Newspaper Page Text
6
TILE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
TUESDAY, APRIL SO, 1907.
ROME IS GREAT INDUSTRIAL CENTER OF NORTH GEORGIA
$150,000 IN WAGES PAID OUT EACH MONTH TO MILL HANDS
1915.
THREE RAILROADS
REACH THE CITY
Natural Advantages Are
Not Surpassed by Any
Other Town in the
State.
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF ROME, GA.
Population of 50,000
Seems Certain by
i
By WALTER DUNCAN.
Rome, Oa.. April *».—With the wealth
of the South Inereaelnir each twenty-
four houre more than 17,000,000, more
than the Increaae of all Oreat Britain
combined within the eatne time limit,
each and every city and section con
tributing to the enormoue tojpl, It le
not vain boasting, but rather a state-
ment of facte demonstrated, that Rome,
where the Etowah and Oostanaula riv
ers meet In northwest Georgia to form
the Coosa, her steady, vigorous growth
and the progressive spirit of her citi
zens, has set the pace for Southern
cities, and. In so doing, has thoroughly
awakened and aroused herself to her
peculiar advantages and Industrial pos
sibilities.
Set like a rare jewel among her hills,
her eminences gloriously crowned with
magnificent Institutions, educational,
philanthropic and of home, and sur
rounded by a country so rich in agri
cultural possibilities for fifty mites
around that It has been aptly styled
“the garden spot of the earth," Rome, a
city of culture and refinement, enjoys
besides her well-deserved title to natu
ral beauty, the rare distinction of be
ing the most pleasant place In which to
live In the South. With seven branches
of three of the South's greatest rail
roads—the Southern, the Central of
Georgia and the Nashville, Chattanooga
and St. Louis—these arteries of travel
ami commerce extending In every di
rection, and with three lines of steam
boats plying the Coosa river, making
Rome an Ideal distributing point, con
ditions which have materially added lo
her location as a manufacturing centor,
have combined aided Rome to attract
local and foreign capital In manufac
turing Investments until today Rome
fins more than sixty manufacturing
plants. Along Silver creek, In less than
five miles of Rome, there are manufac
turing plants paying a combined an
nual dividend of half a million dollars.
The seat of Floyd county and tho
most Important city In northwest Geor
gia. Rome. Is the trading center of a
wide eectlon of country, drawing trade
from beyond the etate line that divide,
Georgia and Alabama, her stores and
business houses comparing favorably
with those of larger cities, pnd Rome's
wholesale trade extends far Into tho
territory of her more pretentious neigh
bors. Nature has contributed liberally,
it may be said extravagantly, to Roms,
and, as was said of the empire of old
from which she got her proud name,
"All roads lead to Rome."
The geographical center of the In
dustrial South, a circle made on a map
with one end upon Rome and the other
upon Birmingham, tha magic sweep In
cludes almost the full territory of-that
new South ao rich In matchless re
sources, ao steady In Ita development
and overflowing with splendid pros
pects that have excited within the past
decade the attention and admiration of
the world. And In the center Rome,
teeming with activity, bubbling .with
commerce, her Industrial towers In the
shape of‘stacks belching forth the
smoke that tells the etory of the aong
the hum and whir of the machinery
beneath la ever ringing, making Rome
worthy of her location and surround
ings. But not-satisfied nor willing to
rest upon her oars, Rome Is rising
steadily to her full stature with un
faltering step to greater prosperity than
has yst attended.
Manufacturers' and Merchants' Asso
ciation.
These conditions have given rise to
her commercial organisation, the Man.
utseturers' and Merchants' Association
of Floyd county, with which are affili
ated the progressive cltlsens of Rome,
and, although only last month coin-
bratlng Ita flrst anniversary, fhe or
ganisation has already proved tuelf a
tremendous power for the accomplish
ment of n Greater Rome, and one of
her ambitions—69.000 population by tho
year 1(16. Talking Rome la the busi
ness of her people. They, are enthusi
astic and determined that the world
►hall know of what they have to offer,
but. at the same time, they realise and
propose that continued Increase In else,
wealth and prosperity must bo based
upon solid foundation of financial In
tegrity, Intelligent Industries and that
wise co-operation of public spirit upon
which alone any permanent prosperity
may be founded. Wh*t Rome la and
what she shall be Is aa much a product
of energy and enterprise as of ber
natural resources which are manifold.
