Benefits of the War.
--The present contest has entailed many disasters on some portions of our people; but it has done one good thing at least. It has taught them to rely on themselves. Directly this is done thoroughly, the Yankees are beaten to a certainty. Many branches of manufacture heretofore almost totally neglected have, from the very necessity of the case, been taken up and pursued with a success that shows it was only indolence heretofore that made us dependent on the North. Among the branches alluded to may be mentioned that of hat making. Before the war, as is well known, most of our hatters obtained all of their goods, manufactured or raw, from Philadelphia or New York. Now, these markets being closed, our people have begun to fabricate head coverings themselves. In taking a walk, a few days since, through the extensive manufactory of Moore & Hayward, No. 82 Main street, we were surprised at the progress which this branch of business had made here. These gentlemen may justly be called army hatters, having for many months past had a Government contract, by which they were bound every month to furnish a large number of hats to our brave boys. These hats they manufactured from the raw material, all furnished within the Southern Confederacy. The hair of thousands of rabbits (old hares) and other animals are used daily by them to supply the soldiers in the field with protection from the rays of the summer's sun.
