The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-04-04

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North Carolina on account eff IT'S Co
pography and the number of. large
rivers flowing across it into the sea.
In this respect it equals South Caro-
lima or any other southern Commons
wealth. A recent survey of the vari-
GUS water power available for the de-
velopment shows that In the aggre-
gate they represent over 3,500,OO0
horsepower. Some OF the single
sites at the present time develop
100000 horsepower utilized directly
for factory purposes or for general
ing the electric current to be employ
ed for illumination as well as power
distribution In various ways. This LIZ
one reason why North Carolina on
tains SO. many small cotton mills,
No other State equals it In tins re-
spect and the percentage of small
mills being operated at a profit Is
very notable. 1t may be needless to
say that the number of hands engag-.
I'd In textile work In North Carolina
is equal to if not greater than In the
State of Massachusetts, despite the
period of time in which this indus
try has been carried On In New Eng
land. As In South Carolina a num-
Der Of communities are notable as be-
ing important cenfers of the indus
Itry. For example, over 20 mills are
situated within a short distance Of
the city of Charlotte, which has at
tanned its reputation as being one Of
the most progressive cities in the
South principally for this S In
CASTOR county In the extreme south
western section of the State are prob
able more industries of this kind than
in any other county in the United
States. 1t is an interesting fact that
the facilities for the production of
yarn and cloth at a small cost are
such that many of the factories In
this country as well as elsewhere
have been conducted and equipped
largely by the mill hands themselves.
In other words the cooperative sys-
tenn has been carried out more ex-
tensively In this State than elsewhere
ON a successful basis. While of late
the tendency has been to build plants
of much larger capacity than former
ly, there Is no question but what the
abundant w~ater-power In addition to
the proximity of the raw material
has enabled the small mills to be OPP
Grated possibly with greater success
than in other parts of the South.
The opportunity for obtaining $4,000
Or more horsepower from a single
site, however, has caused the invest
ment of a larger amount of capital,
both Southern and Northern, at sew
eral points in the State within the
last few years. One of the most
notable of these projects is at Green's
boro, where advantage has been tax
en- of the power afforded to invest a
large amount of New York capital.
Such are some of the reasons why
the value of manufactured cotton to
the State doubled In the period be-
tween 1890 and 1900, while at pres
ent it represents nearly 40 per cent
of the combined value of North Car
'olmais industrial output, but as al,
ready stated, only a portion of the
power available has been utilized and
the possibilities for not only the tex
tile, but other forms of manufacture
ing are practically imitless. As it
IS, cotton mills have a consumption
equal to all of the staple which is
grown in the State and take a cor
Siderable quantity from outside.
Agriculture.
The various branches of agricul-
ture further indicate the diversified.
resources of this Commonwealth.
While about so per cent of the farm
area Is devoted to corn, the cultival
ton of tobacco has increased so rap-
idly that at the present time the acre
age is more than double the terrific
ry which was planted even fifteen
years ago, placing North Carolina
next to Kentucky in the importance
and value of this crop. At such mar
kets as Henderson and Durham, to-
baeco of such a grade is raised in the
vicinity that it is sold in the ware
houses directly to the representatives
OF the manufacturers at prices rang
ing as high as 90 cents to the pound
and over. There is no question but
what this asset is one of the most
important in connection with the
wealth of the State and that it can
be greatly expanded as more terri
tory is taken up by the tobacco
grower and more economical methods
adopted in the cultivation. b
Reference has already been made
to the Importance of numbering, es-
pecially in the estern part of the
State, but including the hardwood
forests In the western section this
form of activity has made literally
phenomenal progress. In 1890, the
census records show the entire value
of the output, was but $4,000, 600. In