Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-07-12
FAR SIGHTED IulSERALITY.

pursued the selfish policy of spending NJ
money without the prospect Of nm immedi
ate and direct return. There are certain
laws governing the development Of commu
mites, which cannot be overlooked and ig
norcd with IMMUNITY. IN seeking location
people Of intelligence nre Influenced very
greatly by the attractions Of churches, news
papers and schools, and by the condition Of
society. II they see no school houses, no
newspapers, and few or no good churches,
while on the contrary the word "ssloon'
starcs them in the face at every other step,
they quite naturally conclude, that the
iahabitants must be very ignorant, very un-
cnterprising, very immoral, md society as a
consequence very rcpulsive, and they leave
in disgust without further investigation.
Peculiar circumstances, rather than the
ignorance or sel6shncss Of the people, may
have caused this failure to present the evil
dences Of thrift and enterprise; still the
effect is the same, and the mos. desirable
class Of settlers 60 elsewhere. Put up your
signs, and then the world can see who and
what YOU are. Build good churches, erect
fine school buildings ard manufactures,
and sustain m cnterprising press, and you
naturally attract just those classes who ap.
prcciate such blessings. Clutch your green.
backs with q vice-like grip, never giving
cent unless yon can sec two cents directly re.
turning, let your churches, and school houses,
and manufactures, and roads. and public
improvements, be built up only in the i'm.
agination, and in few years you may go to
grass like Nebuchadnezzar, on your own
Main street. These are stubborn, indisputa>
Bile facts and what follows? Simply that
every man who has available capital, whether
it be grccnbacks, U. s. interest bearing bonds,
or money loaned at Is per cent, Or who has
money invested in goods which he wishes TO
such man who fails to give lib.
orally toward the building up OF all public
which naturally attract capital
and settlement, not only utterly fails to com
prehend his own interests, exhibiting rs he
does penny~ise, pound-foolish economy,
but digs pit into which he will ultimately
sink and he buried in the ruin Of all around
him. For instance, thirty thousand dollars
worth Of trade might be secured, with an in.
crease every year, from the south. west quar-.
ter Of this county, were y few hundred dollars
raised in Independence fer the purpose Of
bridging certain sloughs which render the
roads ut some seasons almost impossible,
and compel the farmers to trade at Waterloo,
simply because they cannot get to Indepen-
dence. Now it is not only the business men
who are interested, but our moneyed men
who have capital invested here, depending
upon the prosperity Of .h~ city for its in
crease. WHAT'S needed is wide-awake enter.
prise which comprehends fully the situation,
and is ever on the alert to meet every ne.
cessity. Should Independence stand still,
q thousand dollar house 1867, could be
bought for six hundred dollars in 1870.
Should Independence increase in popula>
,ion rapidly, las it will, with the right at>
fractions presented, thousand dollar
house in 1867, would lie worth sixteen hun.
dred dollars in 1870. Go on energetically
with your manufactures, pursue . liberal
policy with your schools, build up your
churches, and make every principal road
leading from Independence passable At oil
seasons Of the year, and the city will gain in
growth and wealth with constantly increas.
ing rapidi,y. Thus year by year will your
investments be mon valuable, will your
trade increase, and will general prosperity
make Independence one Of the very finest
inland towns in Iowa. We shall soon be
able to boast Of rs fine school building rs
can be found in Northern Iowa, but We
heed more good church buildings. The
Presbyterian Society are making an effort to
raise funds for a new church, and We hope
their appeal to the business men and CAPT.
,alis,s Of the city win meet with most
hearty response. Let your pockets bleed :"
it will pay hundred fold in the long run.
Nothing short of $4,000 house ought TO
be put up. II is true it is hard times, but
who ever knew it to be otherwise when con.
tribu,ion papers were coming around?
Look ahead five or ten years, and having
looked and calculated the advantages indi.
rectly to your business and your capital,
double. your subscription. We do not say
this in the interest or at the suggestion OF
the parties directly concerned, but in the
interest Of every citizen, and every dollars
worth of capital and property in Indepen-
dence.
The general suggestions We have offered,
apply equally 10 oil towns. The sister
towns of our county connot hope to perma-
nently prosper without due regard TO public
Of every description.