The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-11


to-day IS that Of American industrial
commercial. and agricultural expansion
Tho decade closing with 1886 was the
/ most remarkable in American history
/ In the ten wears the republic emerged
! fuli- nedged as world power Iu this
/ development tine Sogth was mos, con-
spicuous The farms ~ the Southern
1 states during this remarkable period
gave the country i-s balance % trade
W. foreign lands. Cotton was the
largest single article in the LIST of agri-
cultural exports. and a ma joritv OF ft
/ came from the States traversed by the
/ Southern Railway and Its allied lines.
! The Souths - HALLWAY. like other lines
/ Of tine country. was taxed 20 the limit in
taking care OF traffic The growth Of
business exceeded TIE auticRation and
! prediction OF the most optimistic ecouo-
/ m-st. To have followed the dictates ~
/ the oversanEuine might have proved dis
Z aStrous. hence the untitled requirements
/ OF the factory. store. and railway To
oFerreach ana overdo IS never "A safe
business proposition The Southern Rail-
way was engaged IN local betterments
! and in anticipation Of natural Increase
/ had orders placed FOR additional equin-
| ment. but the call FOR skilled v.orxnien
/ and laborers became SO Widespread and
/ insistent I'm new directions that Old -os-
taohshed enterprises. including the rail-
/ ways. We're PUT to distress to meet de-
mands
The main territory traversed bv the
southern Railway svstem-south OF the
Potomac and Ohio. and east Of the Mis-
sisippi comprising about 70 per cent OF
/ the continental area OF the I-nion-con-
tIputed more of the fruits Of agricul-
inre 10 world Use than any other equal
area on the face OF tho earth The staples
, ot ms Southern region have thus be-
come International rather than national
and sectional They enter into the neces-
stiles OF more people than those from
| the other sections Of the planet OF the
/ eight important American exports four
| are almost solely produced IN the south
! and these four-cotton. tobacco. oil cake
| and meal. and vegetable oi-contrbute
| =, Ter cent OF the entire farm surplus
OF the American Republic coming as
I already stated. from - per cent OF tile
/ countrvs area
The year 1905 is one OF an oven dozen
IN the history Of the Southern Railway.
each wear of increased growth as we'll
as responsibility. for not only has the
road more than doubled its length. and
e~ruinCs as well as operating expenses
increased in proportion but new problems
present themselves for solution. Origi-
nally an agricultural line Il Is nou an
! industrial one. FOR the industrial growth
of the South in the past decade had no
equal in any other geogva phical division
or the United states
The relation the South sustains aericul-
turailv 10 the people OF the world is fully
established. For years IL was regarded as
a one-crop country. but within the de-
cade &c has risen 10 a commanding place
I'm various WAYS and in combination with
It's former great staple-and still staple
20 has a multiplicity Of farm crops which
now participate IN supplying Northern
and foreign markets.
Corresponding with this marvellous agri-
cultural growth has been the industrial
development. an attainment that has
most substantial basis No other region
or equal size on any continent has great
or diversity and extent OF natural re-
sources I'm deposits OF coal iron ore,
structural materials. and OF rare and
economic minerals. combined with forests
Of rnerchantable timber and unrivaled wa
ter powers.
The increase in capital In Southern
manufactures in the FIVE year period end
ing with 1895 was g. per cent compared
with ~ per cent. in the whole country
while the increase IN products was a
per cent. compared with 80 per cent in
the country at large Reports to the
land and Industrial department OF the
company show that 1913 new industries
We're located in territory covered nv
Southern Railway and Mobile & Ohio
Railroad during the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1896 and thcre was no diminu-
tion OF activity for the last half OF the
year.
The financial growth has been wide
spread and well distributed as evidenced
h. the growth OF the banking business
According to the report OF the United
States Comptroller OF Currency. deposits
in the banks OF tine South June 30. 1896
were 22l - millions. which sum had
increased June 90. 1906. 20 $40 IS millions
OF four times as much. Fifteen years
ago there were LOO banks in the South
Now there are 2.7oo Thirty years ago
there We're 900 newspapers Now the.e
are 1850. Educational facilities have null
tipled but particulars 81 growth IN all
directions could be indefinitely detailed
The south has nearly as many seaports
as all the rest o. the country combined
The total experts and imports are not a.
great. but the figures are growing
During the fiscal year 1896. Southern
ports sent abroad 642 millions OF products
compared with E5 millions In the pre-
ccding year while imports increased
from. SO millions TO 1M millions The
ports Of the South are nearer the West
Indies. South America and the Panama
Canal than any other in the Union. and
In the trade now in sight with our neigh
bors az Iatin America the South has the
supreme advantage
Tho known potentislities OF the south
and many Vet 20 be reckoned with under
the whip and spur Of steam and cleo
trfcity. aided bv scientific research and
application. promise much FOR Industry
and Intelligence IN the coming years. ana /
so the Southern horizon shows no signs I
% stagnation, but instead acceleration |
and achievement The wealth and va |
rietv OF possibilities and opportunities .or !
brain. Drawn and capital are so vast IN /,
the South that they baffie the mind To- |