There are reasons why at the pres
ent time the eyes of the capitalist,
tha manufacturer, merchant and labor
ing man are turned toward Rome. Her
rapid advancement has only been
equalled by her own Industries, all of
which have abated liberally. 'Rome Is
In the midst of that region ao rich In
mineral, raw material and other man
ufacturing advantages that capital
from the throe leading manufactur- j
lug Mates uf the Union. Massachusetts, |
New Tork snd Pennsylvania, have been
vnmrifd hither. The Massachusetts
HON JOHN W. MADDOX,
Mayor of Rome.
Mills In Georgia, located In the sub
urbs of Roma, at Llndale, operates
119.000 spindles, consuming more than
70.000 bales of cotton per annum, and
representing nn Investment of 22,000,-
000, Is the third largest cotton mill
In the South. Close to Rome the New
Tork Mills have placed a 2600,000 mill,
and Pennsylvania has Invested more
than a million dollars In the purchase
and development of brown ore proper-
Ites nineteen miles from the city. Mis
souri capital to the extent of half a
million dollara In Invested In a Kind
lar enterprise. In all there are more
than forty different kinds of articles
manufactured In Rome, which bears out
the statement that Rome la the logical
manufacturing center of this section.
Conditions nre such as to make living
comfortable and pleoMnht at nominal
coat. Rome la not troubled with labor
difficulties such as disturb the tran
qulilty and the progress of many other
cities. Fair wages, relations between
capital and labor harmonious, the
working inan In many Instances owning
his homo and with money. In the bank
—euch Is a fair picture of Rome where
progress attends and Is stamped In
unmistakable evidence where enter
prise attends.
Coots snd Oostanaula Rivers.
With tho shipping facilities on the
Coosa and Oostanaula rivers, which
tend to make profitable competition,
Rome enjoys freight rates that compare
favorably with those In effect to und
from Atlanta. The Coosi river Is nava-
gable to a point below Gadsden, Ala.,
and the Ooostanauln for muro than a
hundred miles northward, tlfb steam
boats bringing down her waters timber
and minerals from the Cohulta moun
tains to tho Industries of Rome. And
when through the combined effort of
the people of Georgia and Alabama,
who would be affected by the opening
to tide-water navigation of the Cooaa
river and their representatives In the
national congress, the government Is
Interested to the point where It shall
take In hund this work, which tlmo the
people of Rome do not think Is
far In the future, the city that will
then be at the head-waters of naviga
tion of the Coosa and an outlet-to the
Gulf of Mexico and the country sur
rounding Rome will develop Into her
full growth, Javlshlng Its fruits of
accomplishment upon her people.
8ome Interesting Figures.
Calculation, however, must neces
sarily be based upon specific figures.
The record made by Rome in several
different lines last year Is a convinc
ing argument In favor of the Hill City.
During the months from January to
October. In 1909. 1569.600 was spent In
enlarging and Improvements upon man
ufacturing plants In Home. For tho
same period of time 2119,000 Was spent
upon store and business house Improve,
menta and building, and more than
a quarter million dollars on residences
and dwelling houses. Another remark
able showing Is the Increase In post-
office receipts In the last ten years. For
the year 1119 the receipts of the Rome
postofflee were 214,521.19, agalnit
230,901.02 for the year 1109, an Increase
of 112 per cent, notwithstanding the
fact that during the ten years .there
were eleven new outlying postofflcea
established In the Rome territory. To
day Romo manufactories employ more
than 6,000 hands, the combined pay
roll of the same being about 2150,000
per month for factory labor alone. The
assessed valuation of Rome real es
tate, not Including the corporation tax
able property, according to figures
which have just been complied, Is In
excess of 24,500,000.
