Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-10-04
CUMBERLAND has several times

CUMBERLAND has several times
passed the crisis that faces Frost.
burg to-day. Not an improvement
of any consequence there but has
climbed over the opposition of many
Of the people. The water works,
rolling mill, introduction of compe.
ting railroads.&c. developed the
very same antagonism manifested in
Frostburg to the Water Bond meas
ure. The result of the efforts of the
progressive element there is seen in
the fact that Cumberland is an in
corporated city-in every respect not
all she might have been perhaps, but
certainly not all she is destined to be.
Depend upon it, Cumberland has a
great future ahead in spite of the OBJ
structionists to her growth. The tide
is turning that way in the shape of
manufacturing establishments, etc.
Why? Because the city is near in
dispensabls fuel supplies. The day
Of raw material haulage is passing
away. Furnaces are going to the
ores looms to the cotton-feld; tan
neries to bark areas, and other factor
les to locations which present so me
great economical attraction. Cumber-
land is one of these places-a noun
tain to which a number of manufac-
turing Mahomets must come. The
foundation is laid and the later expe-
rience of her glass works, steel works,
mills, etc., proving successful, estab-
fishes nucleus around which will
gather other valuable enterprises.
All these afford employment to men,
women, boys and girls, whose wages,
thus imported from abroad, go into
the highways and by-ways Of trade.
Why may we not in Frostburg
make some effort in the same direc-
ton? Our location as to fuel is
better than that of Cumberland, and
will overbalance some other advan-
tages the city enjoys-all, perhaps
save one-water. Had we plenty of
this essential element there is no
reason why we should not have shoe
factories and similar establishments,
and reap all the consequential
benefits.
Now, then, to tho miners who
have their homes within the corpo-
rate llmits-don't you know that
every year it is becoming more diff
cult to secure work in the mines for
your boys: Don't you see that from
time to time, for some reason or an
other, your own wages are declining,
or the work growing less? The
tendency in both directions appears
to be against you and your family.
If your boy, however, out OF work
at the mine, had employment in mill
or factory, Or shop, he might become
an expert operative and from this a
successful operator. But what op-
portunity has he to rise in the mine,
granting him work and plenty of it :
About one lii hundred. And
what chance has he to become anime
owner? About one in ten thousand.
We do not depreciate the art or
the calling. Mining is as skillful
business as any. But it is I'M
pleasant and dangerous, and we have
never heard miner say he liked the
work. Perhaps his boys like it less,
if possible. But here they have no
other field of labor-of self-support
of promotion. Why? Because
we have steadily depended upon one
industry.
Is it not time to look to some other
resource without going from home ?
Is it not time to plant fruit for our
children as our fathers set trees for
us?
We have all the bases for future
building save one. Whether we
shall secure that depends upon the
issue Of the existing contest of nc
water against plenty of water. The
latter we must have, or stand still
and wait for either Il miracle Of sal
walton or Bosom of destruction.
How IT WILL WoRk.-When the
Water Bond measure carries, the
works are constructed and everything
working nicely, it will be difficult to
find man who voted against it.