The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-11-25
Strong Article from Col. W.. G. Smith
Showing Why We Should Manufac-
ture More Of Our Great Staple
Product.
WE HAVE BANKS ENOUGH FOR rs
YEARS.
But What We Need Are Industries that
Will Make Pay Rolls, for Pay Rolls
Build Up a City. 0rangebnrg's
Cotton Crop Value Could Be
Increased from Three Mil
lion to Seven Million
49, Dollars.

At the Cotton Congress held in
Memphis, Tenn. on Nov. 18th, COM
mittee on resolution recommended
"a Continuation of the agitation for
Cotton Factories enough in the South
to manufacture our cotton" which we
think an excellent suggestion and
prompts US to write the following arti-
Gle.
About % years ago I started to learn
the Cotton Mill business entering the
employment of the Clifton Mfg. Co.
Of Spartanburg, s. c., at its. organiza-
pioneers of this industry in this State,
Messrs Converse and Twitchell. There
were at that time about fourteen Cot
ton Mills in South Carolina and today
she is second to Massachusetts in the
manufacture Of cotton. There was at
that time five cotton mills in Spartan
burg County with an aggregate. num-
Der of $3.50 spindles and today that
county has a total of FOG, 997 spindles
manufacturing by far more cotton
than she produces, her crop being
about 1000 bales and her consump-
ton of cotton about 100000 bales.
Spartanburg, Greenville and Ander-
son have made greater, progress in
this industry than the other counties
of our state. 1t is claimed that the
Piedmont section is better adapted
for the manufacturing of cotton than
the middle or lower sections of our
state but we do not agree with this
idea for the reason that the central
and lower parts are Dot subject to any
severe changes of weather, but have q
more even temperature throughout
the whole year. The principal reason
for the success of the Piedmont mills
in our opinion is largely due to their
ability to u q class of "help"} not
found in the middle or lower sections.
The laboring people of the Glow coun-
tryn are more able to make a living
on the farms than those of the up
country. There is hardly any time
of the year that the lands of the "low-
country" are not in some way remuns
erative and for this reason there is
more inducement for the operative to
remain on the farm than there is in
low country abounds in fish and game
of various kinds which are conducive
to an indolent, lazy life.
LII lOCO UhClC was pAj ffO,1OO lhNCSIcu
in cotton Mills in South Carolina and
in 1907 it had increased to $103, s21.-
919 and the number of spindles had
increased from S2,33l to 1858, ISL.
The bales of cotton consumed in 1880
by the cotton mills of South Caro-
lima were 1864, not as much az
Orangeburg County now grows, but
in 1907 the consumption had increas-
ed to 774,905 bales very nearly as
much as the whole crop of the State.
Now let us see about Orangeburg
County. Today she Including the
Baby Co. can produce $1,000 bales of
cotton at an average weight, say of
4S0 pounds, sold at SC per pound is
worth 49, FAC, 900. Now suppose she
like Sparlanburg manufactured her
own crop it would be worth some
thing like Sc, 300, 900. To do this she
would have TO have about 362,50O
spindles spinning an average number
Of 205 yarn at a cost say of $50 per
spindle would be $780, 900 giving
employment to about 8, 1877 hands an.
additional population of $3.50 since
only about As per cent of the total mill
population are eligible for work.
This would put a pay roll in Orange
burg of $72, 5000 per month or $500
per year. You will perceive that this
money would be kept at home and
would not 60 to England and New
England where the bulk of our cot
ton is today manufactured. Of course
it will take many years to accomplish
this but as the committee in Memphis
said we should start with this
end in view, and when we have &C.
complished it we will be independent
people and Wall st. and N. Y. cotton
exchange will be thing of the past.
I wish to say just here by way of
parenthesis that Spartanburg County
in order to induce outside capital to
come in and lavish their money in