Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1874-05-09
For the Free Press
The Charlestown Power Company

/ We have splendid location. Then why don
we prosper? lis because we lack few ener-
getic, philosophical citizens. lis because
we want few more to take hold aud push
/ The problem is-how can we acquire them
We cant raise them, for our children are born
afflicted with the dry rot The few young
men who manage TO rid themselves of this
hereditary disease, quit the village as soon as
they attain the age Of discretion and seek their
fortunes in some more enterprising place,
among a more enterprising people. Since we
can't grolC the men we need, we must import
them from places where they are produced
Il is with a view Of commencing the importa-
ton that we invite our neighborS to consider
a practical suggestion. To build mp the town
we must have factories But we have neither
the local capital available nor the enterprise to
start factory. We must Import both the cap
ita and the enterprise. To tempt capital to
come here we must offer some special induce
ment. Men Of large resources are not going
10 leave their ueishbOrS, friends and the many
surroundings, which are the accumulations of
years, 10 come and settle among strangerS-es-
pecially strangers who have the dry-rot and
who hold out no peculiar advantages, norshould
we depend on Car-Shops. Ii they are coming,
they will come Of their own accord--we can't
force them we can't bride them,-too many
other towns are bidding for them.
But there is class of producers 1.-THE most
desirable Of any, within our reach, young me-
chanics, who have saved up little money
working as ourueymeu and who want to start
business on their own account. In the great
manufacturing cities of the North we can find
almost any number of these, representing every
conceivable branch of industry; men Of enter
prise and capacity. who are able to buy the
machinery their respective trades require and
start themselves ia business. They will COM
p,ence in a small way, but will expand their
operations with marvellous rapility. An adj
vertisement in the Scientific american will
reach them. These are the men who build mp
cities who create wealth, aud who make a
community prosper We talked with one of
these men aud the conversation ran thus:
IWGQe Mm.-I wish we could induce me-
chanicS Ike You, 10 come and settein our
place and start manufactures.
llectaRic.-I. like many Of my friends, la
Dor under many Disadvantages IN the large
city where we live, aud we would gladly come
10 your town if we could only get started there.
Ii we could get started once, we could soon
increase our operations.
TUlgge Man-What will it require to start
you2
Meelanic.-I must rent an eighth Of an acre,
room 10 by 20 aud a Xx-horSe power. Al
ter about a year. will want more power
Could ! Get these things in Charlestown,
would 90 there At once, the many advantages
and facilities of your location would enable me
to enlarge my business rspidly,-I would grO'c
fast
Village Han Il don't understand what you
mean by renting power?
Mechanic i am in the hickory business
bny the timber as it comes out Of the forest
and manufacture it into spokeS, axc-hclveS,
handles. &c.-they are exported to Europe, and
vast quantities are sent to the West. You
have an abundance Of suitable timber
Village Nan Tell me your history.
Mcdaniel learned the trade in an extern
sive factory in a large city, passing through all
the grades from erraud- boy to Superintendent.
| saved up some money rented piece of
ground 10 by so adjoining Knife Factory,
from which rented my power aud began bus
iue>S on my own account.
VILLAGE MaR.-What rented power, 10
make axe-handles, from knife factory?
Mechanic. Certainly. I built my shaniy
next to the factory wall, aud they ran the
shaltng into my shop. That same shaitlng
went through my shop, crossed the street,
raised high enough 10 let wagons paSs) and
furnished power 70 work $50 hands in the op-
posite block The fact that was able to rent
my power, cnabled me to start, for that was
the chief expense. 1t would take man al
most lifetime to save enough from jour
ueymans wages TO buy power ! could ne
yer have started unless had been able % rent
it. / bought some machinery partly on cred
IL. and began small, only one hand besides
myself This was two years ago have made
money aud want 10 increase my business. !
am now able to work FIVE or six hands, but |
have not the room and can't get It where |
am. II could get the same start in your
place in a few years would be W, Tkiug 90 or
40 hands. Wood rent, &C., are so much
cheaper with you tat | could reduce the cost
of Sp1keS, &c, 80 per cent have friends IN
other trades similarly situated.
Village Mln-But there is no power to rent
in Charlestown. / understand now, what ne
yer occurred 70 me before, that if we had pow
er 20 rent we eould soon 6ud mechanics to work
it, Can't we get you and your friends to buy
the land and furnish your own power?
Mecb0Ric-There are several reasons why a
mechanic, Just commencing, will not buy land
aud locate permanently at the start. lSt. 1t
would take more capital than a man like am
able 90 commaud,-v few of us can do more
than start ourselves even when we find land
aud power for rent. 2nd. We don't want to
anchor ourselves among strangers until we see
plenty Of daylight before us. We don't want
10 take root until we are sure we are going to
grow. We may not suit your people and they
may not suit us Therefore, we prefer 10 keep
ourselves foot-looSe until we have Gscertained
bv experiment that the location will be mutu-
ally satisfactory, whereas, if we purchased land
aud made permanent Investments we would be
tied down Tor life Depend upouit. my friend
1t takes 4 bold man 70 @ suddenly into a
strange country aud Gtsten himself down for
life
Village Nqa.-But come and visit US
knock around among our people for month
or so, aud il sou like the country you can de-
eide to settle permanently.
Mechanic There Is where you fall into or
ror. The capital cl a man like ne, Is his lGJor
Eve got no time to knock about making ac-
QuaiutanceS can't afford 10 let my machi-
merry stand idle When take il down must
/ know where can put il up at once. Ii you
/ can reut me power aud little ground, To- pile
my timber. will quit here and, in thirty days,
will be shipping SpnkeS from your town. But
/ you may rely upon it, the class OF men you
want, don't have time, nor have they the in
clinatioD a. run over the cnuutrv conparino