The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-04-19
"A PLAIN TALK.

AfO1 us iOOh At Jil6 present OF
Lehighton in an honest, fair
and impartial manner; let ut
guage the future by the present
in the same clear, intelligent
and conscientious way and what
do we see! A town a quarter
of a century old in incorporation
as a borough, with equal rights
and privileges with other towns:
a population of 500 tax payers
and $500 souls; a town with out
the least of all conveniences, a
tirst-class water suppy, a town
without street illumination other
than the hazy, flickering light
of the MEDIEVAL coal oil lamp;
a town lacking in all, or very
nearly all, the essential elements
necessary to continued healthy
progress. This is the condition
of affairs that confronts us to
day, what does the future hold!
1t is an honest, fair and square
qUestion,-what does it heldl
Shall we guage it by the past or
the PRESENT. Both mean a con-
tinuance in the same old rat that
in the onward march of progress
sion leads nowhere, with grass
grown streets and rust. We
are told that LehightOn has
progressed in the past decade.
True, no one viii gainsay it,
but we have not moved forward
as we should have done. Other
towns have by perseverance,
pluck, enterprise and goaheada-
tiveness secured what Lehighton
should have had. The condi.
ton that contents us and APP
peals to- eur enterprise aud vim
is ior more diversified Industries
where oar laboring people can
find employment at fair wages.
Every man, woman and child |
with the commonest intelligence
understands this condition and |
realizes the importance of it, but
what are we going to do about
it, Every opportunity for a
Of progress and fu-
ture greatness has been, shall
we say willully or carelessly
disregarded in the past by those
who hOm natural reasons should |
he at the helm pushing, meving
along the van OF enterprise. Is
this disregard to be continued!
ltso, the future looms up dark
and drear, Weatherly has a
silk mill employing 300 to 400
hands we might have had it,
it was our opportunity. SuOuds-
burg has nail and glass works
employing a large number Of
men we might have had them,
they were our opportunity,
Slatington has the Rolling Mill ;
we might have had it, it was
our opportunity. Unfortunately,
however, for the town and peo-
pie, we failed to take ADVANTAGE
of it, with the res,,l!..- tsilat to-day
three-fCurth our people depend
directly on Packerton for a livii-
hSod, while the one-fourth in
directly are benefited thereby.
We have progressed most as
surredly we have, but in what
wayl In 1880 we had 1900
population; the census of 1890
will show gain ofalmost 1900.
We have progressed! Yes, our
population has almost doubled,
pleasant homes and some fine
business places stand out to view,
but we're overcrowded-Packer-
ton is overdone-eight and nine
hours work with small pay in
the winter and there were times
when there was no work at all.
We have progressed, but we
owe it all to the economy and
thrift Of our poorer people. In
manufacturing industries We are
at a stand still-outside of the
Lehigh Valley Spring works
and the Hersh Furnace what
have been the additions to this
tOwn in the ten years pastI
Little or nothingl Correct,
now then 1t is time we did
something is it nOtl Let us get
the water company in first-class
running order and on paying
basis. Next we should haYe a
system of sewerage and macada-
mized streets. Following this
the men, all classes, merchants
property holders and monied
citizens should get together and
encourage enterprise by sOliC
substantial action tending tt
hearty progress. five do thi'
Wen 20 forward; If we don't, WI
will ron tipue nm i'm the same ols