\ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 018 533 636 • TS 1565 .U6 U3 Copy 1 CONSUIIPTION OF COTTON IN THE COTTON STATES. J. L. W'AIKIXS, Cotton K.quii, lUiridii ,■/ Sliiilsiir [Reprint from Yearbook hi- Dki'autmkxt tv AGKicci.TruK fhi; 190".] \ i n cfoB CONTEXTS. I'MgC. Beginning (if nmnufacture of cotton 463 Early domestic manufacture of cotton 463 Household manufactures in ISIO 464 Effect of the embargo on domestic manufactures 464 Manufacturing in the South discouraged 465 Cotton manufacturing establishments, 1800-1S20 465 The cotton industry from 1830 to 1860 466 The consumption of cotton in South Carolina 466 The consumption of cotton in North Carolina 4()S The consumption of cotton in Georgia 470 The consumption of cotton in Alabama 472 The consumption of cotton in Tennessee 473 The consumption of cotton in Virginia 474 Consumption of cotton in several cotton States 475 The cotton industry of the past twenty years 476 ILLUSTRATIONS. I'LATKS. Plate LIX. (iraniteville cotton factory, near Aiken, S. C, fixuided by Wil- liam Gregg, esq., 1846 466 LX. Fig. 1. — Alamance cotton mill, Alamance County, N. C, founded by Edwin M. Hnlt in 1837. Fig. 2.— Leaksville cott.m mill, oil Dan River, Spray, X. C, built in 1839 468 LXI. Fig. 1. — Cedar Falls cotton mill, Randolph County, X. C, liuiltin 1S4S. Fig. 2. — High Shoals cotton mill, on .\palachee River, Oconee County, Ga., as it appeared in IS44, built liy Jacob Klutta 468 LXLi. Fig. 1. — Tallassee Falls cotton mill, as it appeared in 1854 (used as an armory during the civil war). Fig. 2. — The textile building of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mis- sissippi - 472 TEXT FKiURE. Fig. 49. "Bolton Factory," the first cntton mill in rieorgia. built on ri>tou Creek, Wilkes County, in isll 471 III CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN THE COTTON STATES. By J. L. Watkixs, Cotton Expert, Bureau of Statistics. BEGINNING OF MANUFACTURE OF COTTON. The South began the manufacture of cotton at u very early date, and, althoui;h Beverl\-. ^las.s., is credited with the distinction of Iniilding tlie tirst cotton mill in the United States (ITsT). the historical records of South Carolina show that during the same year a small mill was erected on James Island, near Charleston. Three years later (1790) a mill was put in operation near Statesburg, S. C, equipped with "ginning, carding, and other machines, driven by water, and also spinning machines with 8i spindles each, with every necessaiy article for manufacturing cotton." " EARLY DOMESTIC JIANUFACTURE OF COTTON. Prior to 17ST the domestic mainifacture of cotton, stimulated hy the results of the Revolution, was extensively carried on among the Southern planters. Thomas Jeti'erson, in a letter to M. De Warville in 1786, says: "The four southernmost States make a great deal of cotton. Their poor are almost entirely clothed in it in winter and summer."* There are no trustwoithy statistics showing the domestic consump- tion of cotton iu the Southern States during the tirst half of the past century, but it is quite certain that practicallj^ the entire slave popu- lation, as well as the poorer class of whites, continued, as during the period alluded to b^' Air. Jefferson, to be clothed in homespun cotton. Even at the beginning of the civil war almost every well-regulated plantation in the South had its equipment of spindles and cards and looms. The same may be said of the homes of the poorer white people of those days. Just how much cotton was consumed in this manner is unknown. In 1800 the production of cotton in the United States was estimated at .3.5,000,1 mm) pounds, of which 17,800,000 were exported. The quantity manufactured in the whole country exceeded 8,000,000 pounds, or, say, 35,5.55 bales (225 pounds each), onlj^ about "500 of which were consumed in regular establishments."'^ As the ''regular n Bishop's History of American Manufactures. ''Jefferson's Writings, edited l)y H. .\. AVasliinijtnn. «■ Gallatin's Report on American Manufactures, .