Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-02-29
Our Towns and Mechanics.

Our Towns and Mechanics.
Most of our towns are mere villages. Here
and there they start up as by magic; the
sound of the hammer, the saw, the anvil ard
the wheel are heard, briskly at first, but soon
the town has its growth and stiffness reigns.
WHY'S thiss The cause is apparent to eve
~ one who looks at il. Sometimes our towns
are badly located An enterprising lane own
er wants to make money, and he projects a
town upon paper, makes a noise about it, and
soon a little village IS started, with a~ssnran-
ces of growth and expansion to town. En-
terprising men, concerned in the scheme, fill
their pockets, and soon they are off to a more
promising spot; and tbs village languishes
for a while, and the groggeries and rum holes
finally sink IT. The great reason why eur
North Carolina towns are bigger at the birth
than at any other time, is because the impress
sion prevails that a town can be built up by
a Court House, jail, and w~LippingpOst, a Ho-
tel, two or three Stores and half a dozen grog
shops. These latter soon rain the prospects
of n yyillage.
Mechanics and Manufactures are the bone
and sinew of a town No inland village can
be made a town without them. Large COM
mercial advantages help a seaport, bat they
can do but little without mechanics and man
ufactories. We do notspeak simply ofhouse-
%joiners and brickJmasons, but we speak ofalS
ticle Of household furniture. Every dollar
Of it should be made by our own mechanics.
Our carriages, cooking utensils, farming uten-
sis, &c, are made in large numbers at tbs
North. Even our axe and hoehandles, breaa
trays and rolling-pins are made North
Scarcely a harrow or a pIow can be stocked
at home. All these, and our cotton and wool
en- fabrics, hardware, &C., can be better mad
and cheaper at home, and yet we 60 TO til
North for them.
Perhaps the greatest want Of NortA Care
lima at this time, is good, thoroughbred mc
chanics in every branch of trade W
have become dependent on the North, beeaus
the different branches of mechanical occupi
ton in this State have been given up to n
groes and halfinstructed white men, wi
! cannot produce a good job for the want Of IL
requisite training, and who must'take thr,
times as long to do it as a good mechanic
There are honorable exceptions-we ha'
: some mechanics equal to any-but we spe;
in general terms. Hence, in a great mea
ure, our people are driven North for articl
which our W mechanics viii not produc
= or if at all, at such prices that they cam
! afford it. The few frst-rate mechanics
have, complain O this, but the complaint is
ten unreasonable. Good meehanics-w
understand their bQsiness-find no dificu'
e in securing plenty of work at remunersti
prices, when they are disposed to work.
: North Carolina has the material, the wa
power and the means to employ atthis time
mechanics, the machinery and the manu-
turers for the production of almost every art
:. of necessity or luxury which her citizens
quire. Her people are disposed to patror
> home industry and skta, and it is more of
eessity than Of choice That we have becC
so dependent on theINorth.
Let the mechanics and the capitalists of
~ State wake up to this matter. Let them
eel the North in the excellency, dispa
~ taste and ~eheapness of their articles, and
demands for Nc .G'n productions VIII q
Then our tow and villages will bee
- fourishing e! Is, and not until then.
-. let all concerned beware Of the ruin that n
"a, always follow a village or town filled
do liquor-hoies. Keep out the grog-shops,
the mechanics and factories will build
town in the desert.