New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-07
BY Gordon Dorrance


GONE folks say that the South IL
- not manufacturer. They do not
know. 1t wasn't once. But while
many ill-smelling deeds have been
committed in the name OF war bushel
Of things have happened to the South
in consequence. and all Of them are
good.
The comfortable old figure Of calm
faced, black-clad gentleman, with
droopy hat and sweeping coat, white
Of hair, and in actions slow, Is gone.
He is gone, or he Is different. 80 that
you would not know him. He was a
thriving literary asset, but as bust
ness man poor. Instead, there faces
out across the sunny places OF the
Southland an eager. restless figure with
cash in pocket and plans. not dreams.
in his head. You nay very well think
Of the New South as wearing overslls
toiling out in his fields and sweating
in mis- mills.
And so he is. What would you have
railway man, shipbullder. banker,
transportation agent, the business
getter and developer, the packer, the
maker OF things 20 put old Kultur in
his place ard set the king Of 1t down
in the pit? They are all there. and
quite susceptible Of proof. OF course.
Railroads Of the South
In days when salaries rise and prices
beat them, il is most comfortable TO
ind some things-and rsilrosds-thst
almost hold their own in spite of diff
culties that are great and concessions
that are small. The South is COM
mencing 20 boast Of its railroads. In
place OF serving as breakers of time
tables. they have got running star,
as smashers o. records good ones.
For some time. consistently. they beat
a.. records, net and gross. Gross still
goes on, net sometimes, while there
continues growing business that must
be handled in spite of a.. the Diff
culties that these abnormal times have
put upon the shoulders OF the most
important agents OF the country, with
50 very little to ease the loads And
this business is being handled.
The Southern Railway system keeps
on it, prosperous career. as witness
total gross for August last of $685.
900. rise OF $l,356,000 when con-
ira sted with that month the year pre-
ceding. Net earnings footed S2,051 ,42o
a gain OF Sll2,225. Gross earnings for
the third week in September amounted
10 $3.50. lis, an increase OF 1887 404
over one year ago. From January
10 September ! gross rose 1904 ,22l.
Lines Of this road touch most Southern
cantorments, and ia opportunities
and abilities have proceeded together.
The Southern Is prosperous, and its
directors have recently resumed the
dividends on their preferred stock
issue, the first since December. 1914
With the rails, shipping and ship
building draw much attention on the
South Atlantic seaboard. In Bal,i-
more, in just one year. S6,500.0O0 has
oeen put into new shipbuilding yards
ment contracts. steel and wooden hulls,
freight carriers, steel barges, great
tankers. even a sailer or two, are all
on the ways and leaving them, aud the
peak Of the industry is not yet.
IL cannot be supposed that while oil
production IS mounting by the thou
sand barrels and ores are streaming
from the ground In ever-gaining fow;
while steam rivets OF the shipbuilder
are heard about the Southern docks
and railway work is rushed. that all
this industry is being swung along IN
hopes OF undue aid, markets. or supper.
elsewhere; ss the cotton she used 20
grow to be manufactured IN New Eng
land. Far from it. Take an example,
take Baltimore. As Il regional develop
ment II is independent. entirely.
Fifty Millions q Year
Ii some one. some time. about FIVE
years ago. mad taken Baltimore, and
said that city shortly would experience
a growth Of s50,000,000 in new indus
tries for each of several years. il would
have been universally agreed, and
doubtless also by Baltimoreans. that
the thing was certainly impossible
without the alchemy of an Aladdin.
Yet some figures just compiled by the
Baltimore Commercial Bank tend 70
develop, conclusively, that in just
three years 70 date the gateway to
the South" has made good use OF some
1856 $4,000, has invested that much
in real industrial growth. New plants
are going up. are finished. for turning
out ships. air compressors, fertili erS.
corn products. electrical machinery and
fire brick. Shipvards that four wears
back held cobwebs and hundred men
now show new sawdust and a coupe
thousand hands.