The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-02-25
THE SOUTH-THE ELDORADO
OF AMERICAN ADVENTURE.
BY Richard ii. Edm0nds
Editor Manufacturers Record.


The sixteen Southern States have a
population of 100000. In 1880 the
United States had a population of So
100000. At that time, and very Justly
SO, the United States was regarded as
one Of the greatest and richest ma
tons of the world. The South of to-
day, with 33,000,000 people, is in many
respects very far ahead Of the United
States Of 1880, with 50,00000O.
The people Of the South have $780,
100000 more in individual deposits in
the banks and trust companies of this
section than the people of the United
States had in similar institution in
1880.
The South is mining almost twice
as much coal as the United States
then MINED. 1T is producing four
times as much petroleum, its output
last year having been 100,000,O00 bar
rels, against 26,O00,OOO barrels for the
United States in 1880.
The South has $7OO,0O0,OO0 more
capital invested in manufacturing than
the United States had in 1880, and the
value Of its agricultural output ex-
ceeds by some hundreds Of millions of
dollars the total agricultural output
Of the United States in 1880.
The South has far more capital in
vested in cotton manufacturing than
the United States then had, and Is
consuming in it's own mills about
twice as much cotton as was then con
sumed in the mills Of the country
The value Of exports from Southern
ports is only few million dollars less
than the total export trade Of the
United States in 1880.
| The South expended last ycar upon
the maintenance of its public schools
$9O,oOOOOO, or $12.O0O.O0O NOR, than
the United States with its 50,O00,00O
people expended upon rrbllc cduca-
ton in 1880.
| Comparisons OF this kind showing
how far ahead the South is in many
respects of the United States in 1880
could be given almost without limit.
These are sufficient to indicate the
general situation. IT is little diff
cult for us sometimes to quite grasp
the fact that in bank deposits, in in
dustrial pursuits and in agriculture
us we'll as in public education the
South of today ranks so far ahead
of the United States in 1880. The
total wealth Of the South Of to-
day is less than that OF the United
States in 1880, because the South has
not yet had time to accumulate vast
wealth out of it's achievements in in
dustry and agriculture of recent years.
1t is, however, rapidly piling up
wealth, which, within the next few
years, will amaze the country by its
magnitude.
In studying the future of the South
and planning for financial and rail-
road operations in connection there
with, it would be we'll for these facts
to be borne in mind But these sta
tistics, amazing as they are, are not
half SO interesting for the story they
tell Of what has been done as for the
light they throw upon the future. Ev-
cry careful student OF the material
resources and development Of the
South knows that this section. not
withstanding the progress made, has
scarcely begun its development when
compared with he growth which will
be seen within the next ten or fifteen
years. All that has been done has
been really merely the clearing Of the
land and the sowing OF the seed for
the great harvest which this section
is now preparing to reap.
The South has only begun to util-
ize its raw materials. 1t has only here
and there opened up It's coal mines,
it's marble and granite quarries, and
It's iron-making resources. 1t has
only commenced within the last few
years to get back to that agricultural
condition which existed prior to the
war, when there was well-rounded
agricultural diversity. 1t is only with
in the last few years that the Central
South, from Maryland to the Missis-
sippi river, has been raising as much