Reference to the last government
census will show Rome to have a popu
lation of between seven and eight
thousand. These figures are mislead-
Ing at the present time since during
the post two years the three separate
snd distinct municipalities of East
Rome, Rome, and North Rome that
formerly went to make ujr the whole
but which were not shown In the cen
sus report accordingly, have been con
verted into the one harmonious city
under the one head of government Be
sides this, other additional territory
has boen Aiken In, and today there are
between 11,000 and 20,000 people -In
Rome, not counting Llndale, the Mas
sachusetts mills corporation, three
miles distant, which has a population
of 5,000.
Begun 8tste Immigration Movement
It was In Rome that the movement
was started that give rise to the Geor-
gin State Immigration Association,
which has mapped out a campaign and
raised funds for tha bringing direct
to tho stato desirable Immigrants from
different parts of Europe. The Man
ufacturcrs and Merchants’ Association,
of Floyd county, the Chamber of Com'
merca of Rome, last year sent ti
Sweden Mr. Fred Hanson for the pur
pose of Interesting some of his coun
trymen In Rome Us a desirable place
In which to live. Mr. Hanson was
In his native country several weeks,
and succeeded In bringing horns with
him a creditable number of Swedes,
who were Immediately glvep employ
ment, and who since have Induced
others of their countrymen to Join
them here until the Swedish colony has
assumed no small proportions. Rome
was the first Southern city to under
take so extensive an enterprise en
tailing heavy expense; and this move
ment, It seems, awoko the state to a
concerted and more extensive enter
prise of the same nature.
This step was directly In keeping
with the policy and the practice of
the Manufacturers and Merchants' As
sociation, which has now secured head
quarters In the Georgia building at the
Jamestown Exposition, and will trans
fer Its otOce from Roms to Jamestown
daring the progress of the exposition,
marking the anniversary of the flrst
permanent white settlement In Amer
ica. Walter K, Duncan, secretary of
HOTEL, ROME, GA.
the association, will be In charge Of
the Jamestown office.
A Conservative Mayor.
Conservatism Is the only word that
would properly express the policy of
the city government of Rome. Presld-
Irig over the board of council and hav
ing already been declared the "best
mayor Rome ever had," Mayor John
W. Maddox, who was for many years
congressman from thla district, Is In a
great measure responsible for the
splendid financial condition the city Is
In today, certainly for numerous re
forms that have been made In the olty
government since he began his admin
istration, combining as he does his
strict sense of dutr, his rugged, unap-
proachabla Integrity and his lino legal I
talent, the result of many years of
practice, In conducting the affairs of
the city. Mayor Maddox Is thoroughly
alive to the Interests of the people he
serves; hs Is In every sense .of the
word a public servant, and la always
found In the front ranks lighting for
Rome. His conservatism Is Intermin
gled with progress, and with such a
men at the helm the city has plowed
through her deepest waters and'Is now
sailing smoothly along, each day able
to seo moiwcleary that which has been
fought for for several years past—
street Improvements. s.
During the coming month a bond
election will be held, at which time, It
Is generally conceded to be a facL the
people will votp bonds for street pav
ing and sewer extensions.
8hortcr College, and Other 8chools.
Often called the “Vossar of the
South," and crowning one of her loft
iest hills, Shorter College, from which
center Romans have been pleased to
declare radiates her culture and reflns.
ment, Is one Institution of which Rome
Is perhaps produest. Founded by Al
fred Shorter In 1277, this Institution
has tied a remarkable growth, each
year gaining In the stregnth of Its
charactsr, and although when cnnsld
ering tho equipment of Shorter, Its II
brarlcs, laboratories, etc., that are not
surpassed, If equaled, by any woman's
college In the Southern states, yst
through the untiring efforts of-Hon.
Walkar Brooks a fund has been raised
and Is continually being added to,
which, when entirely completd, will be
expended In the building of a new
Shorter College, the present buildings
having been outgrown, which will cer
tainly have no peer In point of archi
tecture In this country.
