The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-26
How
Develops
Natural Resources
OF State

ounmelhille, - t- Mdltn ln.- we
are not in the habit Of considering
south Carolina as manufacturing
state. although she stands second and
next to Massachusetts in the amount
OF capital invested in cotton factories,
in the number OF spindlcs aud in the
value Of her products She stands
fourth Ia the manufacture Of com
merclal Fertilizers. fith IN fruit and
vegetable canning and fifth in the
manufacture Of hosiery and snitted
goods.
There were cotton factories in South
Carolina as long ago as 1887, but they
did not amount TO much. In 1870 there
were Fifteen mills, with capital OF a
little more than S600,000 and am am
nual product of about Si50,000. Ia
1860 and AZ the outbreak Of the civil
war there were seventeen factories.
with capital oi sSO0.00o. a product
worth sl,000,000 a year. 4l.SS4 spindles
and S91 employees. In 1880 the indus.
try had practically edoubled, and ther-
Il began to grow It's rapid develop
ment from that time on has been
largely due to the activity OF the
Charleston News and Courier. the Co
lumbia state. and other newspapers.
which started the cry: Bring the
mills to the cotton instead OF taking
the cotton to the mills. aud save the
transportation charge
The gospel preached on that text
impressed many men OF capital and
enterprise, and the consequences may
be seen in the mill villages scattered
all over the state. which have done so
much to degelop the character. Inn
prove the morals and promote the ma
terial welSare 9i a large portion Of the
population. as well as multiply their
wealth To the farmers especially
have the mills saen beneficial They
have afforded home market 20 the
cotton. and for everything in the way
Of food products they could raise.
Take Spartanburg county, for ex-
ample, which used to be a lonely and
dreary waste without anything that
makes existence happy or profitable.
The water power that nature supplied
caused thirty-seven cotton mills to be
built IN that county, which annually
consume 100000 bales OF cotton. which
is five times as much az is raised in
tho county, and produced S25,9J0,000
I'm actuai money last year The mill
villages are composed OF comfortable
frame cottages. neatly painted white
or some color. with five or six rooms I:
and they rent for 81 room per
month to the mill hands. Each cot
tage has a quarter OF an acre of
ground. whore the family can make a
garden and most ol the corporations
offer prizes to encourage their tenants
in producing .he best display OF ilow'
erg or the greatest value ia vegetables.
These cottages, situated on the high.
lands IN the Piedmont country In q
mild climate, are Infinitely more cont
Portable than the crowded tanements
of the factory towns of the north, and
although the wages paid down here
are considerably lower the cost OF iiv-
Ing corresponds. and the operatives
are ahlo TO save q good deal OF their
money If they are thrifty and cconOiir
icai The fact that they do 50 is indi
Gated by the S60O0,00O OF deposits 2
the banks Of Sparsanburg county But
all that money does not belong "a
the mill families At least half ol {
was deposited by the farmers.
About $4,000 bales Of cotton are pro
duced IN Spartanbure county which d
carted directly 10 the mills and sold
for cash The money goes into Tie
banks. Before the mills were bulls
cotton WAS sold 10 local commission
merchants TO settle debts for food and
clothing. implements and fertilizer
that had been incurred Ia making the
crop. Upon such advances the farm
er paid from 20 10 per cent AMI
often more interest Now, instead 81
paying interest to his commission mar
he sells his cotton for cash and draws
iDteres; upon his money from the
bank. Cotton Is high inat now Ten
cent cotton used To be considered bet
ter than amy gold mine, today cotton
Is selling at more than II cents
pound. and the crop OF SpaItanbufa
county Is worth from Two and three
quarters to three million dollars rc
complete their supply the mills bu,
foui times as much more from the
farmers OF the adjoining counties. ano