The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-31
NEW ERA IN OUR HISTORY.
Golden Opportunities That May BE
Grasped-views of Citizen.
TO the Editor Of the Posi-

TO the Editor uf the rosr.)
The organization of the Commercial Club
marks new era in the history of Big
Stone Gap. The citizens having at length
realized that they must look to themselves
and their own efforts instead of to the
Improvement Company, have now started
to accomplish the work expected to be
done by the company, and much OF which
should and would have been done by that
company had there not been lcthargy and
. mismana.cment on its part. Truly the
company has been found to be poor de-
pendcnce, and too many of its members,
instead of being town builders, willing to
wait for anv but moderate returns for
their investments till we have here "a solid
growth, are but land spectators, whose
sole idea is to Inc certain of a return, to
have that return quickly, and then to
rocket it, not willing even when it has
been hundred fold, To cXpcnd one dollar
in improvements, which do not promise
an immediate reimbursement. Hence,
espcciallv under the board who retarded
cur development last year, plans and i'm
provemcnts were projected by tho ener-
yetic business men of the country, who
had the intellect to perceive the POSSIBLE
tiles of this place. and grit to back up
their convictions only TO have their plans
voted down by the misery, short sighted
members, who wished to wait till either
the town people should he forced TO incur
the expense OF improvements, without
their aid. or Till they might he certain of
a quick return. Those of lis who were
here last wear remember that it was not
fill after the mass meeting of citizens that
a prctcusc WAS made of grading the
streets even. The result has been such
as might have been anticipated. With
the wonderful resources we have here,
with two competing lines running into
our iron fields our coal fields, and our in
cxhaustiblc forests, with hundreds OF
acres OF valuable land still owned by the
Improvement Company, with the rich
returns i; has already had, and its sup
posed workim. to obtain here the location
of industries. we have but one plant other
than such that any small town would have
Growth will come with time, and without
ontluy is the answer of the conservative
members, as they arc called, when asked
10 nut up money TO aid in the development!
OF the town. and thus every plan and
effort of the working members of the
company who realize the need of early
action is defeated by men who will spend
little and do little for fear of losing.
More honorable would it have been on
the part of these gentlemen had they told
us that they would stick 10 the company
with the pertcnacity of Sinbad's Old Man
and prove as oncrous burden.
But We citizens should not weakly take
refuge behind the Improvement Company,
following the example of those good-tor-
nothing idcrs whom we hear occasionally
in the saloons cursng the Yankees in
stead OF their own worthlessncss for their
noyerty, save that We, instead of looking
hack TO the DAYS before the war, look az
futilcly to DAYS to come when we having
sat still carsing the Improvement Com
many. will without other effort have real
lied the profits which we expect. Shame
on man who is not willing to put his
shoulder to the wheel, and shame on one
who having made more by small invest
mcnt than he could hope 60 earn by
years hard work, should then refuse to
surrender part to benefit the town, fear
ing lest by so doing he should do more
than his neighhor.
Well, it is not pleasant work to look
only ut our shortcomings and those of the
Improvement Company. TO be just, the
citizens can take credit to themselves of
having accomplished much, and of show
ing their intentions of accomplishing far
more, and the improvement Company can
claim us much.
There is class however whose only
boast can be, that like tho hermits OF old,
they have never Intentionally cxerted any
positive influence for harm. The members
of the OUTLYING land companies are among
the most bitter ccnsors of the Improve
ment Company, and ofthc citizens. Not
move ia made by either which is not
severely criticized. They meanwhile, oc-
easionalIy perhaps selling some property
II. 80