The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-01

dnIeQ
There i one subject that We should
like TO see hammered upon by the state
Papers, Of all kinds aud sizes to-wlt,
The cultivation Of loca. Public spirited
ness. 1t Is our greatest lack as a state.
North Carolinians have a plenty, OF
''State Prlde we all do a deal OF
Dragging about our wonderful
and ADVANTAGES, and what Q nut
.'Pold FastiA better dog than Bragg.
We need ! ublic-spiritedress. nat
Is that? II i, the sentiment which teaches
the successful business men 10 put out
one dollar to bring IN two. 1t Is The
sentiment witch builds up ccmmunltie>,
~ eXrenliug hb.ral suns tDr good
i.3aiS. good ~rAvcuIeu,s. GOOD hotels,
good s.ho j.. good sidewalks. libraries.
,.sans. etc., winch * seuI ~ =
.,arhlv rt,a.d jcl ssli 81. pa, t!A
F, ,,~pu.ifoI. ts.r .4.se. ,t.r tut
the ahaucc n 81 uf.te THhiir
; >tarItcei1e-s CONSISTS III Ny.A.t.- To- -,
! good ~ the community even II no N
dividual profit IN dollars and cent, he
At first perceptible. .! course when
a community pro>pers ii. ot Il, citizens
share. according to thel. ability, IN the
same.
Public-spiritedness consists IN hang
ing together as a community. Look at
| Atlanta Look at Richmond At Nash
vile At ST. Louis At New Orleans
| These are almost the only Southern
cities which show real Pubic spiIlt
Meet an Atlanta man, and you Will hear
nothing but brags about the present and
the future success OF the town. why
sir,"-he will say-"we spend more
than one hundred thousand dollars a
year to advertise our CITY, and bring IN
settlers, and capital. and customers.
How do you do it, "Oh, we hang
together, and get up excursions, ami
offer big prizes, and do things on a lib
eral scale Last year we invited the
editors ofall the Western States to Wis
it our city as our guests then we had
otS Of crack military companies to visit
rs We got up big falgS We had BIZ
entertainments, &c. This year we had
Bern!art to play, and w spent 100000
IN getting UP this exposition, etc. And
what is the result Why, Of course,
the immense crowds which came from
time to time left immense sums OF
money, and helped our railroads, no
tells, SALOONS, and all other trades 1t
only needs a little iiberaliyy, and a good
deal of advertising to build up a sue
cessful city
Here was the truth. North Carolina,
apparently, has little of this spirit.
Durham shows more OF it than any
other place. If a Durham man writes
Or talks he Is sure to put Ill a word or
Two putting his town, and the leading
enterprises in it. There may be. Of
course, some rivalry between business
houses but all unite in helping to
build up the place. And as a conSe-
queuce, the town has grown from t to
1000 souls in 10 years.
How different in some other places
We can name two among our largest
towns which are SO distracted by %cliques
and rivalries that one half the business
men cannot name the other half with
out abusing them.
AS we write, our eye fall on the Eliza
beth City Falcon with another case IN
point. Some Northern capitalists built
a railroad from Norfolk to Elizabeth,
which at once began to swell her sails
before the freshening gale of prosper
ty. The Railroad men offered to build
their shops there, provided $40, 600
We're voted IN long term bonds. The
Shops would employ 500 men, and scat
ter several thousand dollars per week
among the tradesmen of the place.
Three elections were held on the sub
iect, and eath decided for the Shops,
but as there was a good deal of grumb-
linz OIL lalnr, Tho Poilr,aIor cot 70
work, and extended their road % miles
farther to Edenton, at the head of the
Sound, where they will erect the Shops,
and build up a rival city. Here was a
case where a little public spiritedness
would have been repaid many per cent.
Coming nearer home, our leading
towns, Raleigh, Charlotte, Whining
ton, Goldsboro, Greensboro, Asheville,
ETC., are just beginning to put off the
'pokeiness'' of ante bellum settle
ments.' Our trade has increased, By
natural growth; but very little from
public s~piritedness. What town at the
North, of the size and circumstances Of
Raleigh, THE State capltaD would have
such streets, such side walks, such
shabby signs, so little newspaper adver-
Using, SO few societies, no public IL
hrary, no !yceum, no place of resort ex-
cept the drinking saloons, or the stroll
ing shows, and tricksters at the hall?
And what efforts are made, what in
ducements offered, to draw trade to
Raleigh? Our business men are in
dividually wide awake, energetic, and
liberal: but in trade, every man is for
himself, and there is no concert of &C
ton, no united measures for building