their earnest desire to build up the
country, and have given them liberal
terms and time in which to repay it. 1t is
hard to estimate the splendid results OF
this policy.
Effect of Combination.
"a combination of capital rightly oper-
ated for the mutual benefit of the people
and the corporation cannot do harm to the
country" said Mr.. Griffin. Your church
is such a combination; your court houses
and school houses are the results of right
full cooperation Of capital Thus a combi-
nation of interests by the railroads has
opened the country down here as nothing
else could have DONE Formerly when we
wished to go to New York from New Or
leans we had to change cars at least five
times-at Mobile Montgomery, West Point,
Atlanta, Charlotte, and probably at Wash
ington Now we get on Pullman at New
Orleans and need not get off even for our
meals unless we SO desire. Similarly we
ride from Chicago to San Francisco with
out change of cars. This is, of course,
most desirable. Now consider the question
from the standpoint of freight. One of the
main causes OF the Incidence of our people
was the waste of cultivation. Before the
advent of the railroads we had no means
to dispose of our crops Some farmers
tried to sell their products in local mar
kets, but their area OF, trade was so limited
that they gave up thf, attempt and became
idlers: a back-deor garden filled all their
wants. Since the railroads have come how
ever, we have been Pat in touch with the
whole country. Today we load not only
entire cars, but entire train loads Of pro-
duce, which arey rushed through to New
York, Chicago, Rhilaaflphia and Washing
ton without change, and place our goods
in those markets. almost as soon as we
were formerly able TO put them into the
markets of our own, state. Watermelons,
strawberries, peachesss bananas and other
York market I'M two sr three days. There
is every incentive. torwork.' and an almost
sure market forb cropS,'
docs this also apply to manufacturer?
in almost as ,greata measure The rail-
roads precede tie marIfacturies, and 1t is
true that almost all of our largest manu-
featuring interests hive been induced to
enter this field. either directly or indirectly
by the railroads. II a committee from
town wish to interest a manufacturing
company with a view to having it locate
in their section. they first inform them
selves thoroughly as to the possibilities to
be expected from the railroads and what
their facilities will be for handling the
products" $500
Policy Of Railway Commission.
Mr.. S. d. McNair. president Of the Mis-