The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-21
Rolling on, Rolling Over, Rolling
o,,< weat but not Rolling In.

L
wrote the poet fifty years ago. What
would he think now twenty years
ago there was no such place as omana;
to-day it is larger than Any two cities III
North Carolina though one hundr
and ffty years of age. Twelve years
ago there were barren pralries that to-
day have as many people, as many
cities, as many railroads, etc, etc. as
North Carolina, the oldest settled por-
ton of America. Now, wherein rose
this shocking contrast!
Is It u cAnidteg
No! On the contrary, We have the
greatest possible advantage In that re-
spect. We have longer and cooler sum
mers; shorter and warmer winters,
plenty of rain. etc.
Is 1t our soil!
No! We have millions Of acres u
the richest loan. millions of acres still
ID virgin forest, millions of alluvia
lands. And We raise every crop Gated
for in the L. S. census report; and the
variety of our natural products exceeds
any other State of the Union.
Is u position?
NJ. certainly not! We are on the
Atlantic coast, within nine, twelve, and
fifteen hours ride of the four great sea-
ports of the Continent. We have three
great lines of Transportation, and ex-
ceptional advantages IN location.
ki cost of hUtng!
How can you ask, when it is known
that all manner of fruit Is Indigenous,
lands and rents are low, little clothing
is needed, compared with the heavy
outfit required by Northern winters,
and our buildings, fences, etc, cost less
than half so much
WU then, for Gracious gooduess,
uhat IS the reason tie Western .Stotes,
and euen Arkonsas and 1euus. tie re-
puted ''BdckUoods,' or worse, hnrr
gn,ncd more IN ten gears Mun North
Cuoiind IN half u century,!
Listen, then Immigration did it.
EMANCIPATION brought PEOPLE and they
each brought a little money, a little
muscle, a little energy, a little enter
prise These ''llttles' 500 combined,
and helped each other. The increase
of population increases the demand for
farmers produce, tor merchants goods,
or manufacturers skill. 1r IN re
churches. schools. railroads.. &C Thus
the State fills up and men Of enter
prise have Il chance TO succeed.
Now in North Carolina you have IA
thin population, conso gently your tar
mers cannot find much demand 70,
their crops and your merchants are
afraid to enlarge for they know they
cannot count on md"y new purchasers;
aud your land owners, owning thOus
ands OF acres that are not In cultivation,
are paying taxes on idle cdpttut (thus
using money which otherwise might 20
to start iactories); and In short, you
have one and a-half millions of people
running a State which out west would
have twenty millions. OF course, you
canuot keep up as good roads, churches,
schools, railroads, factories, etc, "a
those Western States, because out there
the burden is divided between tpenfy
men where in North Carolina it must
fall on one
Yes, Ise TINT! BIT ho,o ito those
Western States get the population?
GA well-now you come to bust
ness They work for Immigration,
write for it, talk for it, offer premiums
for it, and send men after it. Look
Right here on your own desk, is a
pamphlet. with 100 pictures, showing
Homes IN Tefas." Yonder on your
wal, is a beautiful Autograph of a farm
in Kansas. Go down to the Marlborough,
or any other North Carolina hotel, or
Railroad office, or saloon, and you will
find flaming placards, pictures, circu-
lars, tic. ,-enticlng ever your own
North Carolina people to leave you;
and come to live with them. And they
are doing it Why more people have
left North Carolina within three months
than have settled among you in a year.
Ah, weU! On people are Uuking
up. They haze been so Uict,mized en- tie
past, that u IS scarcely surprising they
hare grOtcn 0pothetic on many subjects
| grant all that. And | say nothing
of the Past. But how about the Pres
ent? Are they really waking up? Are
there really signs of life, and energy,
and enterprise among them? Do they
appreciate, and help to support papers
like the Farmer anil Mechanic, that are
battling to push the car of progress on
ward?
Well, to be candid, I'm afraid not.
| daresay every paper In North Carolina
would Increase Its patronage by omit
ting all such dry topics as Immigration,
Factories, new methods, Improved Az
r%iculture, etc We have many men IN
every community who realize the need,
and the benefit, of these things but
the masses do not!
Then, why do not your public-spirit-
ed and influential men set out to arouse
the people? Have you no such men
who could make appointments, say dur-
Ing court weeks, and address the public
on the necessity of earnest and cooper
ative action to develope your waste
places, and bring more population to
help you?
Oh yes,-we have plenty of such
gentlemen and some Of them are al
ready at work. President Battle. OF
the University, State G~eologist Kerr,
Col. L.. l. Polk, aud Gov. Jarvis him
self, have made speeches on such
topics.
So far, SO good but these speakers
were o6fcials, and the people take
their addresses almost as a matter OF
course. Why should not some of your
prominent men In private life show
their patriotism and State pride by
contributing at least one or two days in
the year to stirring up public senti-
ment? Why should not such gentle
men as Davis and S,eadman and Wad
dell and Clark, and Richardson anu
Dortch and Howard and Winston, Of
the East Fowle and Cox, and Merri-I
mon, and Fuller, Greene, and Graham,
and Cooke and Reade, in the Ceutre.
ScaIaS ana Sta.lo.a uA