The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-01-21

= Here IL an article worth reading ,and
so which will apply to more towns and
IN communities that we know Of than
of the one for which it was especially
J, written, Do. many Of our readers
= know Of any such place not a thous-
and miles from Home Ed. News
There is nothing that helps a place
along so. rapidly as a proper exhibi-
ton of public spirit on the part Of its
/ citizens-especiaIly Of that portion of
them who, from their wealth or the
magnitude of their business ., opera
tions, are in a position to make their
influence felt for good or i'll in the
community. A man may be born,
grow up, pass through life and die in
a place, and yet that place never re-
lceive one particle ofbeneft from him
He might as well mover have lived.
A turhip or a cabbage would exert
just as favorable an influence on the
public mind as he does. He exists,
| .breathes, vegetates- makes money,
perhaps, invests it where it viii pay
the best-and dies at last, and leaves
his wealth, and that is all, to remind
any one that he ever lived. He did
nothing to help build up the place he
called his home, be suggested no i'm
prO7ements, nor made any himself,
and only thought how he could add
dollar to his bank account, or make
This investmontsipay better lthanz they
had done before. 53lsy4- -ea or
j On the other hand, there are men
who realize that life is given for some
better purpose than the mere hoard
ing ofmonly. They believe that they
have bublieras weltas private, duties
to7perIorm, aud portion, atlleast Of
7 the wealth0 which they accumulate,
belongs, in soRe sense, EO.tbe commu
; nifty among whom it is accumulated al
With this endIin'view, they seek IN
avestmeBtsi at home instead of going
abroad: they purchase land and im-l
prove it, they erect dwelling houses
and thus encourage Immigration FROM
.other places they enlarge their own
q business as fast as good Judgment
would seem to dietate5 and give en- /
tplOYment to as many mechanics as
spossible; they encourage others to en-
large their operations by loaning them
means or furnishing inereased accom- /
mOdations in the way Of buildings or
machinery. In these and many 9TH /
er ways theycontribute to the growth /
and prosperity of the community Of
which they form a part. They give
literally in aid of the charitable and !
and religious organizations of the
place, and do it cheerfully, as though /
it were a pleasure. rather than a mere
duty. Such men are blessing in the /
community. Their influence is like
that oTthe sun and rain upon vege-
tation. Every thing seems to smile
all about them; their path is marked |
with beauty, and flowers seem to
spring up beneath. their very feet.
And the influence of such men is I
not confined merely to what they do.
themselves. Man is ain initiative
creature. He is always seeking for
models, and apt to follow them, be
they good or bad. GeDufne original
men are scarce. Therefore he who
sets good example not only benefits
/ his race by what good he does himself, 1
but hestimulatos others to do good
likewise, and the influence thus set
in motion goes on extending until It'll
eOmpasses the whole earth, perhaps.
No man can tell when or where his
influence will end, nor what form it
will eventually put on. Now a pub
lie spirited man becomes a motive
power, to propel those around him
who are capable of any motion at all (
Some men are not. They are born to
fill small circle, and they cannot fill |
a large one. Public spirit is not to !
be expected of such. They are mile 4
stones on the road to point the way
they never Travelled themselves. Thus
they serve their purpose, doubtless,
but their position is not TO be envied
by live men, who have higher ideas K
of life. We have known some such
men, of whom. it may. be said they
are fifty years behind the age. They
are contented in the possession of per-. {
sOnal comfort and case3 their thoughts {
are never troubled TabOuL1publie aim- !
provemeuts, except it be the fear that
they may be taxed to pay for them
What was good enough for their faith
ers is good enough for them.
One can conceive what a place q
would be if entirely controlled byIa
such men-a Sleepy Hollow kind of
paradise, devoted to the past, un-
troubled about the present, and never
even dreaming efthe future. Ifsuch
men ruled the world, always, tele-
graphs and labor-saving machines
would be unknown, and would event i.
ually relapse into barbarism. In
1t is u duty men owe to themselves r
and their fellow men to encourage a \
liberal spirit Itis the Oppo-I 81
uent of selfshness, enlRrges the heart, y
and makes the world better and more .
fit for the residence of beings With
souls. 1t increases the great sum of
human happiness, and promotes the
best good of the community and the n
world. A public spirited man is gen \
orally safe guide to follow in matters y
the temporal as well as spiff n
itual good of the human race.-TLynA /.
Mass } Reporter. 4
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