\iiril, ISIO. 4li.3 4(i4 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. establishments'' alluded to were located in the New E^ngland States, about 7,887,000 pounds must have been consumed in the domestic nianufactures of the Southern States. HOUSEHOLD MANUFACXrRES IN 1810. In regard to household manufactures in 1810, Gallatin says that by far the greater part of the cotton, Hax, and woolen goods was manu- factured in private families, mostly for their own use and partly for sale. " The articles made were principally coarse cloth, flannel, cotton stuffs and stripes of every description, linen, and mixtures of wool with flax and cotton. Information received from every State showed an extraordinary increase during the last two 3'oars, and rendered it probable that about two-thirds of the clothing, including hosier^', house and table linen, worn and used Ijy the inhabitants of the United States outside of the cities, was the product of family manufactures." In the lower counties of Virginia, throughout North Carolina, and in the upper counties of South Carolina and Georgia, almost the whole summer clothing of all classes was of household manufacture, and the slaves were entirely clothed in that manner. In illustration of the common use of homespun at this period it is stated that of 1,500 per- sons attending a militia review in North Carolina, less than 10 wore auj'thing but homespun." Statistics also show that in 1810 the manu- factured products of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia exceeded in quantity and value those of all the New England States. Georgia, with a white population of 145,111 persons, manufactured in ISIO more yards of various cloths and stuffs than Khode Island with all of its manufacturing establishments. In Virginia, the cotton goods of house- hold manufacture amounted to 3,007,255 yards; in North Carolina, to 7,376,154 (blended cloths); in South Carolina, to 3,083,188; in Georgia, to 3,688,534: in Tennessee, to 1,790,514; in Mississippi, to 342,472; and in Louisiana to 133,180. In addition to this, 1,272,322 yards of mixed cotton goods were manufactured in Virginia and 108,627 yards in South Carolina. In Georgia 3,148 yards of cotton goods were manu- factured in cotton mills. * EFFECT OF THE EMBAROO ON DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES. The embargo laid upon foreign commerce during Jefferson's and jSIadison's Administrations, and which resulted in such a remarkable development of the cotton industry in the New England States, also had a stimulating effect in the South. The South Carolina Homespun Company, with a capital of $30,000, was organized at Charleston (1808) to promote the manufacture of common domestic fabrics, and 4,000 people attended the laying of the corner stone of "the first edifice on "Bishop's History of American Manufactures. ''Digest of JIanufactures, Report of Secretary of Treasury to Senate, January, 1814. CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN THK COTTON STATP:s. 4 (if) ii hiryo scale, in that part of the rnii)n. ilcvotud to doiiifstic inaiiii- t'acturc."" Two years later the Inion Manufacturing Company, of Maryland, incorporated with a capital of ^1, (100,000, erected two cotton mills, run by water power, on the Patapsco River, lo miles from Baltimore, and adjoining the mills owned by the EUicotts. Theyearfol- iowing (iSll) the Washington Manufacturing Company, with §100,000 capital, built a water-power mill ."> miles from Baltimore, at .Tones Falls. The same j^ear (iSll) a cotton null was built on Upton Creek, in A\'ilkes County, Ga. MAXUFACTL'RINO IX THE SOUTH DISCOUHAO ED. Rut in spite of the occasional building of a cotton mill, manufactur- ing was not encouraged by many of the leading citizens of the South. Early in his career Mr. Jefl'erson had discouraged it, believing that the people would be happier, more virtuous, and prosperous in the pursuit of agriculture than they could be with the vices and evils of manufacturing towns in their midst. * The taritl laws then in force intensified the opposition to this branch of industry-, and John Ran- dolph, in a speech in the House of Representatives (April, 182-1), declared that if there was no other obstacle the climate was against it; and, that if we were to build up manufactures on the English system we should have j-ellow fever "not in August merely, i)ut from June to January, and from January to June." When the foundation of a cotton mill was laid at Moore's Mill, near Athens, Ga., in 1827, the editor of the local paper, in noting this important event, says: A sense of safety ami iiKlependenoe coinbineil, douljtless, with an expectation of profit has urged gentlemen to an undertaking against whicli their political cnnvio- tions are at war. And we are authorized to state tliat these sentiments liave by no means undergone a change: that their project is certainly not to give countenance to a system which they have always denounced, but it is to lie regarded as a measure unquestionably defensive. Later on, the project for a manufacturing company with joint