Mr. George C. Power, industrial commissioner of the Illinois Central and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad Companies, in an interview with a reporter of the New Orleans Picayune, said: “I have been down south of the Ohio river with two or three parties who are desirous of locating wood-working factories. Those parties have expressed themselves as being well pleased with the lumber found there and the facilities for handling it; also the welcome which had been given them by the Southern people. It is more than likely two of the parties will locate within the next week or ten days.
“I find that although the banks wherever I visited have plenty of money, yet they cannot loan it to advantage. At some places the loans to farmers are being curtailed, but in the majority of places the applications for loans are fewer than in several previous years. The hotels are crowded with traveling salesmen, all of whom appear to be doing good business, selling principally dry goods, clothing, hats, caps, shoes and articles of similar character, and very few provisions. Many places are purchasing a better class of dry goods than they had in twenty years back. The merchants anticipate a very good spring trade.
“To show how small farmers are doing, I will cite one case. In the Yazoo Delta a farmer has grown all the provisions—corn and seed—for his new crop, and has sufficient left over to purchase a reaper for his coming hay crop. He has contracted for the produce of five acres of potatoes, seven acres of onions, and he will be self-supporting from this date forward. He is only one of a great many, and it seems to me that with fewer applications for loans and less demand for money to carry cotton, capital must seek other sources of employment. A large portion of it will most probably be invested in sound manufacturing industries, which will make a market for raw materials that are now to a great extent valueless.”
Charlotte, N. C., has grown tired of its inert Chamber of Commerce and proposes to organize a more active and progressive Board of Trade.
The Chamber of Commerce, of Huntsville, Ala., is receiving many inquiries from Northern farmers, who want to know about farming conditions around Huntsville.
It is stated that there are not enough houses at Columbia, S. C., to accommodate the increasing population, and that an excellent opportunity is given to erect an office building.
The secretary of the Bureau of Information of Newport News, Va., is in constant receipt of letters asking for information about Newport News and the adjacent country.
The Denison Land & Investment Co., of Denison, Tex., has elected A. P. Childs, of Bennington, Vt., President; E. H. Hanna, of Denison, Vice-president, and A. H. Coffin, of Denison, Treasurer.
C. S. Durling, of New York, was the originator of the refrigerator business in Florida, being the first man to run iced cars for the transportation of fruits and vegetables to New York. Before he began to do so berries could only be shipped by express, and only then when the weather was cool and the berries sour. Now Florida berries are sent North as late as May 1.
A refrigerator company will begin business at Gainesville, Fla., this week, and for the extra charge of ten cents per package they insure the arrival of truck at destination in the same condition as when put aboard the cars here.