Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-02-24
Have We Any Live Men in Our
Community ?

The remark is often made that New
town has not made any material pro-
gress for many years, and the question
is often asked why it has not kept and
is not now keeping pace with other
towns in population and prosperity ?
The reply to this question and to the
remark above is very obvious. Our
citizens are all dead, DEAD-they are
merely aOalksng around to save tatnerat
expenses. We are sorry to admit the
fact that, while in most other towns
there is disposition on the part of
the citizens to build up the town, in
Stephens City there is no zeal what
ever manifested in that direction
There is no reason in the world why
a town that can with population of
only FIVE or six hundred support six
or seven stores, cannot support other
industries. There is not town with
in the State more favorably situated,
lying, as it does, in the most fertile
portion of the Valley, within a region
of country which may be well called
the garden spot of the United States !;
in climate, it is not surpassed by any
other portion within a stones throw
of the Valley Branch of thu B. g. O.
R. R.; surrounded by beautiful and
productive farms, there is no reason
why we should not see the glow Of the
furnace and hear the hum of the man
utacturing establishments from one
end Of the town to the other. 1t
would be mutually beneficial to the
community and the manufacturers
Manufacturers like to invest where
labor and the cost Of supporting it are
cheap, and there is no place within
our knowledge that offers as many in
ducements in both respects as our lit
tie town. Provisions are plentiful
and cheap, and we have plenty of sur
plus labor. 1t would furnish employ
ment to the young men of our town,
and they, instead of spending their
time unproftably by idling it away,
might be making hundreds of dollars
and laying the foundations for for
tune. Our citizens have not the right
kind of energy to make town pros
porous. Why not have within our
midst large paper mills, shoe factories,
tanneries, canning establishments, fur
naces, Touring mills, and all other es-
adjustments that make town and
community prosperous? There is suf-
fcient produce raised in the country
and brought to Stephens City for
transportation to Justify the building
of a large warehouse. This would
Immediately cause an increase of the
business of the place by bringing men
here with their commodities who would
otherwise carry them elsewhere for
sale or transportation. Taking all
these things into consideration, we
find the cause of the present state Of
affairs not in the lack of resources but
in lack of zeal on the part of the
citizens. If our enterprising and in
fuential citizens would only take the
right step, it would be a very easy
matter to influence capitalists to come
to our town and invest their money in
such establishments We ought not
to expect to see enterprising men set
tie in our midst, when they see US so
Indifferent to the welfare and prosper
ity of the town. We should rouse
from the present state of lethargy and
inform capitalists of the advantages
our town offers, if we wish to draw
population and wealth. We should
have meeting of our citizens with a
view to taking steps to offering induce
ments to come into our midst.