The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-28

tory, foundries, rolling mill sbo. .r,fao
'o''e'' herosene works, &c. &C., show how
much the city is dependent upon such enter
prises for the growth it has already attained
Blot them out, and who can estimate tho
drawback we should experienced Small
comparatively, andfew as are our mapufactnr'
| ing establishments, it may well be doubted ;f
the city's real prosperity would be more vital
" preudiced by the destruction of all our
railroads than by the overthrow of these.
But if the creative spirit OF our people is
to stop with these, our growth will soon find
its utmost limit Few cities are more favor
ably situated than Portland, for manufactur-
ing purposes. We do not refer to the manu-
factures of cotton and wool, for these will be
mainly carried on where abounds the best
water power. But in iron, copper, brass and
other metals, we may manufacture everything
from buttons and hooks and eyes for a child's
dress to chains and anchors for our largest
ships. Hats, caps, clothing, boots and shoes,
harnesses, as well as carriages, furniture, farm
Ing tools, stoves, cordage, &C., may as well be
made here as elsewhere, the back country
with its lumber, water power and cheap labor
being brought into requisition for such por
tions of the work as could be done best in
the interior, while large population in the
city would find employment in the more ar
tistic work, and in preparing the blocked-out
materials for market.
We see it stated in one OF our exchanges
that the city of Elgin, ILL.,. has added fully
one thousand to Its population by the es,ah-
lishment Of watch factory. What sug-
gestive item. The city of Geneva, in Switz-
erland, is said to exist by its manufactures of
watches and jewelry. Attleboro', Mass, has
grown up upon its imitation jewelry and
gew-gaws. Providence, one of the richest
cities on the continent, situated between Bos-
ton and New York SO as to be cut off from
ordinary wholesale trading, and with no for
eigD commerce, has become itch by her man
ufactories. The city is a perfect hive of in
dustry, producing almost everything, from a
childs toy to the most ponderous machinery.
Why should not Portland reach out her
arms in the same direction, and have her but
ton factories, her cordage factories, hat fac
tories, watch factories &c. Why not have
Portland cutlery" as famous as that of Wa
terbury, and buttons, pins, hinges, butts,
screws, tacks, nails, spikes, bolts, door and
window fastenings, mechanics tools, plated
ware, pottery, and ten thousand other articles
of necessity or ornament, aud Of more or
less expense, produced here as well as else
where? Why not make our city hive of
productive industry, and create thousand
forms of merchandise for the supply of the
State and those sections of country with
which we are or are to be connected, instead
of having all such articles forced upon us by
outside producers?
1--WE cannot expect the country to come and
buy OF us unless we have something to sell in
return, and to sell at the lowest scale Of
prices. To do this we must, to as large an
extent as possible, by creative energy and
manufacturing enterprise, produce from the
raw materials the articles with which to sup
ply it, so as to divide between the producer
and the purchaser at least portion of the
expense and commissions which arise from
having too many middle men.
Such turn to our enterprise. and industry
would open new fields for honest labor, call in
hundreds and thousands to swell our popula-
ton, furnish tenants or owners for hundreds
of new economical dwellings, thus using up
the waste lots in and around the city, making
real estate more valuable. adding vastly to the
taxable valuation of the city, and thus reduce
individual taxation. Every new form Of in,
dustry that adds to our productions and gives
employment to increased numbers of men
and women, is a real gain to the city, 1t is
hoped capitalists, real estate owners, mer
chants, all who have the future growth of the
city at heart, will think of these things.