Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-12-22

massive railway trains, whlstling with
lightning speed, through every valley
in the land, and scaling the very noun
tain SUBMITS, freighted with the rich
products of human skill and industry
The farmer sowing his seed, or lrrlga-
ing the soil. The manufacturer, project
ing his costly fabric, the mechanic erect
ting the stately palace, the churches, the
schools, the coloss of fortunes spent in
annihilating time and space, and IN re-
cording the triumphs of science and
then you query, what meaneth all this
Every enterprise, every effort, every
failure, and every triumph, originates
IN the necessities of the human race, and
has for its object, the supplying of hu-
man wants. These are the great incen-
tives to human action, the great stimu-
lants to human triumphs, without these
the hum of business ceases, silence sue
ceeds, chaos 'reigns, and civilization re-
lapses into barbarism.
As human wants increase with high
er civilization, so increases our CONNER
cial advantages, and as these demands
diminish so diminishes our commercial
prosperity. Population is wealth, since
all enterprise, skill, activity and energy,
originate in the wants, and necessities
ofpopulation.
The first duty, then of every commu-
nifty is to promote the elements of its
material prosperity. This is to retain
its own population, and literally to en-
courage accretion from other popula-
tions. Why shall the hardy, the active,
the energetic and enterprising young
men of our own country be compelled
to take up their march westward, and
endure the hardships of the pioneer set
| tlement, while under Our very feet, here
in our ewn Belmont County, are the ele-
ments of untold wealth. Why, with a
soil capable of supporting a quadruple
| population, are we, by lack of public
spirit and enterprise, driving away by
the thousand, the sturdy, the active and
enterprising OF our own land. 1t is De-
cause, we have, unfortunately, Inherited
spirit which has blinded US to our own
best interests, which has hidden from
our view, the grandeur and greatness of
| the heritage which God has given u.s.
The genuine spirit of progress cannot be
fettered by the tardy wheels of by-gone
ages; now, when he world goes by
steam, and by lightning, when fort
night will suffice to make the circle of
the Globe, and when over our toast and
coffee, we read in the mornings news,
Of the victories of King William, while
yet the thunders of the artillery are re-
verberating amid the vine-clad hills of
France we must not be surprised that
the ardent American youth, will not
heed the mandate of by-gone days,
'Do as your Fathers did," and be con-
tent to carry the salt for his mush, upon
a mule and pack-saddle, when with the
speed of a bird upon the wing-by the
power of steam, he can scale the summit
of the mountain which looks down
upon the clouds.
The real man of enterprise can never
be plodder, he cannot wait upon the
plodder whose motto is, $50 slow.
lmbued with the true spirit of progress
he says, come. These are the men of
mark, and can only be retained, by af-
fording an ample field, and such facili-
ties, for effort, as will insure such re-
ward, as. superior skill and enterprise
will always command, and only by af-
fording such facilities can you offer in
ducements TO others to come and aid in
developing your resources, and with his
own, advancing your interests. The
business man is always awake, and,
alive 10 his own interests, he looks al
ways to that point, which will best in
sure him success. Capital also is always
keenly sensitive, and seeks investment
in that locality and business, which will
be certain to bring the quickest and best
return. The retention of men of enter
prise, the retention of capital, as well as
the bringing of others to your aid, de-
pends upon the facilities you adopt, the
inducements you offer, and upon these
depends much your material prosperi-
ty-within the limits of your own COM
munity.
Again, proceeding on this principle,
your prosperity depends upon your
nearness of contact with the great cen-
tiers of population and commerce, with
your great maratime cities. These are
the highways of the nations, the chan
nels through which passes the commerce
of the world, the conduits through
which flow national wealth. Establish
ing channels flowing into these great
national arteries, the very pulsations of
this great system will reciprocate your
efforts, and there will flow back to you
much of the vitalizing influences of the
worlds commerce. The great cities are
the emporiums of trade and Wealth.
To insure prosperity your communica-
ton with these must be direct Your
commercial transactions are regulated
upon the principle of supply and de-
mand but how can we avail ourselves
of the demand, unless we have the facil-
tiles for sending in the supply-nor will
these facilities come unbiGden to our
aid. We must help ourselves, and in
woke the aid of all who. desire the good |
of the country.
Are we materially able to accomplish
this work Ianswer, fully, if we have
but the will. These enduring enterpri-
ses in their intlueHce a.e like the pebble
cast upon the CLASSY surfire Of the lake.
The waves, though less and less, still
reach the farther shore, so are these ben
efits diffused, that all partake more OF
less of the common good.
But of our capabilities-we speak of
the construction of road, forty miles
in length. Suppose the benefits result
ing from the construction shall be con-
fined to a limit of five miles on either
side of the proposed improvement. 1t
is estimated that ten thousand dollars
per mile will construct the road bed
suppose we shall add to this so per cent.
making 1900 dollars per mile. Within
the limits we have 40 miles in length and
ten miles in breadth, or about 400 square
miles, six hundred and forty acres to the
mile makes 256, 900 acres. The minimum
average value per acre, of this land is
$50, which makes an aggregate Of 12,-
100000, the value of the land. Add to
this twenty-five per cent as the value of
the personal estate, and we have within
these limits, sixteen millions of dollars