stock, incorporated and privileged ]>y the State of ilarvland, was very nmch opposed; and the doctrine that it was better to buy of Europe and India was widely spread.'' COTTON MAXUEACTURINO ESTABLISHMEXTS, 1800-1S20. During the twenty years, from 1800 to 1S20, inclusive, there had been incorporated under existing State laws in the Southern States 42 cotton mills. Eleven of these mills were in Maryland, 3 of which "Bishop's History of American Manufactures. ''Jefferson's Notes on Virginia. Mr. Jeffei'son subsequently changed his views on this subject. In lSlt>, in a letter to Benjamin .Vustin, of Boston, lie writes: "Expe- rience has taught me that manufactures are now as necessary to our indc|>enilence as to our comfort." ••■White's Memoir of Slater, lS8fi. 466 YEARBOOK OF THK DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. manufactured cotton yarns, 1 cotton twist, and 7 piece goods, cotton cliecl'is, stripes, plaids, tickings, shirtings, and sheetings. Three mills in Virginia, 1 in Korth Carolina, and 3 in South Carolina spun cotton yarns. In Georgia 1 mill made cotton cloths; and in Tennessee 3 mills made shirtings, sheetings, cassinets, and other cotton fabrics, 1 cotton yarns, and 1 cotton rolls. In Kentuck}' there were IS mills — 13 of which made cotton yarns, 1 cotton bagging, and 4 cotton cord- age, cassinets, and mixed cotton and woolen goods." The returns of the Fourth Census (lSi(»), which did not include any manufactui'es of a domestic or household character, give the luunber of spindles and pounds of cotton annually spun in each of the South- ern States as follows: Maryland, 20,245 spindles, cotton spun, 849,000 pounds; Virginia, no spindles, cotton spun, 3,000 pounds; North Carolina, 288 spindles, cottton spun, 18,000 pounds; South Carolina, 588 spindles, cotton spun, 46,449 pounds; Kentucky, 8,097 spindles, cotton spun, 360,951 pounds — total spindles, 29,218, and cotton spun, 1,277,400 pounds, or, say, 4,839 bales of 264 pounds each.'j THK COTTON INDUSTRY FROM 1S30 TO 1860. During the thirty years from 1830 to 1860 very little is known as to the progress of. the cotton industry in the Southern States. Leaving out Maryland, the census of ISlti reported 248 mills, having 180,1*27 spindles, no estimate being made of the amount of cotton consumed. But the report relating to this industry must have been very defecti\'c, for the number of mills in Mississippi was returned as 53, while the number of spindles given was only 318. Likewise, Alabama was reported to have 11 mills with only 1,502 spindles. There are no records showing the existence of a single mill in Mississippi equipped with then up-to-date machinery, while in Alabama there were only two such mills. Assuming, however, the correctness of the report as to the number of spindles, 180,927, the consumption of cotton at this time must have approximated 75,000 bales. During the decade 1830-1S4<<. about :><) cotton mills were constructed; 37 during the decade 1810-1850; and lu during the decade 1850-1860. THE CONSUJIPTION OF COTTON IN SOUTH CAROLINA. South Carolina is entitled not only to the distinction of ranking first among the Southern States in the manufacture of cotton, but as being the first to undertake its manufacture. It is said that the historical records of the State contain an account of the building in 1787 of a "Report on Manufactures, Senate Document No. 45, Eighteenth Congress. ''The reports of this census relating to manufactures were so imperfect that an effort was made in Congress to suppress them. Yearbook U. S, Dept, of AgrrcultuJe, 1903. Plate LIX. o o en O 00 CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN THK COTTON STATES. 4<>7 small horsepower mill on James Island, near Charleston, by Mrs. Kamafjc, the widow of a Carolina plantei-. In 1790 a factoiy, run by water power, was put in operation near Statesburg. In 1807 unusual interest was manifested in this braneh of industry, and efforts were made to establish small factories aud to introduce upon plantations the manufacture of cotton goods for negro wear and of cotton blankets. Two years later (1800) cotton goods were manufactured in Union district and cotton blankets in Prince William district. About this time "a factorv for making check goods and handkerchiefs was estab- lished at Charleston, which turned out some very pretty goods."" According to a report of the Secretary of State, in 1824, three cotton- yarn mills were incorporated under the State laws between the years 1800 and 18:20, two of which weri> located in Greenville County and the