Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-21
NOTES AND OUR FUTURE.
A Letter Bristling With SEN
aibla Facts.

Perhaps some Of your readers ere
ready to say, well Brother MetcaIfe
must be interested in the big boom
of Birmingham, or he would not have
so much to say about that place"
No, | am not interested. only in the
general prosperity of the South. But
if you were compelled to hear one
song on the cars, at the hotels, on the
streets, G, cry where, you would learn
to sing that song if You had any mu-
sic in you. This is my apology.
AS remarked in my last, the in
lection is spreading until Anneston,
Decatur, Sheffield, Montgomery,
Selma and now find that even Meri-
dian is beginning to put on new life.
A new enterprise has been started up
at Decatur and Calera. There are
now large factories being erected for
the manufacture Of charcoal, and by
recent discovery they save the
smoke and gas aud convert it into
alcohol. Each of these factories will
employ from 500 to 1000 hands. l
was told by stakeholder at Calera,
in the one located at that place, that
he had only paid in about 40 cents on
the dollar and could sell his stock
any day for $3.50. The coal more
than pays for all expenses, while the
alcohol is clear profit. But you are
ready to say we don't want any more
spirituous liquors made or sold, as
our county is prohibition now. We
don't want one here. That is all
true, but it may be interesting to our
readers to know that this is the kind
of alcohol that kills quickly. Alec
hol made from grain is the kind used
in making bust-head. This kind can
only be used as chemicals and for
manufacturing purposes, oyOu see
we would be safe on that score. But
seriously, it is strange to me that our
people at lIopkinsville do not take
more interest in manufacturing. Il
would not only buildu up and improve
our town, but the whole country
would be benefited. Why is it that
lands in the North and East, especial
ly near manufacturing towns, are
worth one to two hundred dollars
per acre? Simply because they have
a market right at home for every
thing the farmers can raise and the
railroads DO not get all the profit
there is in farming. Another, is there
is demand for little homes and every
body knows that little farm well
managed pays better than large one.
But You say live in town, own
property and my taxes are already
high as l can pay, or the farmer says
| had rather my land would be only
ten dollars per acre than one hun
dred. l want more land for my
children. This same spirit came neal
running the South in her arislOcratiC
days. This same spirit would have
you pray "Lord help me any my
wife, 10 and his wife, us four and no
more" This same spirit would have
kept the Saviour in his home above.
Shame on such narrow, contracted,
selfish spirit! Have we no love for
our race no ambition for the better
ment of our country? no thought for
future generations that are soon to
follow us? Look at China with her
four hundred millions of people, with
her high walls of selfishness. What
is she doing to enlighten, civilize and
christianize the world? 1 like the
spirit of my old father (there were
few like him that everlived oil earth)
One bright spring morning he saw
his little grandson with a basket of
walnuts, "Wbat are you going to do
with them?" "Sell them SIR" "Well
what do you expect to get for them p
"Ten cents cir" swell that is cheap
enough, come l will give you ten
cents for them and then ten cents 10
90 with me and plant them" Away
they went, the old man hobbling
along on his cane. Presently they
were over the fence planting the wal
nuts in the inside PANELS of the
fence. A neighbor passing by, said,
"Well what are You doing over
there 2 "Planting walnuts." "My
dear sir you are too old to be plant
ing walnuts, you will not live to get
any of the benefit of them" TRUE
enough, only in one way, if I die TO-
morrow l will be happier until then
by consciousness Of having worked
for the good of others. Besides this you
know, neighbor, that timber is get
ting scarce and unless we who are
living plant outmore trees, the couu-
try will be In a bad fix after awhile.
Besides my children, or their child
ren's children may enjoy the fruit of
my Labor or perhaps some tired tray
eler may rest under their shade one
hundred years from now and bless
the man that planted them" What
grand philauthropist! Butte return
to Hopkinsville, Why can't we have
a manufacturing town? We can if
we will We have many natural adj
vantages, right in the midst Of the
finest agricultural country in the
continent. In the midst Of abundance
of coal, iron, wood and water. ]
know some who do not know will be
disposed TO laugh at this and say,
"Where?" We are located between
two rivers, it is true they are not
very large, but by placing either one
of them on knights hill they will be
sufficient to supply a population of