The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-11-07
ECONOMICAL DECAY.

D4ISnA'
There is noticeable in the character
of the people Of West Virginia a lack
of the spirit of public enterprise, to
a greater degree, we think, than can
be found in any other State Of the
Union. We wonder for what the
historian would record us "noted
for" in skeschiug our history. Were
the State population with people
possessing the spirit of New England
States, it would not be long till every
hill would resound with the clangor
of the furnace, and every water
course would be turned upon a mill
wheel. Horses, cattle, and stock of
every description would flock our
hills and valleys; the log-cabin would
give place to the beautiful mansion;
and in a short time our highways
would be beaten down with the tread
of thirsty emigrants hocking in to
the CRY of wealth. Yet we lie idle
with these very prospects within our
reach. We tread over mines of in
exhaustible wealth with the indiffer-
ence Of a people who had no necessl-
ties, no wants, 90 ambition.
The same state of lethargy per-
yades our town and county to an
alarming extent, and it is of this we
wish to speak more particularly. No
one will deny but that there is some
thing substantial about Morgantown.
1t presents to the stranger somewhat
of hourishing aspect, and it has,
altogether, a more prosperous appear
auce than any other town Of West
Virginia. Yet it requires but little
time for the stranger so discover that
Morgantewn is not prospering-that
this is no place for him to launch his
bark-there is 10 fortune here. That
which gives Morgantown this ap-
pearance of thriftiness is the system
practiced by its Inhabitants of rigid
p,avate economy exercised to the en-
tire neglect and consequent detri-
ment of the public prosperity. 1t is
the system very frequently practiced
upon rented land, of extracting all
the strength from the soil, without
expanding anything upon it. The
result is, that while our private resi-
dences would seem to indicate pros
porous community, there is, in truth,
q continued slow approach to stag
nation in business of all kinds
Nothing being expended to enlarge
trade; there being no combinations
Of our citizens, as is customary in
other towns, in any public enterpri-
ses; it is but natural that the differ
ent spheres of business will tend to-
ward decline. It is system we
cannot better express than by calling
it an economical decay.
It should be remembe by the
inhabitants of town, that the same
degree of energy manifested by them
as a community, in their business
transactions, will, to a great extent,
pervade the whole county. IF they
are diligent, active, aud liberal in
their pursuits, or vice versa, the
spirit will catch, and run through
the surrounding country. There is,
then, a double responsibility resting
upon our community to arouse them
selves to greater eXertious for the
public welfare and prosperity. Let
Us at least have some thought upon the
subject of the public, as we'll as our
private welfare. Let every man re-
member that whatever he can do for
the general prosperity, he is at the
same fine enhancing his Own inter
ests. Why should we not have
county feir to begin with? We want