The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-04-28
OUR TOWN-ITS PRESENT CONDI.
TION.

OUN INV N-llS IhESENl CONDl.
TON.
1t is n fact, and one that cannot be dis
guiscd, that while all around and in every d.
rcction tho spirit of improvement and pro-
gress is at work, improving, expanding, beau-
tifying and adjoining, here at Athens, the
centre ofnot only one Of the richest counties
in East Tennessee, but of a large, popu!ous
and fertile region, we are Mt complete
"stand. stil"-shall We say it? almost dead
and lfeless. Why is it so! There is wealth
and intelligence here; and yet none of the
spirit of progress and improvement. Some
five or six years ago, when the railroad was
first being talked about, our citizens were
fully alive to the importance of the enter
prise, and worked harder and did more than
any other people to reinstate it and place it
"upon its legs" The cry then was, if you
can only succeed in building the railroad we
will do wonders-town property shall adj
vance, those of us who are able will build,
and in short time m entirely new state of
things shall appear. The road has been built,
we can hear the cars laundering by almost
every hour in the day, but so far as the town
is concerned it appears to have had no mark
ed or permanent effect upon it. There is no
more disposition to improve now than there
was before-each one seems disposed to jog
along in the old antiquatcd way Of his grand
daddy, evidently impressed with the fact that
all he has to do in the world is to cat, sleep,
strut his brief hour upon the streets, and die.
Now this state of things must not be per.
mittcd to continue. We must do something,
or, to use common expression, we shall all
"run to seed" The truth is, too many of our
citizens, and too much of the capital of the
place, are employed upon one particular
branch of business-wc have too many mer-
chants and too few mccbanics-too many
professional characters, and too few laborers
too many consumers and too few producers.
In fact. while the drones outnumbcr the
workers, prosperity will never find an abid-
ing place among us. A disposition to live
without labor appears to be Il prevailing char
actcristc, and while that continues and is en-
couragcd, we shall have but little hope for
the improvement and expansion of our town.
SWELL" some one asks, "what will you do
to bring about changer" The first and most
important step is to 60 to work-not talk
and build up good schools There is no point
in the State where High Schools, Male and
Female, could be better sustained than at
Athens, if the proper exertions were made.
1t is healthy, proverbially so-it is accessible
by railroad from almost every direction
there is no place that can boas: of better So
cietv, or that is frcer from vice and dssipa-
ton, or that has so few vicious and immoral
characters about it. The water is good, and
the air pure, and it is situated in the midst of
an abundant and populous country, and with
all these MISUNDERSTANDING which no
other town within our knowledge combines
what is to prevent us from building up
nOOu Observation-Disclosures vi icaihiuSS WiiC'C
our own children may be thoroughly educated
and fitted for the active duties of life, and
which from their high character will draw as
much patronage as may be desirable from
abroad. Knoxville, Maryville, and Madison
vile all have schools of high order-why
should we not, with proper effort, be equally
successful here7
Another thing that can and must be done,
is to "brush up" tho town little-rc.pa
our houses, if VIC don't build any new ones
repair or remove the old dilapidated buildings,
and renoyatc generally. 1t would improve
the appearance Of things very much, and
strangers when they dropped in among us
would be NOR favorably impressed with the
place, and more disposed to remain. A little
of the right sort of excrtion would accom-
pish u great deal, and it is so much the in
tcrcst of every citizen to take an active part
in all that concerns the prosperity and nd
vancement of the town, that we cannot but
believe they will readily lay hold of any
thing calculated to bring about an improve.
mcnt in business and infuse new life and
spirit into the community.
AZ