The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1868-11-21
Town Talk.


Our location is healthy, river and rail
road advantages good, and back country
unsurpassed in richness and fertility, and
everything would demand prosperou:
town at this place The very fact that
the town has existed, doing large blu
-.siness.- ihrough-Inauya years OF mlsfor-
time, caused by fires, food, and war,
aided by the jars of rival interest and
the ilIiberal spirit ofmany property own
crs, is proof evident of the absolute
necessity for town at this point. Since
the war. Hickman has improved greatly,
substantially. permanently; but in al
most every instance necessity has forced
the improvement, that is they were made
independent Of any encouragement of
fered by property owners. Possibly,
there has been towns which grew into
cities solely by reason of their location
and natural advantages, but it was before
this day of railroads, and telegraphs,
and newspapers, when trade is directed
from one point to another in thousand
different ways Ten years ago Hickman
would scarcely recognize Paducah as a
rival, and now the positions are reversed.
The enterprise and public spirit of Pa
ducah business men and property owners
have changed that little steamboat land
ing Of 1886 TO a fourishing and prom
isine young city of 5000 or 10000 pop
nIation. These facts address themselves
20 every citizen of Hickman--especially
10 every owner of property We must
have more enterprise-more public spir-
IL. Do the owners Of town lots see no
incentive to action in the yearly depre-
citation Of their property in value? The
great bane of Hickman has been that
its future has always appeared so encour-
aging that parties have bought and held
unimproyed town lots on speculation
but tits now patent trath that unless "a
change of policy is inaugurated, all will
be losers.
Some method must be adopted to in
duce population and trade, or our town
VIII continue re ILL., Is"esI'-
along unremunerativc to any. Our citl-
zens instead of acting altogether for indi-
vidual gain, must cultivate public spir-
it and work together for the prosperity
of our town aud community.
These measures must be inaugurated
and sustained by actual property hol-
dera. Many enterprises have been sug-
eested in this community and failed,
simply because the really interested par
ties declined to assist and the projects
have Afterwards been laughed at as Wis
ionary by the very men who would have
been mostly benefited, and who should
lave sustained them. These are facts
and citizens need ouly look to tile value
Of their property for proof Have not
cur lessons in selfshuess been sufficient
~ bitter? Some Of our enterprising
men have beer derided by property own
ers. and denomiuated enthusiasts and
visionary meu-because their efforts for
the public good have not succeeded, but
the property owners however much he
may deride IS the greatest loser by their
noD-success.
\ new policy must be inausurated,
and it must lie done by the owners of
property. Their salvation depends on
it. Nature, and an Industrious people
are willing to help them. We must have
population aud that can be obtained by
our property owners uniting, and offer
lug proper inducements to people to come
amongst US and stag with us.
Several instances have occurred direct
iv under our own observation where me-
chanics. and men Of small means, who
had saved up several hundred dollar:
surplus, would have built dwelling hou-
o.. t-.,..-s 80. ,'-~;- -~ives md children
had it not cost their ready money to buy
The lot. Could they have bought lots OF
long time used their ready money to-
wards improving the same, they would
have become permanent citizens, identifi
cd with us in interest, and an active, work
ipg capital to the town. Would notShC
lot owner directly be greater gamer
drawing his annual installments, than BY
letting his lots remain vacant, paying
heavy taxes, with only the hope in the
future Of. obtaining $500 or $1,000 down
cash forit.
Everybody knows that had this policy
been adopted, acted upon, and published
20 the world, hundreds Of houses would
have been erected here where there has
not been one.
Men of small means. mechanics, arti-
sans workingmcn, are the men we want
and can induce. One Of these "small
builders is worth more to community
than a man Of five times his means who
refuses TO make any improvements The
first is one of us-a citizen-permanent-
~ Unidentified with US in interest, and
stays with US through sunshine and
storm. while The other is speeulator
..on the make, and picks up his traps
and leaves at the first i'll wind. The first
deserves our encouragement, while the
other should be iunde to pay for their
venture.