The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-01-11
BUSINESS CONDITIONS AND
OUTLOOK.


of Lumberton Give Their
Views as to Business Condi-
tons and Prospects-Cause to
be Satisfied With Past Years
Results ts-Lumberton Has Not
Suffered Much and Business
Conditions Better Than in
Other Towns Of its Size-Scme
Reasons Why Prospects are
Good-Some Instances of In
crease in Business.
Last year was a panic year, a
year of hard times, but it does
not seem to have been felt so
much in Lumberton as in many
other places. Of course it was
felt, in way, and a few mer-
chants report a falling off in the
amount of business done, but
others report an increase. In
order to get a view of conditions
in Lumberton through the eyes
of various people a representative
of the Robesonian called on some
of the business men of the town
and asked for an expression of
opinion as the general situation
and as to the conditions that OBJ
tain in their particular line of
business. A few did not care to
be quoted, but all were optimis-
tic as to the future. The year
1908 was q good year in Lumber
ton and the year 1909 bids fair
to be better. But to the story:
Mr.. A. w. Mclean, president
of the Bank of Lumberton, who is
interested in two Lumberton cot
ton mills and several other indus
trial corporations, was asked to
give a brief statement in regard
to the general business conditions
of the town and county for the
past year. Mr.. Mclean said:
Il think the people of our
town and county have cause tc
be satisfied with the years re.
suits. The crop yield in Robe.
son county in 1908 was usually
good. The tobacco crop brought
a good price, and there is every
reason to advise our farmers tt
plant an increased acreage in to.
bacco in 1909. The cotton croI
of the county is as large as, anc
perhaps larger than, in former
years. The total number of bales
raised in the county for the seas.
on of 1908 will approximate fifty
thousand. The price of cotton
however, has been much lower
than for 1907, and the total cash
realized from the cotton crop fol
1908 will be at least half mil
lion dollars less than that realized
for the crop of 1907.
This loss in the price of cot.
ton and the decrease in price an6
output OF the saw mills of the
county have naturally caused
considerable reduction in thu
money supply, but notwithstand.
ing these things, Robson coun
ty, with it's great agriculture
resources, has withstood tn,
panic perhaps better than an,
other section Of the State.
The townof Lumberton has no
suffered very much from the gen
} eral business depression, if W.
} may judge from visible condi
, tions.
During the past two year
our people have constructed tw
/ new cotton mills with an aggre
gate investment of noarly fou
hundred thousand dollars, an,
} these, with the old mills, are nov
/ running on full time. In add
|: ton to the mills, within the pas
|, year, buildings have been com
! pleted, or are now in course Q
4 construction, involving a total ir
vestment of one hundred and fiji
!. ty thousand dollars.
THAT sounds pretty wellfor.th
past year. What do you think Q
the future?' was asked.
\ We'll, l see no reason VIII
we should not do better in tn
future. / have always had COZ
fidence in the future of tn
+, town, and / have more confidenc
in it now than ever.
The business conditions hel
are better than in any town {
its size in the South. Real e.
tate is still going up. AS an e.
ample of this, a block of impro,
% ed land in town sold six or eigl
70 years ago at the rate of $4OO
- - lot, and one lot in this san
% % block sold recently for about 81
10 O0O for the same size lot.
Sc Another important enterpri
should not be overlooked. II
DO fer to the new railroad come
% ton which the Virginia & Car
q lima Southern Railroad will fu
!. nish. This road is now being ra
Do idly built, and will probably
completed to Hope Mills in S
months from now. I predict tn
this new liue of transportati
will do our town more permane
good than anything that has ev
been accomplished. Besides gi
= ing us a competing line +
freight, it will give us direct ps
! senger accommodations to t
. extreme upper end of the coun
at Raeford."
will you not give some inf,
nation, Mr.. Mclean, about so,
G OF the business enterprises
- which you are interested. H,
oho,,% k1 Del