The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-09-23
The Solid Prosperity of Towns.

Many persons, perhaps the ma
jority of those residing, owning
property, and engaged in bust
ness in rural towns and cities,
entertain fatally erroneous ideas
relative to the true basis Of their
rapid and permanent prosperity.
They seem to labor under the
unfortunate mistake of suppos-
ing that everything connected
with, and promoting, successful
human enterprise, depends eN-
clusively upon what they would
call the natural advantage, pos
sessed by them, either by position,
fertility of surrounding country
or other adventurous superiority,
without for an instant dreaming
that any united individual or
municipal effort must be persist
emily and strcnuously eXerted to
secure to themselves the full and
complete benefit of these God
given advantages. This appears
to be the happy state of self
complacency with which the for
tunate denizens of our beautiful
city contemplate the future
growth, population, wealth and
prosperity of Monroe. The truth
is, that infinitely more depends
upon adventurous circumstances
and the enterprise with which
the business men and citizens
generally create and force the
chances of commercial success.
There is no WILKINS Mocaarber
acaiting for success, but all united
ly and tremendously work to
create advantages and overcome
natural disadvantages. Hence,
great and prosperous cities and
commercial centres.
What greater discouragements
could any people have ever ell
countered and overcome than the
Hollanders, who had absolutely
to redeem their country from the
dominion of the sea and after
wards to make it the first and
most thrifty of all countries en-
gagged in commerce; in fact, the
cntrcpOt into which were poured
the riches Of the world? OF
course we refer to this illustrious
example of success, under uneX-
ampled disadvantages, only to
show that infinitely more depends
upon the spirit and indomitable
enterprise Of the people than up
on any real or supposed advan-
tages which the thoughtless, in
different and unthritty may pos
sess, but never use. No interior
town in the State possesses more
numerous and solid natural adj
vantages than the city of Mon
roe. Situated upon one of the
most beautiful naviSable streams
i'm the South, it has direct rail
road communication with the
east and north, and is envirOned
by Il country of unsurpassed fer
tility. Since the war the city
has seemed in many respects to|
awaken somewhat from the Grip
Van Winkle' sleep characterize
ing its previous history. But
still much is wanting to make it
what in point of thrift, enter
prise and prosperity it ought to-
be. This want can be supplied
only by the energy and foresight
of its citizens. Hitherto they
have been content to "Wait for
the wagon" and take what ben
efts they could from the bust
ness and exchanges of value of
the country surrounding it. But
the abolition of old forms of la
Dor and industry necessitates the
adoption of new plans to replace
them. Hereafter united individ-
ual and municipal enterprise
must play 4 more important role.
No town or city can hope to
sleep upon the secure possession
of natural advantages without,
upon awakening, finding itself
outstripped by its more enter
DriSin~ nciohbOrS. Local centres