The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-01-13

Southern Power company and head OF
the American Tobacco company, is
looming big on the commercial hort
zon OF the South Atlantic states as a
developer OF resources the equal in
potentially to James J., Hill, the
father OF the northwest and admitted
ly the greatest developed OF the age.
what James ]. Hill Is to the north
west" declared Charlotte banker 10
an Observer man several days ago,
"apd. B. II. yokum is to the southwest,
SO Is James D. Duke going TO be to
this section"
And the comparison and prophecy
is not so improbable either to those
acquainted with Mr.. Dukes wonder
full plans regarding this section.
The Nucleus.
The Southern Power company is
simply the nucleus about which he is
building his great fabric. He Is now
furnishing the power which operates
more than 1850 cotton mills. lights 80
cities and towns. and his activities
have Just begun: he has In contempla-
don an interurban trolley system
through the heart OF the piedmont
section OF the carolinas, the hub Of
the industrial development OF the
south. which will greatly promote
this Development his plans for the
manufacture OF fertilizer from the at
nosphere by an electro-chemical pro-
cess are rapidly taking shape. And
not content with all this effort. Mr..
Duke has recently suggested scheme
whereby southern mills by co-opera-
lion may regain much OF their lost
trade IN China. Mr.. Dukes mind
works much after the fashion of that
OF Mr. Hill And when II Is eonsid-
cred that Mr.. Duke has been interest,"
ed In the industrial development OF
the piedmont section only about five
years. the magnitude OF his opera.
tons aud breadth Of vision becomes
an the greater.
James J. Hill.
Frank H. Spearraan. writing Of Mr.
Nm 10 his authoritative treatise. ''Tht
Strategy OF Great Railroads" In dis.
GUSHING the extension Of the Greai
Northern across the continent 20 Pu'
get Sound. says that there was never
At that time but one avenue Of traffl'
IN prospect for the pasi year-t III
timber of the Puget sound country
This OF course was not enough to jus
iify the building OF the great line ans
10 Il was imperative for Mr. Hill Il
create business The situation wal
one that would have appalled, lssi
resonrcefui man. but not so the viz
ard of the northwest Says Mr
spcarman: TO discover. 10 deyeiol
and 10 create Oriental traffic. Mr.. Hi
sent men 10 China and to Japan. an'
maintained them there TO investigate
trade conditions he had men Ia tn
Orient whose business Il was to re
n manifest Of every ship that eleare.
a Japanese or Chinese port: 20 fine
not alone what the exports ana i'm
ports Of these countries consisted Of
but where the exports went. he pu
y traffic representative In the 0rien
and covered the eastern United State
with Industrial plants whose work |
was to turn traffic TO the Great North
ern. His agents found out what IN
factories of New England were MAX
ing. and IN China and Japan hts met
sought an Oriental market for sh
stun.
Grating business.
"Of his traffic department h. aske'
nothing that he could not bring abou
himself Distinguished Japancs
guests Of Mr. Hills In 1896. buildinl
new roads In Japan. we're not allowe'
10 leave for Europe TO place their OF
dcrs for belgian or English rails un
til. after dinner. they had had a tall
with him about T. A. they we're 4
scud day or two III hls cnmpan
h. asked II he might not see wha
could be done on American rails y
considerable host could hardly b
denied. aud Mr.. liill cahled friend
IN London for the best quotations VI
Antwerp and Middleboro rails aud IN
charters TO Yokohama. lie found IN
foreign rails could b. delivered Their
~ about so q ton. He telegraphe
Chicago and told The steel men that
they would make n price Of $3.50 o
American rails. the Great Notther
would lay them In Yokohama for s.
ton. The Chicago men made the pric
and Me. Hills railroads and steam
thlps landed IN Yokohams $4,000 ton
% Chicago rails, the frst America
steel rails ever sold In japan.
Introduced American Cotton.
TThc transaction was only an Incl
dent but Il illustrates Mr. Hill D
this time even Japanese manufactuF
trs had been attracted by the Grea
Northern policies. Passing across IN
continent party OF them we're gent
y but firmly detained BY this maste
builder of trade. who. ilxInE on thcr
On ancient mariner eye. asked abou
ihe poor cotton they we're spinning 1
homc-ihc India cotton with the slic.
staple that made poor yarn. Th
laps were disposed TO stick 10 thel
cheap cotton. but they we're not 8
easily 10 escape Rather than IT thel
go. Mr. Hill persuaded them 10 try on
shipment Of American cotton upon b