The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-07-14

facture her own cotton goods at a
great saving in wealth The money
that had gone TO enrich the New Eng
land manufacturer was kept at home
to build railroads and organize
banks
Some writers have said that cot
ton consumption is the measure of
a nations advance ment, some have
said the same of coal and others have
in substance said that the country
or that section OF the country which
can produce iron and steel at the
lowest cost will dominate the COM
merce OF the world. But consider
what it means to hold a dominating
position in these three industries.
Coal is the power behind the throne
of iron and cotton. It's power is
expressed in the engine, the real
monarch of the 'world-the magi-
clan whose wand has touched and
turned into gold the riches of the
earth's treasures, undeveloped until
the steam engine came into being.
Coal and iron added to cotton manu-
featuring, have been the cause of
England's wealth and power. What
the future holds for the South in
coal and iron development, the mind
of man has never and never can full
ly grasp. In the South, we have six
ty-two thousand nine hundred and
fifty-seven square miles of rich coal
lands against combined total of
Great Britain and Germany of twelve
thousand six hundred. The shipment
of lake GRE now exceeds thirty-four
million tons per year. Even at this
rate, only twenty-five or thirty years
will be required practically to ex-
haust the present known lake sup
plies. This fact, startling as it may
seem, is understood by every iron
master, and all leading iron conpa-
MES are seeking to provide for the
coming years in the South. Of iron,
Alabama has such vast stores that it
is now accepted that the three or four
| leading companies of that state have
much more than the United States
steel corporation.
Mr.. Abram S. Hewitt has said that
that section with its abundant stores
of ore, coal and limestone in such
close proximity as is found in Ala
bama, bids fair within the next TWEEN
ty years to rule the basic steel indus
try of the world.
Civilization and commercial pro-
gress have demanded the construc-
ton OF the Panama Canal, which is
soon to be. completed, and at the
completion OF it, the commerce of the
world will be turned into the lap of
the South. 1t will give to us the
greatest chance for material develop
ment that any section Of the world
has, or will have.
/ believe that men who are not now
young, will live to see the Southern
institutions ranking with the great
est institutions of the world. Such
a statement as this can not be call
ed dreamer's dream when we con-
slider the great advancement we have
made in education within the past
twenty-five years.
This is wonderful age in which
we are living These things (which
| have mentioned are but a dim pro-
phecy of what many of us who are
here this evening will live to see
coming to pass in the South.
When the commerce of the world
will be largely carried ON Within her
borders, and the South, the great
magnet, seems to be drawing from
the four corners of the world every
force of civilization and industry
that will make people great. Then
it will be that many of US will say
that our dreamers and prophets were
not true to US; since the half had
not been told by them.
Such is our opportunity, and well
may we heed the advice of our pres.
ent Speaker of the House, who says
Go South, young man. That is the
land of opportunity
A. L. Hatcher.