Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-02-26

several passages of which we esteem
worthy of quotation
So far as Cumberland herself Is con-
cerned, the sooner her people learn to de-
pend upon their own labors, their manu-
factuies and home industries, and take
the coal trade as small additional
quantum, the better it will be for her.
The time has come when Cumberland
should be like Pittsburg, take its coal
traffic as one of the small drops that tend
to make up our commercial business and
look to ether home products as the basis
on which to build up her trade and make
her prosperous. y Cumberland should
especially turn its attention to manufac'
lures, and to the encouragement OF home
industries. There is future for her in
dependent of the coal trade, and the sooner
her citizens learn that such product is
broken reed to lean upon, tue better 1t
will be for them. The coal is at our doors,
and we can supply the home demand re-
gardless of strikes by either side. Ii we
encourage such industries as are benefited
by the use of our coal, greater wealth will
accrue than if we depend on the coal it.
self, and thsre is certain to be less disap-
pointment. Shall we learn to depend on
ourselves
The JOURNAL has used similar ar
guments with our Frostburg people to
introduce institutions and enterprises
with q view to the elevation of our
business interests as far as practicable
above the chances and changes Of the
coal trade. AS summer resort of
established celebrity, for instance, we
could every year invite and obtain a
large moAey-tribute from abroad that
would go some length toward indem'
nifying losses sustained by failures in
other directions. Like Cumberland,
but not to the same extent perhaps,
we might erect factories, etc., and by
SO much relieve q large population
from the hazards Of total reliance up
on single industry.
The disposition to hang our all up
on the fortunes of the coal trade be-
speaks popular laziness and an IRA
tional faith in the issues of an estab-
lished uncertainty. The min srs, of
course, are Justified in so doing; SO
also the operators but the third par.
ty, holding q secondary interest in
the matter, ars not warranted in
trusting their entire welfare to ne
cessities and determinations beyond
their reach and control.
We could heartily hope the Times
lecture to the business people Of Cum
berland would avail something Of
early and substantial good. Its
words. "ftly spoken, like apples Of
gold in pictures of silver" should
have a place in every counting-rOom.
1t is time that towns and cities had
stopped relying altogether upon the
prosperity of some collateral interest,
incident, or element of growth. 1t is
high time, in fact, they were actively
employed prospecting for, multiplying
and developing new springs of bust
ness life, so that when one languishes
or fails others will remain to draw
from.
1t is the genius of business, as of
history, to reproduce itself in new and
yet newer embodiments. 1t is the
spirit of old-fogyism to watch, wait
and pirate of tides Of fortune that may
never rise. Few cities have grown to
metropolitan proportions by depend
ing upon some resource outside of their
own ability to seize and make use Of
advantages, just as comparatively
few people grow rich by standing
around, ready for nothing but to step
into some dead mans shoes.
The co companies appear to regard
men of certain force and inhexibility
of character as they would noble lions
al lor,a- NTH faorfp1 adpo;rat;on