Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-11-09


think il was slice cut eff th51
portion of some city OF fifty thoussnd~
Inhabitants And it is hardly less CT 4
busy scene at noon. There is plenty Of
life and activity in the town. Why is it
true ;then-for it IS true-that men make
money here and invest it elsewhere? L. is
because we lack some leadership to oui
business activity which will carry it into
new paths. AS a rule, the men who make
money are not particularly ente: prisine
mer; they are steady, SOLD men, who
by close attention to their occupation.
make money at their business. Al
their activity and commercial knowiedg+
is ceDteTt on tbs business which they
are fnding prof able. l. is when they
have accumulated money and jook around
for an investment, that the cammunit,
has cause to regret that besides being ac-
tive men they did not also have enterprise.
But they are not adventurous, and feeling
that lack they lock TO others TO supply thu
means Of profitable investment. These
men are plentiful in other cities, au6 are
not slow to present abroad the advantages
of their own towns Locking around, the
Sta unton investor finds no such man here
waiting TO invite his investment, and nat
urally enough he is captured by the man
from abroad.
Stanton does not lack capital for pub
lie enterprises as much as she Dies tbe
public enterprise itself. 1t is Tot harder
to raise money for some objects here than
it is elsewhere. In o city 10 Virginia
can a costly church be built more easily,
as our handsome churches testify. In NC
city in Virginia could the splendid 7. M
G. A. building, now under way, have
been started With more ease and iiberality.
In no city in Virginia could the new and
handsome school buildings and the cleo
trio light system. the result Of the City
Councils work, be more heartily endorsed
by the tax payers. Stanton has the
MONEY and is not Diggardly about spending
il, al cur people need is for life and
direction to be given to the latent spirit
of progress here. This can be brought
about by more contac, among our bust
ness men, and more boidness on the part
of young men without much capital. Il
man doh't have to be tbs po5sessor of a
fortune before he can be an enterprising
man of great value to his community.
It would be Of great advantage to the
city if even the slightest start we're made
in an enterprising way. A street rail-
road, which we have often mentioned
before, would be good start in many
respects it would give employment in its
construction: empioym ant to man after
ward; help the city as city, and be pro-
f1tabie to the stockholders. And speak
ing of that reminds us that nearly a year
ago the enterprise was preached here,
and since that gentleman who would
have been a stakeholder il il had started
has been chosen President of a street
railway ia another city. and another. who
would also have invested in it. has il
vested in the same railway. That is just
that much capital lost to Staun ton, and
added to the capital Of another town by
our own lack of enterprise. Another GOO
start would be an elevator. The S5,unton
Cbambsr of Commerce did its full duty il
urging this scheme, and pointed out that
it was not to the city'5 good business re-
pute that two villages in twelve miles OF
it. should have file elev tors, and we Hoaa.
Now We suppose nobody familiar with