The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-02-16
Town Building.

Under the above heading the Fraklin-
ton DnpGteh has the following timely
words:
III q man lives in a town and feels no in
tereSt In its welfare he Is n hindrance 10 its
progress just in proportion to his impor-
lance in the place So we think il would
not be an objectionable sin to throw out an
idea or two in regard tn promoting the
growth of towns. A gentleman remarked
agencies for building up Gowns were tres
and funerals. The remark struck the
writer at first as being u little paraG0xical,
and We listened with interest to see what
the learned Judge would say especially In
regard to the beneficial effects of funerals.
His idea was that certain men in most towns
would amass great wealth. and having but
little public spirit about them would throw
themselves atEwart the course of progress
along every line which did not promise,
, and secure that promise by mortgage, to
put gold in their Golfers. In other words
they had means, but not only did nothing,
but actually prevented others from doing
| anything to build up the town. They are
unwilling to spend one dollar for i'm proNe-
mentS unless they can Ice sure that they
will getit back very soon with usury."
| When sucha man dies and his means pass
/ into the hands of ether men with more en-
| terprise, more liberal views the public is
benefited Thus said his Honor funerals
help towns 1t is sad trntS that often
/ men, good men too, are SO StlorS>slShteu
! and narrow i'm their views that they fEtard
| the progress of the towns in which they
! live and this leads int the secret OF hui Id
| ing town OF course natural advantages
are good, railroads are Indispensable, but
! there are many villages in this State that
/ have enioyed these blessings for years and
are very small yet.
/ The first essential element Of success is
the citizens of the town, men full Of en-
ergy, far-Seeing, enterprising, liberal
minded men. Given this the other essen.
tails naturally follow, and they are few
and simple; first good school facilities
! Raleigh, Durham and half score other
| towns of the State have been rendered
doubly attractive by their graded schools.
| MANY poor man, with large family OF
children has lett comfortable home in
the country for less agreeable work i'll said
cities because of school facilities. No
town can he prosperous that has not good
school facilities The adult population OF
our towns consist almo,t entirely OF people
who were not born in the town. We can
not depend for the population of a town on
! the people raised in it, and If we would
! have others come and live with us we must
| at least offer some educational advantages
| The average North Carolina village to-day
! contains not more than one family of bust
ness men who were born and raised in it.
! They will not come where they are no
| school facilities.
The next essential is manufactures. II
| only merchandising is followed in a town
its population and business is limited to
correspond with the means. tastes and
wants of the country tributary thereto, but
where factories of various kinds furnish
employment and wages to those desiring to
work the growth of the town is unlimited
1t carries its own destiny, depends on its
self and may be a magnificent city because
people will come to it for the sake of the
wages they can earn. Without manufac:
lures Of some kind four or five stores and
| three or four hundred inhabitants will con
stitute the average town with no growth
! except such as is the natural result Of in
tcrease Of population in the State.