The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-04-08
COMMUNICATIONS.
For the Potter Journal.
A PLEA FOR POTTER COUNTY
No. I Y.


we will now take a view at some of the
Iother branches of industry; and without
attempting to follow in a local order, We
will at once begin with MECHANICS. Ere
we enter on this subject we might make
a remark, which it would perhaps have
been better to have made it before, namely
that nearly everything which is produced
in a nc,c country, costs more than the same
things, produced in oil settled places
There are several causes for this. First
the LACK of faculties. Second, the increas-
ed obstacles which beset all persons who
| live in new settled countries. Third, the
| limited sales Of things manufactured. In
nearly all cases the sales are iQcai, ,-confned
t, the Immediate neighborhood. The diff
culties, and expenses of expectation make
this so. Besides, as all men ought to live by
their profession or handicraft, they must
| liye out of the profits of that portion Of their
industry which they seH. To explain my
meaning, suppose Mechanic who works
at a trade, yet his time is not constantly
employed by orders for the articles which
he makes, but still he as to spend all his
time IN his shop, to wait upon customers
when they come. Nor does it happen, al
ways, that he can use the unemployed por-
ton of his time to useful account. The
same might happen with Store-keeper,
Physician or Lawyer. But all of these
must live, aud how can they unless the
means come out of their business? The
answer is not found by saying let them
change their business unless it yields them
a living for somebody must just do what
they are doing. Nor could any of them
tell ,chca they could leave their shop or
place Of business or office in order to do
other things. A man must be at his
place of business in ,corhjng hours at all
times, or the public will not patronize him !;
and very justly too. These things we
trust will show why things cannot be made
and sold as cheap as they could be, were
it so that any amount could be disposed Of
just as soon as they were ready Jor safe.
We will now take look at some things
which strongly tend to keep this state Of
things up in our community longer than
is necessary. Here Is a Shoemaker work
ING at his trade, but look at the opposi-
ton which constantly presses upon him
by Merchants bringing in ready-made
boots 4 shoes, (Which are made to sell, and
not very often to rear.) Now altho' the
Merchant who does this may be charged
with want of encouragement to home
manufactory, still the people who buy them
are not altogether innocent. We know
that men very often plead that they have
a right to buy where they please and sell
,ohot they please. 1t will be enough for
our point to confess that no law of the
land forbids them doing this, so far as the
things under discussion arc concerned !;
but still there might be some things which
the law ailocS men to do, which might be
prudent not to do. A shoemaker has to
contend constantly against flood Of cheap
articles in his line, which are always offer
ed lower than he can make good article
for 1t may be said here; well no shoe
maker can supply the demands, because
they are very often without stock. Well,
how come they without stock? Let me
tell In most cases, those who call upon
him for boots or shoes, want them and
wish to pay Tor them in things which will
not replace stock. This is not the case
with these brought from abroad. The
cash must go to do this. No Merchant
sends Buckwheat er Potatoes nor cord
wood for this. Then if the cash goes to
pay for these boots & shoes which are
brought in, why net pay the cash to the
Shoemaker here: If he gets it, his stock
cam be kept up and the demands can be
met. Other trades suffer in the same
manner. The Blacksmith finds horse,
nails of very inferior quality and also
turned shoes; now we assert that neither
of these will add anything to his profes,
sion, nor will they be as cheap to the pur
chaser, in the long run, as articles vel
made from good material. So the IVag
gonpaker. They seem to be more like
repqi;rerS Of otd Wagons, sleds, &c, thar
mqhers ofsuch. How much better woUt
it have been, had those cutters, which We
have seen about Coudersport the past win
ter, come from the shops in that place
and how incomparably better would i
have been to have had the money, circu
lating around the county, which must g