Just beyond the city limits of-Rome
la an educational Institution founded
by Miss Martha Berry, which has at'
tracted the attention of the whole
United States because of Its peculiar
charactsr. The Boys’ Industrial School
Is unlike anything else to be found
anywhere. Begun as a Sunday school
for the poor children of the Flatwoods
district several years ago By that won
derful little woman. Miss Berry, It was
not long before she realised that the
rough, unlearned but honest-faced boys
who came from all over the country
side to the little log cabin school had
In them the making of men. and
straightway Miss Berry laid the foun
dations for the great Institution of a
philanthropic nature which today sho
presides over and where the Ignorant
mountain boys are trained for the bat
tles of life. To relate the entire story
of Miss Berry’s hard, unending strug
gles to achieve what she has would
Ml a volume, and only mention Is made
here because the Boys' Industrial
School, peculiar to Itself, Is numbered
among the educational Institutions' of
Rome. On a recent visit to Washing
ton Miss Berry, In relating to Presi
dent Roosevelt the story of the Boys'
Industrial School,- received the appro
bation of the chief executive, who was
Intensely Interested In the great Insti
tution, and voluntarily declared his In
tention of visiting tha school In the
near future.
Historical Rome. '
Historically, Rome Is no less rich
than In the wealth that Is reckoned by
! her Industrial resources. It was at a
point almost on the banks of the Coosa
river, npw In the city limits of tha
city, that John Sevier met and com
quered the barbarloua Indian tribes
under King Fisher In the early days,
and It was near Rome that General
Nathan B. Forrest, that gallant hero
of the Confederate army, with an In
credibly small number of men, with
the aid of a woman, captured ifn entire
Union army, marched them Into Rome
and paroled them. Bill Arp. sage,
philosopher, once mods his home In
Rome and fought a duel In the,old
Buena Vista, now the Choice Hotel.
Henry Grady and John Tempje Graves
lived and worked among the good peo
ple of Rome, both following the pro
fessions that distinguish them. Frank
I L. Stanton sang his songs to the Ro-
' mans, 2nd no less a light was the la
mented Montgomery Folsom.
Nature hap lavishly endowed Rome.
Set among the mountains, the country
roads that lead out from the city wind
through and around the grand old hills
Si.
CENTRAL PUBLIC SCHOOL AT ROME, GA.
of North Georgia, climb gradually over
them, then descend Into the rich, ver
dant valleys that lie between, and fol
lowing the trail one Is led through
pleasant scenes, sometimes along the
banks of the rivers where the foliage Is
mirrored In the clear waters, some
times over a towering peak from where
the mountains In the dim distance look
bluo as a monstrous turquoise, and
again through farming and pasture
lands that produce as no other section
of the South. All these make pleasant
scenes that cause the man who first
gases upon them white enjoying the
soft, salubrious climate of this Chero
kee section that Invigorates to wonder
why upon one of these gorgeous sites
there has not been placed a summer
Oesort hots).
The view from Myrtle Hill cemetery,
a stately hill that raises up Its head,
towering over the city like one grand
monument to the dead that He at rest
In Ita bosdm. the winding rivers meet
ing at Its base, the city adorning the
valley,- the blue hills In the distance Is
one vast panorama such as Is presented
nowhere else In the state. No less
magnificent a view Is presentsd from
Fort Jackson, north of the city, where
has been built upon one of her loftleat
hills her-reservoir. A pumping station
on the banks of tho Oostanaula river at
the base of the hill draws the water
supply from the clear, swift stream,
and. filtered at the plant. It Is called the
best In the world. Located as la the
reservoir at a point so high above-the
city, the pressure Is sufficient to fight
ordinary Ares that occur, and seldom Is
It necessary for the Rome fire depart
ment, which Is a splendid organisation,
to bring the engines Into use.
Logical Manufacturing Center of the
South.
