The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-17
1t is Slipping From Us and No
/. One Seems to be Making an
Effort to Use it.
The South is Being Crowded With North
srn Capitalists Who Have Come
With the Cash 10 Invest.
ORR OPPORTUNITY

The prediction of the Posi- short while
AGO TIM, there would be an extraordinary
ouch If CAPITALISTS from the North during
rho fall and winter is being verified. One
vho has not recently travelled on South
c,n trains or who has not been kept ad-
vlsed Of what is going on in Southern
cities has little idea Of the movement OF
Northern capitalists to the Southern
country Conductors on Pullman cars
.sv their coaches arc crowded, and the
hoto, rccjsters contain lists of names from
Bos,on. New York, Philadelphia, Pitts
hnrrb Chicago. St. Louis, Milwaukee and
Detroit, The Philadelphia party of over
400 many of them worth from five to
,wcnty-fvc millions of dollars, are max
ing n thorough Investigation, visiting all
the importan, cities, and taking excur-
{ sjops 10 mineral and timber lands with u
! view TO investing their money
a large number went to Atlanta to
witness the opening Of the Exposition /;
others are visiting the mineral towns OF
Alabama, while many more arc to he
found in the towns Of Tennessee, Nir-
pinia and North Carolina. There are
quito number of separate parties that
have private cars and remain upon them.
The Philadelphia crowd occupy twenty-six
Pullmnns.
Meantime cntcrprising local companies
and rcul estate agents are not neglecting
their opportunities They are distribute
Ing maps and pamphlets i'll unlimited
quantities aud celebrating the value of
special interests hy personal interviews
With The visitors Tie Middlcsbcrcugh
company have II private coach fitted up
for the purpose of showing the various
woods, minerals, building stonc and other
deposits 10 be found in the vicinity. Mr..
Arthur goes in person and in advance Of
his train, visits the newspaper Offices in
the various cities in which he exhibits it,
and by the liberal use OF printers ink,
thoroughly adyeriiscs his enterprise, caus-
ing something of sensation wherever he
goes
In Louisville Mr. Arthur secured ;hc
adoption OF resolutions by the Board OF
Trade and the Commercial Club, calling
attention to his exhibit, and commanding
1t to the investigation Of capitalists. He
adopts the Same tactics in other cities;
and wherever he stops he attracts throng
OF investors who eagerly make inquiries
and from whom inddlcsborough will So
cure additional capital
Indeed, there is not town throughout
the Southern mineral district, except Big
Stone Gap, that does not seem thoroughly
alive TO lis opportunities, and that is not
doing everything in its power to attract
the attention OF these visitors. Every
where one secs evidences Of the most
restless activity and of a thoroughly
aroused public spirit.
To leave these busy scenes and return
to Big Stone Gap is like DETECTING from a
rushing torrent Of spirited life and enter
prise TO secluded eddy in q nook, far
from the mgddcning throng 1t is clear
,ha, our people are not sufficiently cner-
gctic and cutcrprising Conscious of the
fact that NC have combination Of ad-
'antagcs which are uncqualcd elsewhere
IN this country or any other, they seem
coDtont 10 rest on those advantages and
allow rival towns to outstrip us, supply
ing by their industry and spirit what they
lack in natural resources. We have no
4 agents TO distribute maps or pamphlets,
GO representative to visit the newspaper
oaicos aud furnish facts TO the molders OF
public continent, no aggressive and ener-
{ ge,ic manager to lay before these
inquirlng capitalists the important results
/ Of our Investigations Of the vast wealth
which our mountains contain, or explain
thc physical conditions which must result
In tho connection and concentration OF
vast railroad systems at Big Stone Gap.
!, would seem that the bare mention OF
our disadvantages in this respect would
srouse the latent energies of the commun.
s ity and quicken into activity the zeal Of
q svery one who is in the least interested il
The development and prosperity of Tho
! city. 1t would cost but little to scatter
our pamphlets containing plain and undis.