The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-09-10
Manufactures.

may be ever so rich and fertile, and
its products be sought after in every
market, and command at all times
the best prices, yet things of themselves
are not sufficient to build up and enrich
the county town. True, it may give it
name abroad, and aid in building it up,
but it requires more than this ia these
latter days of progress to build up pros
porous towns and cities. One great reas
son why Bolivar, and other towns in
Tennessee, and in fact in the entire
South, have remained so far IN the back
ground is, that they have relied almost
wholly and exclusively upon the trade of
the country surrounding them to keep
them alive. Now this is a mistaken if
not suicidal notion. No city or town
can ever attain to any great degree Of
prominence or prosperity that does not
rely mainly upon its own resources.
There must be something outside and
beyond the trade of the county to keep
up town OF it will inevitably languish
and die. Especially is this the case where
the trade of the county is split up and
divided between different localities. If
trade could be massed at single point,
the result might be somewhat different,
but as this is simply an impossibility, we
shall not stop to consider it. To pros
per, towns as we'll as States and indi-
viduals, must produce more than they
consume. This is truth that the peo
pie of the South seem slow to learn, yet
it is the foundation stone of State and
National prosperity. Then, to be brief,
and bring this matter home, what docs
Bolivar producer We chronicle the fact
with regret, yet truth demands the an
swer: Nothingr'
While it is true that HaFdeman county
is rich in soil and in all the productions
that go to make up prosperous COM
munity, yet all this does not and never
will enrich the town of Bolivar. We
all feel just pride in our county, and
glory in her prosperity, but we must
look beyond this if we expect to keep
pace with the times and thesgrowing
| towns of other States And just here
we can see in our imagination, some
" old fogy" holding up his hands in
holy horror, and asking, What can
| the people of Bolivar do to make her
any more prosperous than she is p
Well, old fossil, they can do many things
if they only had the energy and the will
to do them. Why, the farmers of Harde
man county send abroad for all the
wagons and plows and agricultural i'm
| plements that they use. Send out of the
county thousands of dollars for these
necessary and indispensable articles.
Now, if Bolivar had a few live men who
| felt an interest in her welfare, and who
desired to build up and enrich her, they
might organize a company here and
manufacture all these things at home
We have plenty of timber and could
manufacture both pioWs and wagons
great deal cheaper, and q Thousand per
cent. better than those we are at present
compelled to import. Then why not do
it, and retain all this money of home
But this Is not all How many thou =
sands of dollars do you suppose are sent
abroad yearly for furniture alone We
have no means of computing the amount
accurately, yet we hazard nothing in
saying that the amount reaches many
thousands of dollars. Now We ought
to manufacture our household furniture
here at home, instead of sending to Gin
cinnati, Louisville or Memphis. Thus
you see we could save many thousands
more. And it ia by saving all these
thousands of dollars. and by promoting
home industry, that propose to make
Bolivar Independent and prosperous.
We have neither the time or the space,
even had we the inclination, to enter
into any lengthy discussion to show that
manufactures give life and vitality and
wealth to any town that fosters them.
Evidences of this fact ere to be found
all over the land. Thousands of pros
porous and growing towns attest it.
1t is time that our people had thrown
of the Rip Van Wrinkle sleep that has so
long held them in its embrace. We have
been hewers of wood and drawers of
water long enough. 1t is time that we
asserted our manhood and our indepen-
dence. For long years we have been
paying tribute to other sections to the
infinite detriment ard damage of our
own. 1t is time to call halt. We have
aided in building up and enriching other
sections. while We ourselves have grow 4
poorer and poorer with each succeeding
year. We have been as helpless az
babes, dependent upon others for our
very sustenance. But thank Heaven we
have learned something in the last thres
years, and if the lesson is not forgot
ten We may hope for better things in tbs
future.
Let eur people think of the sugges
l tons We have made, and if satisfied that
} We are correct in our conclusions, lei
them act promptly.