Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-06
MILLIONS
USED To BUILD
HIS HOME STATE
Tobacco King Is Developing
Cheap Power All Over Caro-
linas to Help Cotton Mills.

CHARLOTTE, July 5.-James B.
Duke, tobacco king. ia playing the
role Of godfather to North Carolina.
To make his native State prosper
Gus he has spent $50 ,00O, 900 on power
plants and a similar amount has gone
to aid young business men establish
cotton mills. Other States may scof
at Duke. but he is a prophet who is
honored in his own country.
A year or two ago Mr.. Duke retired
as president Of the American Tobacco
Company. He maintained control Of
the British American Tobacco Com
pany, however, and to-day he domi-
mates the tobacco industries of the
! Old World; but just prior to laying
down the reins OF the American COM
pany Mr.. Duke conceived the idea of
placing North Carolina in the fore
front OF the cotton manufacturing
States Of the Union.
While the cotton acreage OF his ma
tive State was not nearly so great as
that Of other sister States. yet he de-
termined that the Southern planter
should find a market for his product
without being forced to accept prices
which are materially lessened by ex-
| cessive freight rates demanded to land
It in the New England mills.
Rivals Of New England.
North and South Carolina were both
| likely places, In his opinion, for a
oh %
| as those Of New England It is only a
| short haul from there to Norfolk and
! Newport News, where trans Atlantic
steamships touch going and coming,
| thus easily solving the problem Of ex-
| port facilities.
Then, too, should the mills grow in
volume their owners could far out
strip their New England competitors
in bidding for the raw product from
neighboring States for the same rea-
| son that, with a lower freight rate to
| reckon with, they could pay the plant
er and broker better prices
Knowing every nook and corner of
| his native State by heart, Mr.. Duke
awoke to the realization that millions
upon millions Of horsepower in her
many waterways was going to waste.
| once harness these streams and erect
power plants at central points and II
would be an easy matter to generate
| and diffuse sufficient power to turn
| the spindles OF every cotton mill in
| the two States. as well as to light
| every municipality, the homes and
| business places of those dwelling
/ within their confines. and at the same
| time to supply the motive power for
every street railway line in the two
States.
The result was cheap power and
light for every county in North Caro-
lima.
The demand for the product from
the cotton plants soon became so
compelling that within a few years
the horsepower was doubled and then
some.
Millions for Young.
Making Charlotte his central head
quarters when not at the farm of his
birth, near Durham he let 1t be known
that he was ready. willing and eager
to help any and all deserving, ener-
getic and capable persons who desired
to join hands with him in making the
Old North State one OF the foremost
cotton manufacturing centers of the
Union.
The formal announcement was
made that a fund Of $50, 0O0, 900 was
available for the establishment of cot
ton mills at likely and well-selected
points. The money would be forth
coming at an instant's notice, pro-
vided the person could convince those
in charge of 1t that he had It thor
ough knowledge of the business, was
energetic, faithful and industrious and
possessed sufficient money of his own
to make 1t worth his while to strive
for the success Of the enterprise and
stick to business
Scores of young men who grew up
in the cotton mill business, but whose
chances of owning a mill of their own
were remote in the extreme. were
quick to benefit by the offer of their
native States wealthiest son.