Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-11-03

Whether he be native born or Wheth-
err he is in the South by choice rather
than by accident of birth.
! Whether he me an investor in the
south from other sections, or whether
he is seeking to interest capital from
other sections in the South
The South is vast mine OF wealth.
Its resources are unmatched by those
of any other like area in the world.
/ Nowhere Csc is there to be found
region of such vast and varied poten-
tialitfes for agriculture, for manufac-
tur ng, for mining, for railroad opera
tions, for city building actiyit es. But
Ilimitless as these resources are, they
can produce nothing of value to the IN
diyidual. to the State, the section or the
nation until they be utilized
/ Mi lions of acres of uncult'Vated land
producing nothing for the good of man
kind without settlement, and millions
of acres of overflowed and cut-over
timber lands as they stand today idle,
useless, indeed repellent to the trav-
eler. are a liabi ity to the South, be,
cause they are burden to carry yield
/ ing nothing in return. It'll zed, these
lands would become one of the South
great assets. adding billions of dollars
to the wea th~of this section and the
nation.
Millions of acres of land poorly titled
by reason of incompetent and thriftless
tenant farmers, yield only small pro-
portion of the returns which shou he
received from them They are an as
set. but they are only partly ut liked.
Billions of tons of coal and iron ore
can produce no wealth and no employ
ment until the miners pick touches
them and quickens them into wealth.
producing assets.
And al along the line it might be
said of the South that this vast store
house, this great deposit of natural re-
sources. is but touched here and Their,
yielding large results in the aggregate,
it is true but results which are trif-
ingly small as compared with the pos
sibilites of the situation.
1t would not be difficult matter to
double. the aggregate output of the
farms of the South, giving total to
this section of $6,00O,0O0,000 aga nst
$3,O00000,000 at present.
With adequate work on the part of
the people of the South, those to the
manner born as well as those who have
come by choice rather than by the ac-
cident of birth, by the railroads and
other great corporations whose inter
ests are centered in this section, the
whole wealth of the South, its indus
trial, mining, railroad and agricu tural
interests could be doubled within
very brief period to the vast benefit of
this section, of the nation and of the
world.
Are the people interested in the
South, those who are living here, those
whose money is invested here, and the
great corporations whose millions have
ben put into tn s section, equal to the
opportunity?
Are they of sufficiently broad vision
to see how every step of progress made
by every industry benefits all?
Are the iron and coal men broad en-
ough to see that the increase of popu-
lation, the betterment of farm condi-
tions, the extension of railroad activ,
tiles, are vitality important to them as
en- arg'ng the home demand for the out
put of their furnaces and mines? Do
they realifie that every new wheel that
turns on rail or in factory in all the
South is matter of vital concern to
their own business affairs?
Are the city builders and the owners
of city property awake to what it
would mean to double the wealth OF
the South by the fullest Utilization OF
its vast potent alities? Do they COM
prehend that every new settler in the
South, every acre of land whose output
is improved by better farming means
enlarged value for their properties
and broader opportunities for their
sons?
Are the railroad men who represent
the hundreds of millions of dollars in
vested in the raj roads of the South
quite appreciative of what Il would
mean to their interests to see the out
put of the mines, the factories and the
farms of the South doubled?
1t is entirely possible to bring this
about Are they men of sufficient Wis
ion to realize how promptly this could
be done with the right kind of cam
paign?
The man who had a thousand acres
of the richest soil which could by ener-
gy be properly Gu tivated and made to-
yield fortune every year. and who
yet lacked the vision of the energy to
cultivate more than one-tenth of it,
would be classed as incompetent and