Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-02-22
MISC ELLAMEoUs,
tFor the Spirit of Jefferson. ]
MANUFACTURES,

There have been several articles in late
numbers of the county newspapers advoca,
tlnS the establishing OF home manufactures
These articles have forcibly set forth the
resources, with which our Valley abounds
and have started the enquiry Shall we i'm,
prove our opportunities
In considering this subjcst, let us get ont
OF our proviucialism of thinking that we are
the par excellent Of creation, and take new
departure from the old notion that manufac>
tories are huge concerns having an unlimited
capital to fill up our waste places of public
wealth. Let us cease this mendicant crv for
foreign capital to be brought into our Val,
ley until We shall have shown a little of our
own energy directed in this channel. Ex>
perience has taught US that with rare exoen.
tons large manufactures cannot be imported.
they must DC grown IN the soil Of local sup>
port.
ln the good oiden times when the produce
OF th's Valley was wagoned to Alexandria,
and with corresponding circumstances of
trade 1t may have been all right for the
people oil this Valley to get the products of
the oy no means Insignificant local mauufao-
tories, and pay for them at their indefinite
convenience. There are some old ledpers
extant that show how busines 50 was transact,
ed IN those days. In these days of raiI>
roads, tetegraphs, &c, to get the products
OF manufactures, (whether humble or grand,
the principle is the same,) and not give an
equivalent In systematic way approxima
ting, ut least, that of banking, is downright
pecuiation. No community can now afford
to practice the old system. Let as in this
new departure be less concerned about those
tancied manufacturing schemes on a grand
scale furnished. by outside capitalists, and
learn that the most abundantly help ed peo-
pie are those that help themselves. We have
ample room to help ourselves Take. for
instance, cur local press. Pay promptly
your dues to the printer, and your subserip-
tion In advance, and you will be entitled
10 hrst class newspaper in return
Is an editor human2 Or can he write
sPflghtiy editorials with the mercury at
zero, the last of his fuel diving ont in
his office stove, and pressed with the anxiety
OF his not knowing if his delinquepts
will pay him enough in time to provide a
dinner for his family2 A successful local
press is an auxiliary of home manufactures.
sure indication of live people. and the
strongest inducement to outside capitalists to
invest 10 the county. Don't treat as ipsip,
nlheant any effort to establish a mandatory
however humble it may be at first: you can
nurse your complacency of knowing lust
how to do things on grend scale by listen
ing to the sneers of outsiders at your supine.
ness in net doing any thing. Last fall
candIdate for the highest Office in the gift of
the people of West Virginia in a political
speech at Gharlestowu, said ..You send
your hickory timber to Boston to be mann
factured into carriages, some of which are
sent back for you to buy" We with many
honorable cxceptons) do carry on this
wholesale destruction of our forests Of hicko-
ry and other timber in selling at nomina,
prices to tie agents of northern mnnufac.
turaTs, because we say We want money We
may happen to owe our home manufacturers
wheeiWrights. cabinet makers, &c j; there
lore they have to pay more and take an in
ferlor quality. These are the compliments
northern manufacturers, agents aud politi-
clans pay our improyidence, and chuekle
over our imbecility, so long as we or the
people OF any other section are tributary to
them, bat whenever valuable rough material
is shipped elsewhere than to them. their
tone is changed. Hear what late number
OF Ihe Manufacturer, published at Spring.
neid, Aass., says about walnut timber being
shipped from Indiana by rail through the
north, thehce by water to England. An ex.
tract will suffice:
"The business is one from which the
English are deriving much benefit at the
expense of the Western farmers. A corpo-
tien, composed of large number of wealthy
indianapolis men and English capitalists,
have established throughout the black wal
nut belt of the West numerous little saw
mills, which are kept constantly running ON
black walnut logs, turning out enormous
quantities of broad and thick slabs. The
business IS carried on in the form of greedy
raid, which threatens soon to denude tho
West of its splendid black walnut timber.
The slabs are sent away on cars and taken
directly to England, where they are largely
used by cabinet makers. The farmers seem
ts be unaware of the nature of the scheme.
for if they understood the Significance of 4