The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-08-22
A Few Plain Words.


A Few Plain Words.
It is very important that those who
arc interested in the growth Of Big Stone
Gap realize one fact, and that is that
nearly everybody is relying entirely upon
the natural advantages Of the place to
push it forward, and few are doing any,
thing to push it forward themselves.
Everything that has been done was done
Nv halG-doxen energetic spirits, whose
work has been handicapped 10y the lcth-
argy and indifference Of others. "a.
never sees B. in Distress" says Sydney
Smith, "that he does not wish c. to re-
iieve him." and there is never an i'm
provcment suggested at Big Stone Gap
that one company does not want another
company to make it,
That much money and energy have
been misdirected is very clear. The
most assiduous efforts made seem to
have been those which had for their
object the attraction of selfish crowd
of spectators. They have come, bought
lots, running tho price up, in many in
stances, beyond the reach of those who
wished to purchase property and improve
it, and they have gone away again to
wait for some one to pay them 200
or 800 per cent. advance, and leav-
ing their lots az naked as Nature made
them. They have not added one soul to
the population; they have not contributed
one dime to the productive industry Of
the place; they have not pushed it along
one inch in the race we are making with
competing towns. The man who builds
SIS shed is of more value than many
of them.
1t is plain Go ,nst interest u
q sfehe element, and We 3
that element all possible encouragement
and aid. We cannot continue to rely
only on our natural advantages and on
those who gamble Oh them. A vacant lot
NAV change hands thousand times with
out bonefiting any one here, except the
Commonwealth, which gets small tax,
and the clerk, who gets small fee for
recording the deeds. We must pierce
the heavens with chimneys and smoke
stacks. We must improve our streets,
build bridges, macadamize roads and
drain the swampy places. This must he
done, and it must he done speedily. 1t
Is the shcerest folly for every one to sit
down and wait for everybody else to do
what must be done. There are towns
springing up around us, pushed forward
by capital and energy, and it is idle to
disguise the fact that they will outstrip
US, for time ut least, unless we can
introduce more Industrious element
into our midst and are animated by Il
more enterprising spirit. Stockholders
and bondholders Of the different COM
panies that own property in this section
should show keener interest in our
development and afford material aid for
new enterprises. If they fail to do so,
they will regret it; and we give them
fair warning, which should be Of no less
value because gratuitous.
This is plain speaking, but the neces-
stiles of the. case demand it, We have
waited long enough for the play of some
magic influence which is to build city
without the effort Of its inhabitants and
of those outside who have even larger
interests ut stake. This is not an age Of
Aladdin lamps and of Olympic gods. The
only deities that contribute to the growth
Of modern cities are capital, energy and
intelligence; and without these We must
remain as we are, a petty town squat in
q hollow,
Significant.
The Iron Age contains the following