The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-04-21

long as the darn will.
IN Ideal Mill Town.
Cement has been used freely IN All
! construction. II has been used Intel
I ligentiy, and with cement have come
a lot OF other things. Water sup
| plies the power. Electric motors dis
tribute il. Running water is at hand
throughout the buildings. In we'll
! lighted buildings are fine equipments
Of modern cotron-making machinery.
The Woody mill is out in the n
away from the contact OF busy town
and Industrial center. but II Is a mill
town that idealists might dream OF
The mill operative can ramble about
the country roads after his work is
over, or make his garden, or go fish
ing, or mix up with rural attractions
and charms TO his hearts content.
He has his own ~cOnyoniences, his
own atmosphere, his community in
which he is one of the real people.
1t struck me that here is a mighty
instructive type of industrial deveI-
opment. Possibly transportation
may be a little drawback, but it is
offset by so many other things that
it is logical to see why this is a prop
er spot for a cotton mill Around the
country are cotton fields. The cot
ton m here to the gin, and com
ing here it finds a market. 1t is a
case of MahOmet coming to the
mountain, and | imagine the cotton
that comes to the Woody mill comes
without much freight entering into
the cost account Mr.. Woody has a
supply of cotton at his door, and he
is not obliged to worry much about
where it is coming from. 1t is Il le
he does not get all his cotton from
the farms, but he gets a large
amount, and that saves a lot OF
freight. He get it at his gin, and
he knows just lat condition it is in.
He gets it without a lot of handling
and misuse. and that leaves his cot
ton in better shape.
A Democratic Community.
But l could see some ,ther things
about this cotton mill settlement. 1t
is the whole thing. In the little com
munity every man is every other
mans neiGhbor and intimate &C
Quaintance. I suspect that here is
about as democratic a community as
exists on the globe. Mighty few
, things that are valuable seem TO be
!. wanting. Many things hat are 90
~jectionable are not here, as they are
, not in any small place.
Here is a diversity Of industry. The
: farms are thrifty. The cotton mil
, has its employees, the grist mill en-
! cages other hands, the saw mill is
still a field for another trade. the
. AoAty ID "
equations are open to those who are
growing up to learn trade and &c
: hunt for work.
@ 1t is not Goldsmith's Sweet Au-
: burn, loveliest village Of the plain
for it may be lacking in some Of the
a poetic suggestions of that tale of in.
t terested childhood. But the cluster O
homes and industries gathered abou'
:, the Woody mill represent a right fail
exhibit Of c~Ommendable rural life.
And why all this verbiage about {
4 country cotton mill? Well, sirs, be
cause it is instructive.
n Where power must be concentrated
in cities as is the ase Of the pow.
h is steam power developed at the poin
is where coal can be delivered at tn,
IS lowest cost by competitive freigh
n rates on a choice Of railroads, we ge
the drawbacks Of congested cit,
ID population With all their d~isadvant
$ ages. Here on the Deep River powe
is distributed SO hat industries ma.
be built up at many points REGARDLESS
,r Of any other place. The Woody mil
At comes to the cotton field and to tn
power. 1t saves on freight. 1t save
e on many of the expenses that Woul,
re be incurred in crowded centers.
,e [ would not be surprised if Nh
20 Woody has discovered an economi
condition that will have NOR or les
~ influence in the cotton trade OF In
II world as we go a little farther.
40 Long ago the big flour mills Of tn
- world went as near the wheat field
as they could get. During the earl
40 part of the country's development tn
flour mills We're centered aroun
"A Rochester, New York, where at tn
- powerful falls of the Genesee the
made the flour for a large patronage
Then the wheat fields moved on
the West. and at the falls of S
Anthony new mills were built to sup
ply the world with flour. The mi
II. man wanted to be as near waite
er power as ne codid, ana ne nd TO b
as near Inc "neas held as possible
he save freight.
IL The cotton mill nan is blowing tn
r same logical path as the flour mi
no man. The cotton mill man want
is cheap power. He goes to the river t
n. SCI u - "i0 id" mater ID