other in Spartanburg County. In 1829 the second cotton mill in the State, run l)y other than horse- power, was erected at Pendleton, and at Autun. in the same neighbor- hood, another such mill was built in 18.38. In 1840 a mill was built at Graniteville. It was then the largest in the State and contained 8,400 spindles and 300 looms and made No. 14 yarns and 4-4 wide sheeting, 7-8 shirtings, and 7-8 twills. (PI. LIX.) In 1848. in addition to the above, though the date of their building is unknown, the following mills were in operation: The Saluda Cotton Factory, near Columbia, (which employed all negro operators, except a white overseer, operated 5,000 spindles and 120 looms, and made heavy brown shirtings and Southern stripes — a coarse kind of colored goods for house servants); the De Kalb, near Camden: the Yaucluse, in Aiken County; the Mount Dearborn, on the Catawba River, in York County; a small mill at Society Hill, in Darlington County, and the Marlborough yarn mill '' (location not given). Two other mills were in process of construction, one of which, at Charleston, having 3,165 spindles and loO looms, and run by steam powei-. was put in operation in 1849. The following year (1850) a mill was built at Arlington, in Spartanburg County. So far as the records show, no new mills were built in the State from 1851 to the beginning of the civil war. As to the consumption of cotton in South Carolina prior to 1840 little or nothing is known. The census of 1820 reported 588 spindles in operation and consuming 46,000 pounds of cotton, but the next census (1830) made no reports upon this industry. In 1840 there were 15 mills in the State, operating 16,355 spindles and consuming approx- imately 6,150 bales of cotton. The progress of the industry since 1850 is shown in the table on the next page. It was not, however, until about 1884-85 that the cotton-mill industry "De Bow's Review, Vol. VIII. !< Hunt's JIagazine, Vol. XVIII. 468 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. of the State l>eg-iiii its remarkahle development. The next census (iS9(() was a surprising r(>velation, showing that in ten years tht number of mills had more than doubled, the number of spindles mort than quadrupled, and that the amoiint of cotton consumed was ver\ little short of four times as great. The progress of the industr;y since 1890 is even more wonderful, the number of mills having increased from 3i to 136, the number of spindles from 332,78-t tc 2,479,521, or 645 per cent, and the number of liales consumed fron 133,342 to 587,126, or 340 per cent. It will be noticed that the per ceni of the crop consumed increased from 17.8 in 1890 to 63.4 in 1902-1903, Consumption and priidaction of cotton in South Carolina, 1S50-190S. 1849-50.. l859-i;o.. 1869-70. . 1874-7n.. 1879-80. . 1884-85.. 1889-90.. 1890-91 . . 1891-92.. 1892-93. . 1893-94.. 1894-95.. 1895-96.. 1896-97.. 1897-98.. 1898-99.. 1899-19110 1900-1901 1901-2... 1SI02-S. . . Number of mills. 18 17 12 IS 14 31 34 44 4" 51 50 48 58 73 76 80 93 115 127 136 Number of spindles. 36,500 30,890 34,940 70,282 82,424 217, 761 332, 784 415, 1.58 467, 825 ,503, 269 569, 033 619, 849 802, 854 056, 198 205, 272 285, 328 693,649 908,692 246, 926 479, 521 Number of bales con- sumed. 9,929 8,648 10,811 19, 945 33,624 77, 451 133, 342 164,814 183,625 200,219 215, 228 229,580 257, 700 297, 782 398, 456 466, 181 489,-559 501, 290 607,906 687,126 Number of bales pro- duced. 300,901 353, 412 224,500 360, 000 622, ,548 611,800 747, 190 a59,000 780, (Ml 63.5,000 0,50, 000 862, 604 764, 700 936, 463 1,030,0.85 1,035.414 830, 714 743,294 843, 660 925,490 Per cent of crop used. 4, 5. 6. 15. 17. 19, 23. 31. 33, 26, 33, 31, 38, 45, 58. 67. 72. 63. THE CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN NORTH CAROLINA. North Carolina, which now ranks .second among the cotton-consuminj States of the South, was the third one to engage in the manufacture o; cotton, its tirst mill having been erected at the Falls of Tar (or Pamlico River, in Edgecombe County, in 1818. It began operating with 28) spindles, employed about 20 hands, and consumed 18,000 pound.s o cotton, or, according to the weights of those da3's, about 64 bales Two years after this mill began operations another was built (1822 on the Catawba River, near Lincolnton. In 1829, or about that date a mill, run by steam power, was erected at Greensboro. It operatec 3,000 spindles and 75 looms, and made sheetings, shirtings, osnaburgs and yarns. Yearbook U S, Dept. of Agriculture, 1903. Plate LX. Fig. 1.