The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-12-21
Additional Local.


our state. Her pioneer citizens plated
the place with great taste and planted
shade trees which have grown with
such luXuriance as To make her thor
oughfares beautifully shaded avenues
From the first, she has been an impor
tant trading. point, famous for the large
aud well selected stocks carried by her
merchants who have constantly enjoyed
the reputation of being active, ener-
getic, enterprising and fair dealing
business men.
For many years Paw Paw enjoyed the
generous patronage of the country side
for miles around and prospered accord
ingy.
Owing to her splendid water power,
her Touring mills, tanneries, and
other manufacturing interests became
of considerable Importance and gave
promise to the place of large growth.
An opportunity was early given to
secure the passage of what is now the
main line of the Michigan Central Rail
road through this village, which was
lost by what was undoubtedly honest
though unfortunate opposition To the
scheme on the part of some of her then
leading citizens.
Later, Paw Paw had the opportunity
of being an important station on the
South Haven branch of the Michigan
Central Railroad, but that chance was
also permitted to slip by and the road
was built several miles to the north
ward, To the'west of her, the Chicago
d West Michigan Railroad was built
and to the southerly what is now the
Chicago a. Grand Trunk Railroad
For II time these railroads did not ma
terially affect the trade of the place, but
gradually, us was to have been expected,
villages and markets grew up along
their lines and people who used to trade
with Paw Paws merchants were able
TO buy and sell at home or at the larger
cities and villages which the railroads
render accessible, to better advantage
than travelling over poor roads To
inland and inaccessible Paw Paw.
Although thus greatly Handicapped,
the place, because of the well selected
stocks constantly carried by her mer-
chants and their correct business meth
DDS, retained much of her old time
prestige until about the years 10 to "
when a steady decline set in which con-
tinued for several years and until the
level of the present was reached.
Paw Paw is now surrounded with
vigorous, growing villages, and must
become, from force of circumstances,
n deserted village unless her people
bestir themselves in earnest, not only
to maintain what they already have,
but to secure renewed growth and ac-
tivity.
This community is neither wealthy nor
poverty stricken, and has in its power
to make this village one of the busiest
and most desirable points in the state
lN,,t
standpoint.
How can it be done9 Not without
effort and unsel6shness and not with
out the expenditure of money, which,
like bread cast upon the waters, will
surely return, and, if judiciously in
vested, before many years.
There is no use attempting much
in the way of advancement until IL
broad gauge railroad is secured con-
Meeting us with the outside world.
Our narrow gauge affair should be made
q standard gauge road and extended at
least to the line of the Chicago u Grand
Trunk Railroad at either Marcellus or
Schoolcraft. This would secure the
full benefit of two large trunk lines to
the sOutherly running east and west,
with the Chicago d West Michigan on
the west and if that road should be-
come IA part of the Erie system, with still
another trunk line to the east, and with
the Vandalia road at Benton Harbor.
A comparatively small amount of
cash, coupled with good deal of
hustling, would accomplish all this.
Can our people, having before them
the results which the mistakes of the
past in railroad matters have entailed
upon our village, gansay the import
ance of prompt and vigorous action
upon this or some other movement of q
similar character?
Some have advocated the extension
of the narrow gauge or the building
of Il broad gauge road To Kalamazoo,
and that might he benefit To Us unless
it should turn out that Kalamazoo de-
rived more benefit from such road
than Paw Paw
With the connections we have sug-
gested, this place would have not only
rs good, but better facilities than even
Kalamazoo, Niles, Dowagiac, and other
growing communities of our neighbor.
hood, and with such privileges increas.
ed growth is accomplished.
Our location and fine water power
under such condition of affairs, would
mark this village as a most favorable
manufacturing concerns. We happen
ed to be in Dowagiac a short time since
and learned that on that evening a
meeting was to be held To consider
what proposition could be made and
inducements held out to an eastern
manufacturing concern seeking new
location there.
We have better natural advan tages
than Dowagiac and, with proper rail
road outlet, we should have calls to
consider of similar character which
now pass us by. Manufacturing inter
ests are seeking locations such as we
can offer, if we only will, because OF
the advantages which village like
ours affords of low rate of taxation
and immunity from strikes and distur
Dances among workmen which expert
ence has taught follow the establish.
ment of numerous factories in one com
munity.
The very best way to succeed is tt
act at once and undertake one thing al
time. Let our people awake from
the Rip Van Wrinkle sleep in which
they have been slumbering and with 8
lonO mill n etronU mil and q mill al