Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-01-05
COMMUNICATED.
THE PROPOSED NEW DE
PARTURE,

THE PROPOSED NEW DE
PARTURE.
After the close of the war, Their
were in our town, on both sides of tn
line, gentlemen Of enterprise, enIar
ged views, and cultivated taste, VIII,
believed that Bristol might be mad
something more than way-statiOn Oh
the line Of railroad for the trafc O
eggs, chickens, dried fruit. and for 70
pence ha-penny speculation. They be
Viewed the town might be made re-
spectacle, not only ia size, but in thu
character of its population and bust
ness, with patriotism, energy, love o
town, country and State, unsurpassed
anywhere in the South. Since the
war, hey set 10 work, building Church
Is, founding Colleges, Schools anC
Seminaries, erecting Foundries, Ma
chine Shops and Factories, aiding liz
the reconstruction of our railroads, re-
viving the defuDct railroad projects OF
the town, opening new and elegant
streets, and making the old ones pass
able. Under the guiding hand of these
public spirited citizens, our town has
sprung up as by magic. Monuments
to their wisdom rear their heads OH
every side, and to-day the town is con
sidered, abroad and at home, one of
the most enterprising OH the great
highway connecting the East with
| the South and West.
Nothing has contributed more to
the growth and prosperity of the town
than the breaking up of the land mo-
nopoly, which existed around about,
and IN our midst for so many years,
| contracting enterprise aud business
and rendering expansion impossible.
! During the existence OF this land mo
| nOpoly, 1t was next to impossible, for
men of moderate means to secure q
/ Home in our midst, and the town was
too small in every respect to attract
| capital--and there was no induce
| inents to people of wealth and leisure,
| to spiourn in the town, and spend
their money among US. Men of en-
terprise and small means, the bone
and sinvW OF every town, were driven
away by these land m0nopOlists, to
seek cheaper homes elsewhere Provt-
dence interpOsed and removed the
shackles from Bristol, and the VI isdOm
and pluck of the people, tore off the
manacles of GOodsnn. The breaking
up of this monopoly, inaugurated u
new era for the town, an era of eXpan-
sion, and OF consequence, property
Already Bristol has spread over the
waste of land TO English's Mill, and
beyond, and GoOdson has dotted over
with houses, the Johnston belt, which
had crushed out the life of the town
for 50 many years, by the power Of It's
embrace.
The land monopoly on the Bristol
side, having been broken up, and the
lana surrounding that side of the town
being placed OH the market, at rates
within the reach of the poor, as well
as the rich, the purchase OF the
Johnston land became necessary to the
self preservation of the GOodson side,
and but for the purchase of it by the
town, Bristol would to-day outnum-
Der GOodson in population, as two to
one, and our town would be nOws and
in the future, what brooklin is to New
York, Portsmouth to Norfolk, and
Manchester to Richmond, a mere APP
pandage. By the land purchase we
are as free to expand as Bristol, have
kept even pace With it in population
and business, and will be able to do 81
in the future, if we act as wisely as we
have in the past, This JohnstOn land
is now safe. 1t is in the hands of the
people of the torn, and 1t can never
become monopoly again to Cypress
them, unless in an evil hour they
shall be induced by the honied woIds
of our willy Spectators, t. turn it
over to them. After allowing for
streets of ample width, more than
enough of this land was sold to pay
the purchase mOEey. Some of the lots
sold, fell back on the hands of the Cor
poTation, because of a noncompliance
OF the purchasers With the terms of
sale. These lots, and from seven to
ten acres that was not sold, are on
hand, which will pay the Johnston
debt, and leave about acres net profit.
Of the lots sold, many of. them were
bought by poor people, at such rates
and on such time as will enable them
from their hard earnings, to pay for
for them people, who, but for the
Johnston purchase, never could have
secured home for their families in
Goodson. The land sold, aud the lots
on hand, exclusive of the square, will
more than pay the Johnston debt
what then will be done with the bal
ance. Shall it be held by the people,
and disposed of advantageOusly, at
reasonable rates, 10 its own worthy |
people, as they may become able TO |
buy a home, or to strangers who may |
wish to settle among us and add to our |
wealth and strength, or shall it be |
turned over in bulk to our hcartless |
spectators to be covered over by them |
with bawdy houses, and miserable |
shanties. and then held at prices for |
sale and rent. beyond the reach of la
boring men.
RELYING on the good sense of the |
neople of the town, / do not believe
they will hesitate in deciding between
The two propositions. Hold Oh to
YOUR land, il is yours now. Sell lot
an easy terms, whenever you can |,
thereby secure one of your hOuseless
citizens a home. Sell lot whenever
Dy so doing. you can induce worthy
,itizen to come from other parts aud
settle in your midst. Hold and sell on
ow Terms. whenever you can induce
he manufacturer TO come among you
~ 80 doing. for he viii afford employ
nent TO YOUR poor and needy, and.
.catter mory in your midst. But new
.r sell to the epeculator. He cares
,othinc about your interest or comfort.
5a expects by forcing a sale of this
and i'm these hard times, when tnere
; no demand for land, to get II LOT a
mere song, 70 make his interest on inc
Door. from the rent of the shanties ne
you'd erect on it, and eventually sell
I for three or four times the price ne
,aid for it. These same SPECTATORS
Who are trying to force a sale Of this