— Alamance Cotton Mill, Alamance County, N. C, Founded by Edwin M. Holt in 1837. Fig. 2, LEiKS/iLLE Cotton Mill, on Dan River, Spray, N. C, Built in 1839. Yearbook U. S. Ocpt. of Agriculture. 19C3 Plate LXI. FiQ. 1.— Cedar Falls Cotton Mill, Randolph Countv, N. C. Built in 1848. Fig. 2. -High Shoals Cotton Mill, on Apalachee River, Oconee County, Ga., as it Appeared in 1844, Built by Jacob Klutts. CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN THE COTTON STATKS. 4(U) The first of a number of mills in Cumberland County was creetcd iit Fayettcville in 1836. The following year (1S37) a mill was built at Kockingliam. It was burned during- the civil war and rebuilt in 1870. A mill at Cumberland and one on Alamance Creek, in Alamance ( 1 lunty , were also erected during this year (1S37). The latter, equipped with i}'2S sjiindles and 16 looms, was founded liy the late Governor Edwin ]M. Holt, and is said to have been the tirst mill south of the Potomac River to manufacture colored cotton goods. (Pi. LX, tig. 1.) Besides the above, the records show 3 other mills in operation at this time — 1 at ]\locksville, Davis County, and 2 in Alamance County, one of which was at Haw River and the other at Cane Creek. In 183S the second mill was put in operation at Fayettcville, and one at each of the following places: AVittenberg, Alexander Count}-; Lexington, Davidson County (run by steam power); High Falls, Orange County. Some time between 1838 and 1843 four more mills were erected in the vicinity of Fayettcville. The 6 mills then oper- ating near this place were estimated to have cost $350,000. Three of these mills maiuifactured stout brown sheetings, another osnaburgs weighing one-half pound to the yard, and the other two yarns only. A mill was built in 1839 at Spray (PI. LX, fig. 2), and in 1842 one was constructed at Cedar Falls (PI. LXI. fig. 1). Besides the mills already enumerated, though in what year they were constructed is unknown, the following mills are said to have been in operation in 1844: The Salem Factory, in Stokes County (run by steam power); a mill at Franklinville, Randolph County; 1 at Salisbury; 1 at Concord; 1 at Milton, Caswell County; and 1 at Milledgeville, Montgomery County. It was estimated that the 25 mills in the State represented a capital of §1. 050,000, operated 50.000 spindles, employed from 1,200 to 1,500 hands, and consumed 15,000 bales of cotton." In 1845 a mill was erected at Haw River, in Alamance Count}', and in 1S48 another was built on the Yadkin River at Elkin, Surry County. The following year (1849) a mill at Saxapahaw, Alamance County, and another at Salem, Forsyth County, were put in operation; also a mill at Raniseur, 1850; 1 at Willardville, 1852; 1 at Mountain Island, 1856; and 1 at Hope Mills, 1860. Little is known as to the consumption of cotton in North Carolina prior to 184<». According to the census returns for 1820, there were only 288 spindles in operation, which consumed 18,000 pounds of cot- ton. The next census (1830) made no reports upon this industry. In 1840 there were about 25 mills in the State, operating 47,934 spindles, which consumed, approximately, 20,450 bales. The progress of the industry since 1850 is illustrated in the table on the next page. "Hunt's Magazine, Vol. X. 470 YEAKBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUKE. Consumption and iiroduction of cotton in North Cai-olina, 1S50-1003. Number of mills. Number of spindles. Number of bales con- .sumed. Number of bales pro- duced. Per cent of crop used. 1849-50... 1859-f.O.., 1869-70... 1874-75... 1879-80.. 1884-85. . 1889-90. . 1890-91.. 1891-92.. 1892-93.. 1893-94. . 1894-95.. 189.5-90.. 1896-97.. 1897-98.. 1898-99.. 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-2... 1902-3... 28 39 33 31 49 75 91 105 112 125 131 135 133 152 161 169 190 218 229 236 40, 000 41,884 39, 897 54,500 100,209 206, 172 I 337, 7SG ! 418,900 475, 733 543,809 538, 486 612,503 773, 030 884, 678 919, 227 003,268 264,509 428,066 682, 272 796, 390 13, 617 12, 045 9,632 14,428 27,642 54, 478 114,371 140,817 161, 052 182, 647 176, 179 221,264 219,822 245,177 334, S73 374,891 442, 508 408, 333 609, 486 631,255 73,845 145, 614 144, 935 273,000 389, .598 404, 100 336,261 588,000 480, 000 367,000 400,000 479,441 397, 7.52 521,795 646, 726 629, 620 503, 825 554, 032 599, 668 649,642 18.4 8.3 0.6 .5.3 7.1 13.5 34.0 23.9 33.6 49.8 44.0 46.2 55.3 47.01 51.8 59.5 73.7. 