In and around Rome are probably
grouped a greater variety of manufac
turing enterprises than around any city
of Its class In the South. There Is n
reason—the extent and variety of raw
material that Is virtually Just at the
back door, fine transportation facilities,
making Rome a central point, healthful
climate, cheapness of fuel, economy In
•Derating expenses and living, and the
ilentlful supply of labor. At un eleva
tion of 100 feet above the city, seven
miles awhy, n Rood of crystal water
bursts from the side of a mountain and
seeks Ita way to the waters of tho Eto
wah river at Rome, winding through a
beautiful valley like a stiver band. Thla
Is Silver creek, which In less than n
half inllo from Its source turns the
wheels of a flour fnlll and at Its mouth
eight different manufacturing plants
are located, representing a combined
Investment of more than 22,000,000,
turning out- seven classes of products
and employing more than 3,000 wage
earners. This Is the development ot
fifteen years, which has exhausted but
a small portion of the available oppor
tunities that abound In this favored
region.
The products of Rome factories go
everywhere. Rome-made furniture Is
sold In every state In the Union and the
West Indies; Rome cotton goods clothe
the Chinamen, furnish shelter for Klon
dike miners, penetrate the forests uf
the Amaxon, cross the Andes on the
barks of lamas, are In the mall cars on
every railway In the Union, find their
way to the far-off Philippines, and In
the sails of many ships; and, like the
British drum-beat, follow the sun
around the world. Rome water wheels
are turning hundreds of thousands of
spindles throughout the Piedmont re
gion. Rome-made leather Is In belts
turning millions of pulleys eveyrwhera.
Rome-made trucks and spalss go to
European markets and And their way
even aa far as Siborla. Rome bricks
are In hundreds of buildings from tha
Patomac to the Rio Grande. Rome-
made plows ore stirring the soil
throughout the South. Rome-made Iron
Is In car wheels on almost every few
miles ■ot track In tho country, and
Rome-made stoves ars sold throughout
the Southland.
The pay roll of Rome's manufactur
ing plants Is In excess of 250,000 a
week, and this, coupled with'the fact
that every one of Rome's manufactories
are making money. Is a convincing ar
gument. Turn that amount df money
loose In n city of 19,000 each and every
week In the year and watch the result—
the working man owning hts home, the
merchants enjoying a satisfactory busi
ness, progress stamped everywhere.
But In the face of this proof Rome
Isn't satisfied to stand still, but is
pushing on to greater development. Af
fording almost unequaled opportunities
for the manufacturer. Inviting foreign
capital to add to the already large
number of Industrial plants In Rome, It
Is to tbs manufacture of such articles
of necessity as are not already Includ
ed lir her list that the people of Rome
desire to attract. the attention of the
outside world, namely, barrels, bed
springs, boilers, buggies, buggy robes,
cannery, cans, cars, cor wheels, car
pets, caskets, cement, cotton battlnr,
crackers, hats, Icc machines, knit un
derwear, locomotives, machine tools,
mantels, ofllce fixtures, paint, paper,
paper boxes, pottery, rope, shirts, shoes,
show cases, soap, spokes and handles,
tanks, trunks and bags, ventilators,
vinegar, wagons, wheelbarrows, wire
works, wooden boxes, woodenware.
Surrounding Country.
Surrounding Rome Is a country of
perhaps the greatest agricultural, pos
sibilities In the whole southeast. Fer
tile-lands are the valleys that lie be
tween the Blue mountains and along
the many streams. All the farm prod
ucts of the temperate zone make hand
some returns from the generous soil,
which It decomposed limestone and
shale. Wheat Is a staple crop. All
the grasses do well and dairying Is
profitable. Cotton Is. however, the
main crop, and Coosa valley cotton
demands a premium both from Ameri
can and foreign spinners.
This Is the Ideal fruit country, raising
In 50 miles of Rome more fruits than
the whole state of Maryland,' the can
ning state of the Union. Tho famous
Elherta peach reaches a degree of par.
faction on the sunny slopes of the
mountains rarely attained elsewhere.
So profitable has Its culture proven
that there are now within a radius of
20 miles from Rome more than 4,000,-
100 peach trees In commercial or
chards, and one Rome'shlpper has been
known to net 21.092 from one single
car load of these Elbertas. Other fruits
are highly profitable, especially apples,
In this section of country. Live stock
and poultry raising hss become a prof,
■table business around Rome.
The Floyd county roads are marvels.
A STEAMbOAT ON THE COOSA RIVER, ROME, GA.
