The Cairo evening bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1868-1870, 1869-04-28
CAIRO.
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A Suggestion on shs Subject efsesds a.A


r1 y gffi5 Cairo. III, April ~, 1900
Dear Bulletin: While systematized
efforts are being made to gather to our
city the fruits Of the commerce and pro-
ductions of the peighboring states, we
are clothed about with . singular and
unaccountable apathy In regard to our
own people, and the inhsbltants Of our
own county; and this very negligence
works to our disadvantage and cripples
all our efforts for distant trade.
The old and true saying, ga child
must first crawl, then walk, then rum"
is not more true than that q city must
first peddle, then retail. and then whole
sale; and when you show me, since
Adam, O man who jumped the two first
stages, will show you city which
never was hamlet, nor q town, but
sprang full Of life and yigor from the
primeval forests or the broad praries.
We. Of Cairo, are not satisfied to take
our lettering way through the first stage,
and gain strength, experience and i'm
portance I'm the second; but boldly rush
from the first and make desperate ef-
fort to overleap the medium stage, and
go forward with the giants, when back
we fall and have TO begin again the first
pilgrimage.
We are now nearing the end Of the
first stage, and let the past learn US that
tits far better to take the second and i'm
prove 1t to our future advantage, than to
again make the headlong rush. Let the
wreck of the past, strewed around us,
serve as monitors and guides for the fu-
ture.
Let us learn to be city Of good retail
merchants and manufacturers, before we
again make the effort to be Wholesale.
Let US walk carefully until We stand
firm and erect, and by gentle increase
Of speed, rs our experience teaches US
we may safely indulge, we soon will
be going at q velocity alike surprising to
ourselves and the world. Let US build
up in our midst the retail market, and
then extend our stakes and lengthen
our lines, until we find ourselves .
wholesale city, with strength OF head
and purse to maintain our dignity. 4
We have had manufactures start I'M
der favorable auspices, and they failed,
and merchants open their doors and
cheerfully aud hopefully cast their lot
with us, when, after years Of heart sick
ness for hope deferred, they close and
seek, with crushed hopes and shattered.
fortunes, another habitation.
Now for all this there mus. be q rea-
son, and u Is for the people who are In
Cairo and have cast their lot with her.
through the public press TO express their
opinion freely, and, In the end, the real
cause will 10 discovered and must be
remedied. ItIr ffF90 Cffs FiI
EOur general commerce IL swelling to
grand proportions, and for months OF
the year all are busy; butir In the peri.
odical flow which runs in confined chan.
nels and sweeps resistlessly by and
leaves all as before. What We need
is the constant, daily sprinkling Of
commerce, which keeps, like the dews,
the vegetation constantly growing; and
not like the foods to-day and scoroh-
ing sun tomorrow.
With our system Of railroads flushed,
we will have for foreign commerce, every
advantage; and now let us turn our at
tention TO the immediate neighborhood,
remembering that Q country Is great In
proportion to the msgnihcence Of her
public works; and while she Ii progress
Ing In these, she II on the highway 70
eminence aud renown.
II Cairo IL to attain the grand future
we hope for her, there must be systematic
and continuous efforts, all tending to the
one great end. II we are to build .
grand commercial city here, We must
make II possible for people to get here TO
purchase and sell, and In due proportion
as We cheaper and make easy the COM
munication, we invite and bring to our
marts the commerce we need. And the
first thing to be done is'for our county
court TO employ some competent and
reliable engineer and, with him, devise
system Of public highways, with plans
and specifications that will reach to all
portions Of our county, and keep them
permanently at the clerks ONCE, and al
low any portion Of the county to have
free and full benefit Of the laws to be
passed.
Iwould suggest that an act Of the legis-
lature be had which will allow the county
to make the following as rule Of action
concerning public highways:
Whenever one mile or more OF any
public road In the county Of Alexander
shall be graded, bridged or macadsmized
according to specifications for that pur-
porse, adopted by the court and now In
the hands OF the road supervisors of said