85. Oj The census of 1890, as in the case of South Carolina and Georgia, gave .surprising evidence of the rapid growth of the cotton industry,: showing that in ten years tlie nunjber of mills had increased from 49 to 91, the number of spindles from 100,209 to 337,786, and the iiumhen of bales of cotton consumed from 27,642 to 114,371. From 1890 to the present time the industry has continued in a career of remai'kable; development, the number of mills having increased from 91 to 236, or| 158 per cent; the num))er of spindles from 337,786 to 1,796,390, or 432 per cent; and the number of bales of cotton consumed from 114,371 to 531,255, or 363 per cent. The per cent of the crop taken for domestic consumption has increased from 23.9 per cent in 1890-1891 to 96. 3i per cent in 1902-1903. THE CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN GEORGIA. Georgia, now third in importance, was .second among tlie Southern States to begin the manufacture of cotton. As early as 1798 a cotton mill was incorporated, but there is no record to show tiiat any organi- zation under the charter was perfected. In 1809 there was a small horsepower mill in operation at Louisville. But the tir.-it cotton mill of any consequence in the State was known as the ■• Bolton Factory," and was built in 1811, on Upton Creek, 9 miles southeast of Washington, in AVilkes Couat5^ It was 60 feet by 40, two stories, attic, and basement, and was constructed of brown- stone." (Fig. 49.) «M. F. Foster, Address before New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, 1900. CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN THE COTTON STATES. 471 III ]M;irch, 1S27, the t'oundiitiou f)f a mill, witli 1,00(» spindles and 30 looms, was laid at Mot)re"s Mill. 4 miles from Athens. This was the second in the State run by other than horsepower. In iS'2S four cot- ton mills are said to have been constructed and put in operation — 1 at Augusta, 2 at Milledgeville. and 1 at Indian Springs, in Butts ('ounty. A mill was also huilt at Atiiens in IS'S-i. In 1837 a mill was in operation at Columhus, and in iSSt* one was built at Roswell. In IS-K! two mills were constructed — one at Troup Factor}' and the other at Waynman\ille. In 1840 there were 19 cotton mills in operation in Georgia, operating 42,589 spindles and consuming approximately 18,150 bales of cotton. A cotton mill as it apjjt'areil in 1844 is shown on PI. LXI. Prior to 1840 there are no rcdiablc statistics of the amount of cotton consumed. Fit;, rj. — "Bultuu Factory." the tir.st cuttuu mill in Georgia — built on Uptun Crcuk. Wilkt-s County, in isn. Dfiimell" estimated the consumption in l,s4s-49 at 20,5O0 bales, and in 1849-50 at 27,000 bales. In ISoO a mill was l)uilt at Jewell, in Hancock County. Three mills are said to have been in operation this year (1850) at Columbus — 1 with 2,500 spindles, which manufactui-ed heavy osnaburgs; 1 with 10,000 spindles; and 1 which contained 5,000 spindles and manu- factured osnaburgs and sheetings, and consumed J .200 bales of cotton.* The tirst of the mills which have made Augusta so prominent as a cotton manufacturing center was erected in 1858. A mill was built in 18<')0, at Shoal Creek, in Hart County. "History of Cotton. ''Hunt's Magazine, Vol. XXIII. 472 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT UF AGRICULTURE. The progress of the industry since 1850 is shown in the following table: Consumption and production of cotton in Georgia, 1S50-1903. 1849-50. . 1859-60.. 1869-70.. 1874-7.1.. 1879-80. . 1884-85. . 1889-90.. 1890-91.. 1891-92.. 1892-93.. 1893-94.. 1894-95. . 1895-90. . 1896-97.. 1897-98.. 1898-99.. 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-2... 1902-3... Number of mills. 35 33 34 47 40 53 53 62 57 69 63 61 62 76 77 79 86 107 115 115 Number of spindles. 51, 150 85, 186 85, 062 131, 340 198, 656 349.277 445, 452 465, 811 495, 564 500,408 515, 712 551,806 607, 251 683,407 709, 406 696, 394 969, 364 016,2.58 220,374 292,695 Number of bales con- sumed. 20,230 30, 235 24, 821 50,214 71,389 99, 414 145,8.59 164, 981 178, 944 187, 702 176, 303 218, 685 200, 636 227, 831 285, 219 281,527 318, 302 356, 878 381,960 417, 871 Number of bales pro- duced. 499j091 701,840 437, 934 460, 000 814, 441 807, 400 1,191,846 1,310,000 1,200,000 940,000 1,000,000 1,247,952 1,067,377 1,299,340 1,350,781 1,378,731 1,345,699 1,271,573 1,698,192 1,425,044 Per cent of crop used. 4.1 4.3 .5.7 10.9 8.8 12.3 12. 