Great macadamized highways lead out
In every direction. Floyd having more
miles of macadamized roads than any
other county In tho stato of Georgia.
Stats Mutual Life lusurance Co.
Several years ago a life Insurance
company was organized In Rome. For
several years It struggled, attracting
little or no attention, but eventually
Its growth became so rapid that It
startled even those who were nurtur
ing It. That tremendous growth hss
continued, almost dally Increases In Its
rapidity, until today tho State Mutual
Life, of which all of Rome Is proud,
Is a mighty organization, last year
writing 225,727,084 In policies, leading
all Southern companies. Last year’s
-remlums on business Vritten amount-
cd to 2082,951.91, almost a million
dollars, and gave to the State Mutual
the record of* sixth place among alt
the Insurance companies of the United
States In point of business written.
The State Mutual still retains Its
home office at Rome. It Is a part of
Rome. Her hundreds of agents through,
out tho whole South are the beat ad
vertisers Rome has—It Is their busi
ness to talk Rome. Nearly a hundred
men and women are employed by the
State Mutual In the offices In Rome,
and the company Is conceded to be one
of the strongest and safest flnanclal
Institutions of Its kind doing business
In this country.
Building Improvsmsnts.
A great- wave of prosperity seems
to have engulfed Rome. No better In
dication of this fact can there bo than
that Improvements of every description
are being made, new and handsome
residences and business houses are
being made, land tracks that have be
fore Been considered out of the way
but which were held fpr their future
value, are being covered with neat little
cottages and modest homes, new streets
opened'Up and the whole reclaimed. In
the extension of the’dty limits, which
will be done within a few weeks, ad
ditional territory will be taken In which
will add to Rome's population, making
the total at leant 20,000.' The street
railway system has been bought up
by a Kentucky syndicate and extension
of ths lines will be made. New cars
are being built, opd when the Improve
ments that have been begun are com
pleted Rome will have one of the finest
street railway systems In the South.
Already this line extends to Llndale.
The character of Rome’s public build
ings Is In accord with the Improve
ments that are being made. Th*
United 8tatcs postofflee, the Cherokee
hotel, the Floyd county court house,
are all magnificent structures, and
right In the heart of the city has Just
been completed the handsome IV. J.
West office building, representing an
expenditure of about 260,000. This
building faces the Cherokee hotel on
Second avenue, and will be ready for
occupancy by the flrst of May, la four
stories and affords comfortable and i
commodious offices In suits of three.
The building Is thoroughly modern
throughout and occupies a place that
has for many years been an eye-sore
to the people of Rome, one of the most
centrally located lots In ths city that
was until a year ago occupied by
shanties.
These conditions, however, contain In
them nothing abnormal. Rome Is not
and never has been a boom town. It
Is a steady, healthy, vigorous growth
which will continue since with ths
headway she now has It would require
a terrible force to stop It. Rome was
for many yeara torn by Internal strlfa
political and warring factions, which
was responsible for the comparatively
little progress that was mads during
that period of time; but even then,
the city grew In spite of herself and
with the patriotic help of a handful
of her most loyal citizens. Happily,
these conditions have been overcome—
the lion and the lamb have become
reconciled, political ruffles do not ex
cite as they once did, and banded to
gether In the Manufacturers and Mer
chants’ Association for the upbuilding
of Rome are the business men working
hand In hand, each with his shoulder
to the wheel.
Such Is a fair picture of Roma
worthy of such a location and sur
roundings. She Is rising to her full
statue to meet and embrace the op
portunities that confront her. She li
moving with steady and unfalterlnf
step to the greater prosperity of the
near future. Her foundations for suc
cess are as sure as ths hills about her
and on which she firmly sets. Her
people are IntetllgenL progressive and
patriotic; her climate Is uniform, tem
porals and delightful; her society n
cultured, refined and hospitable; her
health Is well night perfect, her echo
are the best and. her churches crown
almost pearly every hill. Already the
tide has set this way, already th*
South Is feeling ths throbbing "j
Rome's new life, and the people •;{
Rome firmly believe that they
achieve their modest ambition—50,690
by 1915. t
