lack of development. It has
at last entered upon a new era of industrial activity, and
is now making rapid strides toward a stage of material
prosperity commensurate with its great natural wealth.--_New
York Herald_, September 12,1883.

Now, here is quite a remarkable fact to which I wish to
call your attention, to show you the opportunities for labor
existing in the South and what is the condition of certain
counties in the South. I hold in my hand a book that is
compiled for the benefit of the Georgia Pacific Railroad,
but I happened to find it in my room and thought these
matters would be interesting.

Q. The data you consider reliable?
--A. What I read I think comes from the census report; I
think this is reliable:

In this connection let us glance at Montgomery
County, Alabama, which, although not in the belt
we are studying, is on the same prairie formation
crossed by the Georgia Pacific Railway, on the
edge of Mississippi. Compare it with Butler
County, Ohio, which "shows the best record of any
county in the West." In live stock Montgomery has
$1,748,273; Butler, $1,333,592.

That is the largest producing county in Ohio as compared
with Montgomery County, Alabama, before the war.

Montgomery had 63,134 hogs; Butler, 51,640.
Animals slaughtered: Montgomery, $336,915;
Butler, $318,274. In grain Butler was
considerably ahead, but in roots Montgomery led.
Montgomery doubled Butler in the production of
wool, and had its cotton crop to show besides.
The total value of the crops of Montgomery County
was $3,264,170; those of Butler only $1,671,132.

There is Montgomery County, Alabama, compared with the
leading producing county in Ohio.

Q. Do you know as to the relative size of the two counties?
--A. I think it was given here:

A handsome triumph for the Alabama county! And
yet Montgomery is not up to the average of the
prairie counties of Alabama.

I do not know the relative size. Here is a fact to which I
wish to call particular attention:

We have examined the mortality tables of the
United States census for 1880, and find that as
regards health, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississ