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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