2 12,6 14.9 20.0 17.6 17.61 18.8 17.5' 21.1 20.4 23.7 28.1 23.9 29.3 THE CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN ALABAMA. Alahamu, which ranks fourth among the Southern States as a con- sumer of cotton, built its first mill in 1832. It was located on the Flint River, in IVIadison County, 12 miles from Huntsville. was run bj- water power, and manufactured yarns, cottonades, ginghams, checks, and colored and plain osnaburgs. The second mill in the State was erected at Scottsville, in Bibb County. It emploj^ed 20 hands, worked T4, three cotton-spinning mills liad been incorporated under tlie State laws, one in each of the counties of Bedford, Louisa, and Powhatan. Rut the census of ISiiOdid not return any mills in operation, and the consump- tion of only 3,000 pounds of cotton. McGregor's Gommercial Statistics enumerates 7 mills in operation in 1831, working ',>.844 spindles and consuming l,1.5'2,00tl pound.s of cotton, or, according to the weights of that period, about 3,185 bales. But when or where these mills were erected there appears to be no " Tlie American Farmer, 1828. '' Gallatin's Report on Manufactures, ISIO. CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN THE COTTON STATES. 4^5 I'ccord. Ill l>>;>o a sito was (IoiuUimI aiul XlL'n.tKio suhscrihcil I'or the C'stalilisliiiu'iit of a mill at I't'tcrslm !■<:■. Ilowi'vcr, it is uncprtain whether the ])rojec't was a .success. There is no doubt that a few years hvter two cotton mills were oivcted at i\latoaca, on the north hank of the Apponiatox Uixer, ahout 4 miles from I'etershuro-. One of the mills went into operation in ls:',S; the other mill may have been in opcM'ation a year or two earlier, for one authority slates that in ISoG two mills wore erected at this place, and still another, that in 18:iT '"there were two mills located at Matoaca." The laltei- authority also states that in the same yeai' there was a cotton mill in IJichmond and one in Main hester, across the ri\'er from Ivichnioiid. both of which were ""in full operation.'"'' Ill ls4o there wei'o 2:^ mills in the State, operatincj 42,182 spindles and <()iisuniiiii>- ujiproximately 17, Tun }>ales of cotton. During this year a mill was erectetl at PetersViurg-. The commercial authorities esti- mated the consumption of cotton at this time at more than 20,000 bales. The table followint;' shows the j)rog-ress of the industry since 1850: CotiKiDiiplion and jirailiiclion of culton in ]'ii-giniii, JK'tO-IHO.l. Year. Nuni- lier i>( mills. Number of spindles. Number o£ bales con- sumed. 1849-50 27 50, 000 17,7S5 1869-60 ir, 49, 440 16,400 1869-70 u 77,116 9,671 1874-7.1 9 54,024 11,985 1879-80 8 44,340 11,461 1884-86 n 58,649 13..5,t6 1889-90 9 94, 294 22,731 1890-91 12 87,981 21,396 1891-92 V2 95,532 25,240 1892-93 10 100,086 25, 924 Number of bales pro- duced. Year. Num- ber of mills. Number of •spindles. Number of bales con- sumed. 9 100,728 27,048 10 127,408 32,383 12 134, 425 31,070 15 139,425 39,405 15 133,497 42,880 17 137,803 44,502 15 165,452 44,595 15 1.59, .532 36,462 16 157, 370 40,806 17 191,. 546 43,331 Number of bales pro- duced. 12,000 13,414 7,964 11,539 12, 878 13,090 8.007 12, 318 14, 088 15, 614 CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN SKVERAI. COTTON sr.\TE.S. The first cotton mill in Mis.sissippi was erected at Natchez in 1844, and the first mill in Louisiana some time prior to 1S40. as the census of that year reported 2 mills in the State. The first mill in Te.xas was built at Huntsville, in ISOii, by the State o-overnmeiit, and the first in Arkan.sas, at Cave Hill, Washington County, in 1844. jMissouri liegan manufacturing cotton Ijetween 1840 and 1S50, the census of the latter j'ear Ijcing the first oflicial report of any mills in that State. Kentucky, though ne\er a large consumer of cotton, began its man- ufacture on a small scale early in the last century. In 1809 there were tj small horsei:)ower mills in operation, and in a .schedule of "Farmer's Register, 1833. I> Montgomery. The C'otton .Maiuilacture.H , 34-1 5 3,526 1.320 8 18, ,%8 6,411 9 57, 004 17,366 2 r,, nb i 13,084 1,707 2 6,096 2 4!), 101 12,223 1 2, 71)0 1.27S 4 S,878 2,448 2 2,648 246 1 12,056 3,301 1,(XH) 408 2 1, Via 2 2,015 G80 4,331 1,222 K, 192 ■i, 9T0 7,734 .•f, (102 3 9,022 4,0.'i0 5 42, 942 11,980 r>, llOO 2,1S2 3 16,71,5 4,992 3 19,312 6,399 1 5,492 1,385 55,393 15,7.57 4 57, 828 16,429 6 40, 420 12, 576 2 6,148 2,103 5 48,600 18,018 1 3,500 671 10 88,584 21,440 62,222 15,695 6 60,876 16,868 4 17,160 2,391 10 68, 7.30 26,008 4 15,744 3,720 17 139, 192 34,0.50 6 67.2.52 17, 320 15 74,816 20,948 2 12,112 2,894 96, 388 19,884 2 14,916 4,, 587 THE COTTON INDIT.STKY OF TIIK PAST TWENTY YEARS. Remarkable events have transpired in the cotton industrial world within the past twenty years— The United States has increased its per cent: Egypt's crop has increa.sed 570.000 bales (of 50U pounds each), or 79 per cent; CONSirMPTroN OF COTTON TX THE COTTON STATER. 