The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-11-11
EXTENDING \ FEW DOILARS.
MONROE, LA., Nov. s, 1873

A~''' A>'sS' S"'"
1t is with individual enterprises
as it is with corporations as individ-
ual enterprises are built up and eN-
panded by judicious investment of
| money-not by sinking funds,-so are
towns and cities built up, improved
and rendered attractive to railroads,
trade, business and capital. True
| enough, individual enterprise does
much toward building up and improv-
| ing town, and increasing business,
work, &C.; but cannot neglect Of pub
lie matters, looking to the growth and
prosperity of town and its people,
cause depression detrimental to indi-
| vidual enterprise and labor: 1 ask
this question with direct reference to
our own little city, Mr.. Editor, and
shall submit one or two more. Why
have other towns, by many years the
junior Of Monroe, and but recently
sprung almost from wildernesses, with
| no better advantages of climate or loca-
ton, and now numbering their popula-
| ton by the tens and twenty thousand,
teeming with life, activity and pros
partly, distanced Monroe so far in the
race: There may be those who have
enough COR are there any such in our
midst?) who do not think that the
building up Of the town will benefit
them, or help to save what they have,
and there fore do not care whether the
town grows or not. But can the poor
man, the merchant, the mechanic, the
doctor, the lawyer or he of any occupa-
ton who has not, afford stagnation-
afford to idle ON the streets or in his
home for want of work and while his
little ones cry around him for bread >
e&< =
houses, and pay taxes upon them, and
not derive a revenue from them in the
shape of rents or sale? Is there any
money in it: DO taxes ever stop? If
business and work are not sufficiently
renumerative in volume, or otherwise,
to justify the paying of profitable rents
or to invite purchase, where does the
real estate owner stand? If the poor
man of any occupation is unwilling to
invest few dollars in the way of
taxes, to render their town inviting
| and attractive to trade, business, rail
roads, ETC., as well as for the comfort
and convenience of themselves and
families, where does the real estate
owner stand:
Again the question presents itself
to all classes, can we afford stagnation,
can we afford to be idle, not only rs in
this question from any stand point you
please and the answer is the same
No! Such is the writer's side Of the
question in regard to public improve
ments and from it he urges that the
erection of Il new courthouse, soon to
be begun, be not allowed to proceed
| without the erection simultaneously of
city market house. From this Il rev.
enue may be derived which can in
turn be used for the general good.
| We have a cemetery, the silent home
of loved ones gone, that is sadly in
need of attention. BY creating sources
of revenue, this and other things of a
public nature may be improved. II is
useless to waste time and breath on
the street corners about railroads,
trade, business and capital coming
here, if we do not do something to at
tract them and show that we have a
town that it will pay them RS we'll rs
ourselves to come to.
| 1t has been often said that our peo-
pie are too poor to do these things.
Have we been getting any richer by
the policy of tho past: If not, then
I why continue to pursue that policy ?
If a farmer continues to impoverish his
land and loose in the value and yield
of his crop by a given method of cult
Walton, is there any sense or gOOu JudS-
ment in continuing that method Of cul-
tivation? The poets, "Oh that for me
some home like this might smi1e' may
have had many response from the
hearts of those in our midst-and may
have many more, if the ways and
means to get them are not multiplied.
Now, can we not create them by pub
lie buildings from which all will de.
rive benefit: We pay no extra tax fol
a Courthouse; can we not stand a small
one for a market house : five can
attract competing lines of railroads to
our town will not freights be reduced:
Can the merchant not afford to sell his
goods lower and the people buy cheaper
the necessaries of life; and if the people
can buy as cheap at home, would they
be as likely to send their money
abroad, to build up and enrich other
places and people: The more none.
we keep at home, the more there viii
be for us all. =. b. NJ.
Mr.. James r. Anderson, to whom
Louisiana is indebted in part for being
known as the home of liars, was killed
at Eureka, Nevada, Il few days ago
f The Washington correspondent of TIN
| Pica plipvai Ds f,f tho fronhIp q