The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1906-01-12
BROAD BASIS FOR
SOUTHERN SELf.RELIANCE.
Former U. 5. Senator NJ. c. Butler
Writes Interestingly of the Unde-
VelOpcd Resources OF
the South.

the South.
Former u. S Senator NJ. G.. Butler of
s. G. in Manufacturers Record.
1t is matter of great surprise
that so large a majority of the
people of the South, myself
among the number, perhaps,
have such slight appreciation
of the vast valuable undeveloped
resources of their section. At
the risk of being charged with
prolixity and of repeating a
"thrice-told tale" 1 am going to
ask your forgiveness while l re-
call attention to them.
If you will look over the map
Of the United States between
about the 26th and 35th parallels
of north latitude and from the
Roanoke river on the east to the
western boundary of Texas, Ar
kansas and Oklahoma, embrac-
ing within those limits the States
of North and South Carolina,
Gs9gEgy3ia. G!sfgy3iia Floridas alabama ,saltgss; Miss;
Texas, Oklahoma and Indian
Territory, you will find what is
commonly known as the cotton
belt of the United States, and,
it might be added, the greatest
cotton belt in the world.
Now. if you will draw a line
from Weldon, N. c., on the Roa-
noke, via Cheraw, S. c., on the
Pee Dee, Camden. S. c., on the
Wateree, Columbia, S. c., on the
Congaree, Augusta, Ga, on the
Savannah, and Columbus, Ga,
on the Chattahoochee, and the
intermediate streams on the
same general line, you will find
on those streams and their af-
fluents water-power enough, if
harnessed and utilized, to manu-
facture every pound of cotton
and grind every bushel of grain
produced in the cotton belt. The
line suggested would run along
or near that wonderful granite
formation where the streams
cease to be shoal, and move off
into smooth and for the most
part navigable water to their ter
mination in the Atlantic or Gulf.
Another thing will be Observed
these streams and their affluents
and the harbors into which they
emptv are never troubled or OBJ
structed with ice. A step far
ther, if you will cross the divide
which separates the waters which
flow into the Atlantic and Gulf
and Mississippi and Gulf, you
can find in the Tennessee and
Cumberland rivers and the Ar
kansas and Red rivers and their
aff1uents and intermediate
streams duplicate of the water
power of their sister streams IN
the cotton belt mentioned above.
! The supply of building and paw
ing stone and clay for common
brick and for vitrified and fire
brick and marble is inexhaustible
and the most of it of the finest
quality.
What food products can bt
profitably raised in the cottor
belt? All the cereals, Indiar
corn, wheat, rye, barley, oats
buckwheat, rice and millet, to
gether with sugar and salt
While sugar is not a cereal, it i
almost indispensable as an article
of food, and so of salt. More O
the human family subsist on ric'
than on any one food product
Cottonseed oil has become
valuable article of food. Foo
is the first thing required whel
we come into the world; cloth
ing the next. We have seel
what the cotton belt can do i
qhthe way of food. Later | wi
mnerate additional varieties Q
uates clething, or rattle
kIl which clothing
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