Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/498

KENTUCKY. early attained a prominent place, and during the first half of the nineteenth century it was scarcely excelled by any of the States west of the Alleghanies. In 1850, 2.2 per cent. of the population was engaged in this branch of activity. Since then the State has been surpassed by several of the Western States. The greatest growth was between 1880 and 1890, the per cent. of the population engaged for those years being respectively 2.3 and 3. The per cent. in 1900 was 2.9. and the actual number of persons engaged was 62,900. The State has the advantage of the Mississippi River system for transportation, but railway communication has been very inadequate, with the result that the development of the abundant timber and mineral resources, and of the manufacturing industries dependent upon them, has been slow.

The largest and most important group of manufactures includes those dependent upon the products of the farm. Chief of these is the manufacture of tobacco. Early in the nineteenth century there were small tobacco establishments in most of the towns. Gradually the industry has been more and more centred in Louisville, in consequence of the superior advantages of that point as a distributing centre. During the decade 1890-1900 the industry almost doubled, the leading branch being, as will be seen from the table appended, the production of chewing and smoking tobacco and snuff. The flouring and grist mill products rank second. The manufacture

of liquors, on the contrary, though still of great importance, is decreasing. This industry has been noted throughout the whole history of the State. A large number of distillers removed to Kentucky from Pennsylvania about 1794, as a result of the Whisky Rebellion. The product took the name of the county in which most of them settled—‘Bourbon.’ The distilled product constitutes three-fourths of the total output. The slaughtering and packing of pork is another long-established industry, centring in Louisville, which place during the decade 1850-60 was a rival of Cincinnati for first rank in the pork-packing business of the United States. While the industry is growing, it has long since lost its relative importance. Tanning may also be classed in this group, though it is largely dependent upon the presence of the chestnut-oak tree, the bark of which furnishes the tannin required in the manufacture of leather.

The construction of railroads has now rendered possible the development of the industries dependent upon the mineral resources of the State. Iron and coal are abundant, and the development of the iron and steel industry during the decade 1890-1900 is suggestive of the future possibilities.

Steel plate was produced in the State by Kelly's ‘air-boiling process’ five years before the pneumatic process of Bessemer came into use. Ashland is the largest centre of the iron industry. The products of foundry and machine-shop have been reduced somewhat in consequence of the