The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-01
(By THOKNW Eli HAYNES,

MS cHNCdtOIc. IL ~ CONcECu Wa !
gon. known farther west as the "prai-
rie schooner" is following the OK
faithfully chrOnologicaIly as it has al
ways been faithful contiguously. The
motor truck now chugs across the
field with the load OF hay, the COWS
are MIXED electrically, the fiddle and
organ are superseded by the graphic
phone. and all the familiar pots and
hooks which hung so home-like in
the old wide fireplace have beer abol-
ished for gas and electric stoves. It
is. perhaps less lyrical. even though
d dozen Interrogation points do come
20 every funeral science holds over
ignorance, yet what matters it? II
the conditions Danish the poetical an
not the poetica3ly-inclined crawl into
an electric car or an automobile and
go where birds sing and all nature
blooms in pristine beauty?
Connection Between Pipe and Power.
Across his wealthy Piedmont coun-
try where the Indian stalked his game,
a power. startling in its promise, has
suddenly come. It may at first be diff
fcult to decipher any connection be-
tween the Indians pipe and the slen-
der, Observation-Disclosures wires which
are threading every county Of the
Opulent Piedmont and Transforming
10y the alchemy of civilization all the
thoughts and wO<ds and deeds of
every PiedmOntese into the mold of
Gods first purpose. But the power OF
the white, fluid coal turnbling over
the countless waterfalls Of the Appa-
lachian and Blue Ridge is successfully
harnessed and distributed by the ex-
ploitation of the American Tobacco
millions. Hence, back
through the thousands Of tobacco
producing ere of Virginia and the
Caroiinas-back, in fact, to the In
dams pipe where the white man first
discovered this wonderful weed, we
ind the connection.
AT the beginning of this century
land you will recall that this was
only twelve years ago. DR.. Gill Wylte
and his brother. DR.. r. II. Wylie, es-
tablished at Rock Hill, s.. c.. what was
known AS the Catawba Power COM
pany. Later, in 1905, the Dukes be-
came interested, and from the old
company emerged the Southern Pow
or company, which in the short space
OF seven years ha come into the pos
session Of over 10000 horse power,
the principal plants at present be-
ing Horse
power.
CataWba Power Company =. 10000
Great Falls station F.. ;. 80, coo
Greensboro steam plant. :. 10, zoo
Greenviile steam plant +. ;. 10, OO0
Ntnety-nine Islands station. 24.O0
Rock Creek station =. . $4,000
Big Electric Plants.
IN" owners Of these six plants are
also owners Of all the principal unde.
ve!oped waterfalls throughout the
C%arolinas; they supply seventy-Gv<
per cent af the power that turns tn
Ten thousands of spindles which have
within the last decade been set t.
whirring all over the South: and they
control the lighting and power TO
something like half a hundred cities
and towns scattered up and down ant
across the Piedmont.
Even before the Dukes became in
terested, as far bach as 1901, the Ca
tawoa Power company began to bu.
up all promising water owe sites
paying for some even as low as 81, 600
put since then Many Of these site
nave advanced Is much as 1000 pc
cent in value. So while at presen
nearly fifty towns are supplied witt
hsht and power for various industries
and all the wheels Of 1855 cotton mill
are made to turn, as we'll as thOs
or al the electric cars Of eight stree
railway systems, it is but a small be
ginning of what will be one Of tn
greatest industrial powers in tn
world.
IN fact, SO fast it the whole Pied
mont becoming literally electrified
mat 1t occurs before we realize il
hardly do the great steel towers out
me themselves ~innumerable agains
me horizon before we hear Of an in
terurban that is stretching itself fror
the direction Of the southeastern en-
OF The Piedmont, lea Georgia, all tn
way across the line dividing the tw
'aro!itlas on up toward Virginia, stop
ping for only a short time. perhap:
70 turf toward Raleigh and make cor
hectlon there to await development
AuanticWard. Beginning at Green
WOOD, 5. c.. within forty miles Of CO
lumbia. the line will pass through AT
oerson. only twenty miles from tn
Georgia line, and through Bolton an
NrreenVl!le on to S~partanburs an
haHney, across the Carolina lin