The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-04-14
FIFTY YEARS
IN THE SOUTH
Manufacturers Record.)

Manufacturers Record.)
If anybody had undertaken fifty
years ago, when the hope of the
Southern Confederacy died, to fore
cast in detail that the eleven States
constituting it would in 1915 sur
pass in practically every material
way, the whole United States OF
1865, he would probably have been
regarded as a wild dreamer. But
the facts of today would have vindl-
Gated his Judgment and faith.
In April, 1866, the prospect for
these eleven States was most appall-
ing, with quite 100000 of the flower
of their population killed or perma-
nently disabled in a four years war,
billions of dollars of real and per-
-sonal property greatly d~eteriorated
or absolutely destroyed, fluid capital
at a minimum, cities in ashes, mills
and factories and railroad lines in
ruins, the very ground in some Sec
tions reduced to infertility and the
laboring forces demoralized. Stout
hearts who knew the natural re-
sources of these States yer prompt
to encourage their fellows to begin
the task of rehabilitation. But
presently they were confronted by
conditions far worse than war, In
many respects, that for ten years
and more hampered every move
ment for the recovery of the wreck.
The material losses of that period
were added to the snare of the
States in the national burdens con-
sequent upon the war, and another
drawback, even more serious, but
not measurable statistically, was the
drain upon energies represented IN
the migration of natives of these
States to other parts of the country.
Figures of 1910 are fairly indica-
tive of the results. In that year
%, &c., 29 natives of Alabama, Ar
kansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Vir-
ginia were living in the United
States, but only 18,678,875 of them
in the States of their nativity, while
within their borders were 21,874,253
natives of the United States. They
had lost to other States 4,201,054
and had received from other States
3,195,378, a difference against them
of 1,005,676. Much of this ex-
change had occurred within the elev-
|, en- States or between them and other
Southern States, but 867,797 were
in States outside the South from
which had been received 481,254, a
difference of 386,543. Capitalize
ing the migrants at $1,000 each, a
conservative estimate, the end of the
half-century shows a deficit in this
exchange capitalized at $463,851,-
600.
Under all the burdens and losses,
and in spite of the drawbacks, the
confidence of men in these States,
persisted and waxed greater. 1t
was grounded in knowledge of pos
sessions necessary to progress and
prosperity and beyond the power of
man to destroy entirely.
Within the eleven States lay $780,
poo ,O00,0 900 tons of coal, vast stores
Of Ignite, peat and petroleum, s.
O00,000,00 tons of iron ore, the
phosphate rock to supply the needs
of this country and other lands, sui
phur that was to dominate the mar
kets of the world for that product,
lead and zinc, salt and bauxite, full
ler's earth and other valuable min
erals.
More than 254,OOO,0 600 of it's
acres were covered with forests and
woods, and 1872, 800, 900 of it's acres
were capable of bearing crops.
Nearly $4,000 miles of it's water