The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-09-16
Mason County,s Puture.

Is 90; yet the fact stares us in the
face, and we dare not deny them.
Outside Of a few company stores
supported by the men working for
the companies, the mercantile bus.
iness, with a few exceptions, has
been y failure and indeed nearly
every business has suffered alike
from the same cause.
Now, there is no! a single reason
why this should be so. The fault
rests on no one individually, but
it has become general.
Our people have acquired a habit
which has extended far and wide,
from one end Of the county to the
other, and almost throughout its
entire domain; and that is the habit
Of going across the river to deal,
thus carrying their money and in.
fluence to another town and State,
thereby depressing and running the
business here, and driving business
and population away from us, thus
deprociaIing their own property
and impoyerishing themselves and
their neighbors. They seem to for.
&c! that every dollar they carry out
Of the county depreciatos business
and drives away that much more
for the want of support, and leaves
the burdens of revenue that should
arise from prosperous capital for
others to bear among whom are the
ones thus bringing about this state
Of affairs,
Hundreds of persons go out Of
the county and State to buy goods
that they could buy at home as
cheap, if not cheaper, than they &c!
them where they go.
If mercantile and mechanical es.
Establishments could have all the
custom due them in this county,
their sales would be such as to ena.
BILE them to sell at a much closer
margin thanthey do. There is not
a shadow Of a reason why merch.
ants should not sell goods as cheap
on this side Of The river, as on the
other, and pay just as muCh for all
kinds Of produce, And, further, il
they had tho proper encourage.
ment and assurance of the custom
Of the whole people, they could
with confidence, carry a full stock
Of goods, and better lines of goods,
would come to the front in new
houses opening, as in other towns.
Now, what we want, is, q general
mass meeting of the whole county
at some central point, and an en-
thusiasn awakened, and arrange.
ments made, and the people in.
Structed by addresses, &C., setting
forth the conditions and needs Of
the county, and the merchants and
business men requested to organize
into some form Of a Board Of Trade
to so regulate business as to restore
the confidence of the people and
give them the assurance that they
can buy goods as cheap at home as
elsewhere, aud thus give to tho
trade the assurance that If they
carry full stocks, and other houses
open in the different lines, that
they can hold the trade.
Why this should be so, is obvi.
Gus TO any thinking mind. Our
markets for produce are better than
those Of our neighbors on the other
side, and there is not a single reas.
on why our merchants should not
sell at least as cheap as they do, if
not cheaper, il they could have tho
whole trade Of their county people.
To accomplish this we must have
concert Of action, both by buyer
and seller, and we must support
home trade, and by so doing, in a
very few years. we will see old Ma.
son county showing q boom Of pros.
perity unknown for years, despite
the depressing times.
Let US have a grand mass meet
ing Of the whole county at some
time before cold weather at some
central point in the county, and
see if We can't awaken an interest
in time for the fall and winter
trade. What say you, all2
Let US hear from others through
the papers. Let US forget politics,
and talk about something worth
something to all and in which not
only every one of US, but future
generations are interested.
Yours,
i'll. HENsLEY, NJ. D.
1--WE appreciate the effort of our
oorrespondent and hnna bis art;cle