477 Hussi;i, wliicli usoci to draw so hirgcly upon this country for lier raw cotton, is now supplvinj^ lier mills with :iOo.O(iO to 3oo.()(to hulcs grown in lior trans-Caspian provinces: Brazil has almost ceased cxpurtiny cottDii. sudi i-^ the huTne demand for her ci-op: The Continent of Kuropi' ha,-- increased its consumption of cotton 2.4!»2,(i00 bales, or about i»5 per cent: lu the United States the consumption of I'otton in tlio North has increased 7;.00(t spindles, and is consuming from OoO.OoO to 7oo,uOO bales of cotton annually, nearl\- '25 per cent of which is American cotton: The world's consumption of cotton has increased nearly 7,000,000 bales, or about 94 per cent: The United States, the largest producer, has also l)ecome the largest consumer of cotton, hence the price of its staple is now regulated in the home market, and no longer in Livei'pool. But, notwithstanding the great increase in the world's consumption of cotton within twenty years, the overshadowing feature of the period is the phenomenal increase in consumption in the cotton States. This is of immense significance to the countries consuming American cotton, because every additional ln,00o l)ales consumed in this country means shorter time for some foreign null, perhaps its shutting down — assuming, of course, that no further expansion s consumed to 145,078, or 75 per cent in live years. In 1880 the census returns showed a decrease in the number of mills as compared with 1875, but an increase of 86,637, or 18 per cent, in the number of spindles, and 43,320, or 30 per cent, in the number of bales consumed. In 1885 the lumiber of mills had increased to 232, the number of spindles to 1,10(»,132, or 94 per cent in tive years, and the 478 YEARBOOK OF TBE DEPARTMENT OF 018 533 636 AGRlLUL,TLiKE. number of Iwles coiisimicd to 315. 84:^, or (is per cent in Jive years. By 1890 the luunht'r of mills had increased to 24o, the number of spindles to 1,55-1,1 »(i(), or 41 per cent in tive yeai's, and the numl)er of bales consumed to 525,856, or 67 per cent in tive years. Every j-ear since 1890 there has 1)een an increase in the number of mills and spindles in operation, and with the sing-le exception of 1893-94:, an increase in the num1)er of bales consumed. Some years show astonishing developments. For instance, 44 new mills were put in operation in 1890-91, 48 in 1896-97, 23 in 1897-98, 65 in 1899-1900, S2 in 1900-1901, 43 in 1901-2, and 15 in 19(12-3. In fourteen j'ears the numljer of mills has increased from 240 to 640. In 1890-91 the number of spindles increased 207,547 over the previous year; in 189y-96, 484,552; in 1896-97, 476,994; in 1899-1900, 1,167,186; in 1900-1901, 591,196; in 1901-2, 931,839; and in 1902-3, 577,670. In fourteen years the number of spindles increased from 1,554,000 to 7,100,292, or nearly 357 per cent. The largest yearly increases in the number of bales of cotton con- sumed are the following amounts for the years named: In 1890-91, 79,060; 1894-95, 130,023; 1897-98, 295,683; 1899-1900, 156,918; and 1901-2, 304,346. In fourteen years the consumption increased from 526,856 to 1,925,954 bales, or about 265 per cent; while the total crop taken for domestic consumption in the cotton States has increased from 7.1 to 18.1 per cent. Cimsumpliun and production of cotton in thr Southern Stales, 1S50-1903. 1849-riO. . 1859-«0. . 1869-70. . 1874-75. . 1879-80.- 18S4-8r>ii 1889-90.. 1890-91.. 1891-92.. 1892-93.. 1893-94.. 1894-95.. 189.5-9r... 1896-97.. 1897-98. . 1898-99. . 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-2... 1902-3... Number ■ Number of of millji. spindles. 168 166 154 isi 163 232 240 284 293* 315 322 323 3.54 402 425 444 499 581 624 640 344 481 5B8, 1,100, 1,554, 1,761 1,938 2,088, 2, 171, 2,382, 2, 867, 3,344, 3, 574, 3,832, 4,999, 5,590, 6, 522, 7,100, Number of baleseon- suined. 80,300 101,088 83,068 145,078 188,398 315,842 526,856 005,916 081,471 733, 701 723,329 853, 352 857.835 981,991 277,674 413, 894 570,812 576, 786 881, 132 925,954 Number of bales pro- duced. 2, 469, 093 .5.387,052 3,011,994 3, 832, 991 5, 755, 359 5, 706, 165 7,472,511 8,652,597 9,035,379 0,700,365 7, 549, 817 9,901,251 7,161,094 8,632,705 10,897,8,57 11,189,205 9,142,838 10,401,453 10, 663, 224 10, 630, 945 Per cent of crop used. 3,3 1.9 2.8 3.8 3.3 6.5 7.1 7.0 7.5 11.0 9,6 8.6 12.0 11.5 11.7 12.6 17.2 15.2 17.6 18.1 "The numbers for spindles and mills are for the year 1886. LIBRPRY OF CONGRESS 018 533 636 •