The Newtown bee., 1879-12-31
kEWTOWN'S STAGNATlON.
"obgerver Answers "Progress.v

EDITOR BEE:-We trust you will give
us space to once again say something re-
lative to the above most important sub
iect. First of all we disciaim now, or at
any other time, any intention ito set
down aught in malice" Newtowns pros
perify in the present and future has been
the only motive that induced 10 to en-
deavor to show the readers of the BEE
the deplorable lack OF enterprise that ex
lists among our people; and with What
little outlay this state of things could be
remedied, Despite this the Oily infer
ence which can be drawn from the arti-
Gle by Is Progress, III your last issue, Is
that he finds fault with the plain truth
which is as manifest to him and all others
as 1t Ia to the present writer. Then what
is Newtowp to-day losing for want of
manufactures? Again, what has she lost
in the past? Simply, her population is
not one-third of what it would be. Her
real estate is worth far less than one
half of what it. would be if we had manu-
featuring industries in our midst. Let any
man look at what the population OF
the United States was forty years ago.
and what 1t is to-day; how little its
wealth and unexhaustible resources were
then developed, and we again ask, ii all
of America acted like NeWtONn, would IL
be what it is to-day? Newtowns popu-
lation in that period has actually de-
creased. Is it not well-known fact that
much--very much OF Newtown capital is
| invested i'll other, aye neiShhoring
towns, that possess within theirs borders
facilities that become Insignificant when
| compared with those which we abundant
| Iy possess. AS all this and much more
are self-evident facts-let us see what
| Progress has to say. lie says, that
| he, for one, honestly deprect. =, the
! spirit that some have shown towards this
laudable movement" To this sentiment
we cordially say AMEN. he goes on to
say, THAT no man can truly say that tho
| people of this town cannot and will not
| appreciate a good move for thetl inter-
est" Why, Mr.. Editor, 1t Is ridiculously
absurd to suppose they would not. Let
| capitalists come into NewtoTn, start u
! business, build up the town, and behold,
d" Progress says the people will appre-
! ciate it. Well, now, this Is really news,
| for which we can never cease TO be graz e.
full. Now really is not Progress aware
| that NeWtOWn has to-day less manu!aC-
tories than it possessed fifty years ago?
Is he not also aware that people have
come into town. and sought 10 purchase
! or rent building lot for Ii hat-ahop, and
| that neither could be bargainei for, ex-
| cept at price which would be the ruir
OF the purchaser Now Mr.. " Progress, !"
we have heard enough OF NewtoWns in
| terest in the development Of its manu-
! featuring advantages. Again we are ted
! that ''tne idea OF starting IL manufacture
| ing business is Il new one" Why, bless
you, not is as Old as the town itself
! OF which, Ii ii be necessary, We can fur
nish ample proof. Next, We are told,
Suppose thirty or forty Thousand dollars
| be raised" ON, no, onc-hAli, one-fourth
of forty would be sufficient. How prove
this? How much did Orrin Benedict
! have to start Il mnnufactory, which for
over quarter OF century has done one
Of the best paying business i'll C0nnecti-
! cutt Why We hay e been told he had only
one kettle to start with and We believe
the whole battery WIS not full for some
time, either. But it may bo said that
| Nu8 in our "grunufathefS days, and
what was practicable then IS impracticu-
| Die now. For the sake OF argument, We
| answer, be 1t so; but let US give all
other case which covers the question
conn lUteiy. The Comb Shop, OF Dau-
bury, 50 recently burned, started q few
years ago, and ne have Deen told that the
capital was not very extensive, Yet il
gave employ mtiIt, recently, 10 go hands.
| Lei US HIVE ouGh II hat o.lOp lii NeWtO"il,
anu does ii not suppose an Increase III
our population OF one Thousand souls
follow up the advantages this would COLI
fer ana really they would aStonioh amy
! person VINO has IOL wei considered lHlS
| matter. Next - Progress seems to think
that the people OF NeWtoWn would stand
alhtoL aL the dread OF Introducing so
many strangers into the town. Well,
really, tAis, TO say the least OF it, may be
characterized as childish. What! who
does not know that il Is such an element
as We are contemplating that are the
Uack-DUne-the lie and soul Ci any town
nat would DanDury, &orwalk, Bridge
port, New Haven, III one word, WHAT
| would America DC to-day, but for the in.
PRODUCTION Oh such ul Increase TO theil
pOpulatiOnt Why, Sir, it is this one tacl
principally that 10 enabling America tC
| De dflVlnS all other countries out OF the
world uIarketo, and caused her TO have
: become the W0rlG's grdnary! Strip hei
OF this III the future, anu what Will be-
come OF her vast and iueXhauotible states
and terriLOriesI They VIII become how.
ling wiiderncsses Alr. Editor, it is ONLY
people VINO have had little or no contag
t with the world, that are afraid of intro
ducing into their villages n strange eie
neilt of, IL IL be not tnls, intolerance o.
btgotry has warped their Judgments SO fa
: as to cause them to be Dllad to their Owl
, iatereots-anC that is blindness indeed
Progress next seems to think that out
, Siders will come to NeWtown unsOicite.
by the citiZens. 1t is seldom, nowadays
liidb SGAPAtoAlSl9 &1c 81 liberal, JllGS ~
I where special Inducements are held ou
to them, and, really, no one can blam
, them. s. Progress timely tells us tina
he merely wanted - to correct the unius
and erroneous impressions that has gon
out to the world that n 4wtown has no en-
terprise within its borders" Why doe
4 ne not eudeavor 10 show us that it has
: We simply affirm that it has not. and DO,
: throw the onas pro5aasdi on him will Ia
be equal to the emergency? We shai
j. wait, but beg to say that we are Il leetl
Il mite inclined to be skeptical. There ar
It perhaps few in or out OF town who esteer
q the BEE any more highly than ourselves
: and therefore willingly do we re-echo Lii
}. as we did the first sentiment Of "Pre
$ gress."
o 1t is better for the community at large
: that this matter be placed in its tru
: light, and hence our letter on this occt
g sion. II we only could entertain th
j. hope that NeWtown would make som
j. move in this business. then could we hav
> cheering hopes for the future OF old New
n town. Yours, etc,
:. OBSERVER.
= [OaIGINAL.l