Musings of the South 175 



I thought of the father's "so fur" and have made 

 an extra copy for future contingencies. 



The South is making future trouble for herself 

 with these new manufactories. The various locali- 

 ties are competing for them, and submitting to 

 extortionate and unreasonable demands. I have 

 not time to investigate and verify the statements I 

 hear made, but have no reason to doubt them. 

 Take the Dallas mill here in Huntsville, which I 

 visited. They have acquired large land property 

 in the edge of the city, on which to erect their mills 

 and villages. They are exempted from taxation for 

 ten years. They are furnished free, at the expense 

 of the city, with water pumped from the great 

 spring. They are indifferent to the welfare of 

 their employes. For example, an epidemic of 

 measles broke out among them, and the benevolent 

 citizens had to donate money for the care of the 

 company's employes, to which relief the latter 

 refused to contribute a cent. On being appealed 

 to, the superintendent would look over his roll, and 

 say, "Not in our employment." They were not in 

 the employment of the company while they were 

 sick or dying, or to be buried, because as soon as 

 they fell ill their names were stricken off the roll. 

 The rise of real estate and the presence of a market 

 for produce are good things, but it is not all good. 

 Mr. Bitzer is working with constant energy to bring 

 up the schools, and to establish better ones. Miss 

 House is giving her life and talents to settlement 



