The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-28
A Hint for Railroad Officers and
Our People Generally.
FoRT WAYNE. ND.
Feb. Goth 1873.

49, -tAi =.
HuN. 4. Is. VANCE.
GOc. North Carolina. Rdicigh, y. q.
DEAR SRA short time ago. | threw
out, "a it were, like dread upon the
waters" a few lines written on a postal
ard (many. many thanks to our gov
eminent for the great favor Of cheap
postage and it returned to me IN the
form of a very kind letter from Rev.
Mark $. Gross, OF st. Thomas church,
Wilmington. III which he says among
other interesting things that he had
honored me by sending my card TO
your Excellency. This again seemed
to have led you to forward me several
numbers Of your excellent paper, the
FARMER AND MECHANIC, in which |
found reading matter that Interested
me very much indeed. Please accept
my sincere thanks for the same and be
assured that the favor is not only duly
tant future to make some returns for
your kindness. All this shows what
a simple little postal card may 90 in
the way of advertising and there is III
it too, a very useful lesson. In fact
advertising, wisely and judiciously
managed, has now become essential
to the success of any enterprise. No,
not ever a State or nation an eepup
with the mighty progress Of the age
without 1t, and / have always been of
the opinion that if the North and South
mad been brought closer together by
direct CommunlCation-had knoicH oQcit
other better there would have been no
war Even now see by the map that
there is no y to visit your State eX-
cept by Il very circu{t0aS route. There
IS only about % mites of road to make
from Morganton in your State to tile
Il. L. x V. IL. Il. and then the compile
tion of the Cincinnati Southern would
make a direct line from here. I~realiy
wish it were now completed and |
would get up an excursion to your fine
genial climate. Gun people here are
getting very tired Of our long tedious
winters and are talking seriously Of
going South. y very large emigration
is pouring into Kansas, Arkansas and
Texas, but / tell them that southeast
is d far better country to go To than
the southwest. No border ruilians, no
long continued droughts, no northern
biizzards, no grasshoppers, no scarcity
Of fuel, timber, coal &c. &c. &c.
The mann thing which has given to
the southwest the start and control of
emigration is the yanhee genius Of ad-
CeFttSt1.y and their cAedp rates 81 t'acet.
Itmakcs a big difference to a man when
he looks about him for a trip of inspec-
ton whether he pays p cts a mile or
D cts Il mile. In tact there are half a
dozen agents here who haveJ free passes
Oh al the roads, southwest and besides
they always deduct the X. K. fair when
Il sale Is effected. Nothing would tend
50 much to draw immigration to your
State as u liberal spirit on the part of
the railroads and L make Tree to sug-
geot further that ii some inducement
could be held out to our people here
in that direction (nainely cheap fares
L believe / could send you some first
class citizens TO buy your lands
or invest III some other pursuits.
More especially because you have
adopted u most excellent plan of con-
trolling the sale thereof and thus
preventing imposition as to title and
representations.
| had not intended 10 write you SO
long a a letter but | take such a deep
interest in this subject that when ] get
started it is hard to tell when l viii
stop. l hope L have not fatigued you
and would feel myself very highly
honoreu to write you or your distin-
guiShed Commissioner l.. l.. Polk d
few lines from time TO time. Iourpeo-
pie, | see, must have reached :" bed
long ago, while up North here
have not yet touched hard pan"
| judge this by the fact that your taxes
are a fraction less than 80 cents on the
800 valuation, while ours are S1.21.
Besides this We have a city tax of
Sl.05 on the 500 valuation and a debt
besides OF over 5000. coo.
With the most profound respect |
beg leave to sign myself your Excel
humble servant.
WM. B. WALTER.