The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-06-12
IA FEW FACTS.
WHAT SUPPORTS A TOWN..


may be built Oh paper but they are
not substantial, and will not stand.
Like castles in the air they will
soon vanish away and the memory
of them will not epleasant. Meth
er can they be built by laying off
town lots. II they could, we would
soon nave number of very large
cities in this section. There is
enough unoccupied land in North
Georgia, East Tennessee, Southwest
Virginia, western North Carolina
and North Alabama to make sever
al of the very largest cities in the
world. But cities and towns DO not
grow up like trees-they are built.
And they are composed not only of
houses and streets and boards of
mayor and aldermen, but of people,
men women and children. The size
of a town and its Importance is
measured by its population and the
wealth of its inhabitants.
So to build up a town besides lay
ing off and selling town lots, some
thing must be offered at which labor
and capital can be employed, unless
people can see some prospect for
profitable employment they will not
select home In any city or town.
The chief business of an overwhelm-
ing majority is to make bread upon
which to live, and clothing, and to
accumulate money with to pur-
chase and own in their own right,
comfortable homes. The chief rea-
son why men live in one locality in
preference to another is that one To-
cality seems to present to them a
better opportunity to make living
than another. Climate and health
tulness are strong convincing con-
siderations; but men do not live on
climate alone. They must have OPP
portunities for employing their Ia
Dor and their capital. opportunities
for earning money with which to
buy bread and meat and shelter
from the rains and the storms the
heat and the cold.
The Journal showed in an edito-
rial a lew days ago that Massachu-
sets, Connecticut and New Jersey
neither one of which states is near
so large as East Tennessee, main
tain population much larger than
ours. Massachusetts, with an area
only about as large as East Tennes-
see, had much larger population
in 1880 than the whole state of
Tennessee, ard Connecticut with an
area not more than one-third that of
East Tennessee, has now a popula-
ton of nearly seven hundred thou
sand. New Jersey which is smaller
than Massachusetts and is less than
two-thirds.the size of East Tonnes
see, has a population almost as
large as our entire state. But in
1880 there were 1882 manutactur-
ing establishments, in 1880 with a
capital invested in them of $685.
&c., 85, employing 35O,258 people
whose annual wages amounted to
s128,315,362.
In little Connecticut there are
4,488 manufacturing establishments
employing 120, 480,275 people whose
annual wages amounted to S43,601,-
518. The value of the material used
was S102, 769, 341, and the value Of
the manufactured products turned
out was 1885,, 680,211. New Jersey
employed 127,038 people in her
manufacturing establishments who
were paid annually s46,O83,035 as
wages. The amount paid out Tor
material was s154,220,174 and the
value Of manufactured products was
s254, 1916, 1886.
These statistics show what sup
ports the large population in the
small states mentioned. We hear
that too manytowns are built in the
country on paper, and if nothing is
to be dore except to sell town lots
thatls true. The town lots are val
uless unless people improve and live
IN them unlacc thav can find some.