The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-05-30
Facts About the South.

Manifestations of wonderful pro-
gress and prosperity in the So nth are
pressing with greater and and great
er insistence every day upon the no.
tlce of men of affairs, statesmen, f.
nanciers, manufacturers, prblicists
and students of economics. They re-
fleet deeds accomplished, notably in
themselves, given marked emphasis
III comparison with results from like
activities in other parts of the coun-
try and OF unparalleled significance
when viewed against the appalling
background OF generation or more
ago. For that reason there is more
than usual timeliness in Facts About
the South, Il phalnplilet of ~ pages
written by Mr.. Richar ri III. Edmonds,
editor of the Manufacturers RecOIn
and Just published. In it the whole
story OF Southern material upbuld-
ing, the romance of the SOuth's re-
demptiOn from poverty to prosper
ity since 1880 aud tie resources of
this section in coal, iron, timber,
phOsphateS, cotton and other wealth
producing resources are more com
progressively dealt with than ever be-
lore. The prosperity of the South
before 1860, and the reasons there
for, SO slightly known and under
stood 10y the general public, are
brought out very clearly in explana-
ton OF the business and Industrial
energy of the Southern people today
and us convincing proof of the nat
ural advantages which were rapidly
making the South tbs richest part OF
the country when the war interviewed.
Starting with IL statement of typi-
cal Southern productivity during the
past 10 years-1O3,63 900 bales of
cotton, 5,6O6, Al 800 bushels of
corn, $50, 1896 941 bushels of wheat,
COS, ,O37, PA bushels of oats, 12O,-
600, ,OOO,O 900 OF lumber, 81 ,629, 1886
tons of coal, 263, $3.50, 252 barrels of
petroleum, 27,342,566 tons OF pig
iron and Il, ,692, 1913 tons phosphate,
of the increase OF investment in cot
ton mills from 500, 100000 to $780,
100000, of the building of 15,9O2
miles of railroad and O: the move
ment through its ports of merchan-
disc aggregating in value 81, ,97S,-
coo, ,OOO-cOmparisOn is made with
the preceding decade as a basis for Il
broad and detailed survey of South
ern accomplishments in the past 26
years in agriculture, in manufacture
ing, in mining, in transportation, in
trade and in commerce. Special at
tentiOn is given, of course, to cotton
growing and cottOn-manufacturing,
the one a basis and the other q
means for the revival of Southern
vigor a quarter of a century ago, but
emphasis is laid upon the many facts
of striking interest illustrating the
strides in recent years made by the
South in diversfcation in farming
and in manufacturing, in closer ap-
proach to financial independence, in
extension of transportation facilities,
in the building up of ports and in the
greater utilization of natural re-
sources of the fields, the forests, the
mines and the watercOurses.
To complete the story OF the South
of today considerable space is de-
voted to a plain statement, but one
OF deepest interest, of the achieve
ments and aspirations of the leaders
on many lines in the old South, dem
onstrating clearly that what the
South is doing today is, after all,
merely carrying out plans of half II
century ago.
The study of Facts About the
South" is fifty closed by an estimate
OF types of the individuals who, by
their works and their words in the
7Os and sos, and, indeed, in earlier
years, pointed the way to IL fulfill
ment of prophecies of the South and
wrought SO NIGHTLY in clearing the
way for the attainments of the pres
| ont