South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-12-23
Ola limos, and New Tines, in
the South.

Il
and plodding-runninp along with
ieisurely dignity III the well-worn
grooves that had been deepened but
not widensd as generation after gen.
Grafton had gone on, and on, in them.
ihe new times in tho South are
brisker and brighter They have
jumped out of the old grooves; and.
with the aid OF new lights before
them as well rs behind them, they
are bowling ahead on roads of broader
gauge than those that are marked by
the mossy sign.posts OF the past
The Old South Is young again and
she Is lusty, energetic, and earnest
under the glow OF the inspiriting in.
huenees that have brought about her
rejuvenation.
There Is new era in these south.
ern States OF ours, but it is not i'm the
South alone; for there is new era
IN the worlds development and des
tiny. The Railroad, attended by the
telegraph as a servitor, has been the
great revolutlonist everywhere. And
It's wonderful work of revolution is
now reaching stage in its progress
that Causes an excited and expectaut
public IN all civilized lands to stand
ON tiptoe, looking forward and asking
with credulous confidence, What Is
coming next? This revolutiopist
brings togcther.widely separated Sec
tons. 1t does away with mountains
as barriers By running over them or
through them. 1t throws bridges y.
cross rivers and trestles across clasfas.
1t cuts down tho forests, and makes
Stats for It's bed ont OF the trunks of
the trees. 1t develops mines. 1t en-.
larges agriculture. 1t increases com,
merce and manufactures. 1t utilizes
every thing that is capable of being
made useful. In fact, it seems TO Ina
great lever i'll hands higher than
the mere human hands by which il is
directly welded, to work out tho
great destiny of man OH Garth, so far
as 1t can be worked out through the
agency of an intelligent employment
OF all the physical forces aud material
elements that make the mills to grind
and the grist to be ground, for the
qualification of the wants and wishes
OF man in his highest condition of en-.
iiShtenment. progress, g. power. In
all this development of tho inherent
resources OF the world, regarded in,
Its physical aspecta, the South has
been behind the North because hav-
ing been q slavo-holding country she
has necessarily been an agricultural
country; and being an agricultural
country her people had neither'the ne.
cesslties, the occasions, nor the oppor-
tunitles for railroads, neither for the
great industrial results following in
The wake OF railroads, which have
been go marked in the North as TO
have made her energy and her enter.
prise appear moro as distinctive ma
tural characteristics of her people. in
contrast with the southern PEOPLE.
then as evidences of different sys.
tenn OF industrial economy, deriving
its difference from the presence OF
slavery here and tho absence of sin.
very there. The North held ont her
hand to give greeting to tho railroad
revolutionist more invitlnaly than the
South, because, being less of an agri
cultural country and more of mann.
featuring country, she was more in
need OF railroads than the South. In
this section the people looked to the
products of the pillow for their fortunes
In that section they looked to the
products of machinery. Here little
attention was bestowed upon geology
aud mineralogy. There science was
directed with energy and intelligence
to an ascertainment of the presence
and extent Of mineral wealth. with n
view to its development and utiliza.
ton. In the South it is all greatly
changed now. Agriculture il is true
10 still the broad basis here. az else.
where, upon which all the other in
dustries must rest bat the pIow is
no longer the monopoIist among the
men OF energy and aspiration for
riches in the South. There il not
only a new spirit among our people.
but there are new thoughts, new theo-
ries new methods among them. and
new objective points, too, to which
their energies arc directed. Mining
Is becoming very conspicuous Eea-
ture IN southern industries and man.
ufacturing is every day growing in
favor. Northorh capital is pouring
into our territory, aud foreign capital
is finding its way here at last. Rail.
roads are running in every direction.
and progress and prosperity are crop.
ping ont everywhere behind them
and around them.
The old times, and new times in
the South, are presenting in strikin .
antithesis. The old times are erns
baimed in the history Of the pas, she
new times are making a great history
Tor the future to look back unon
Richmond Industrial South.