The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-07-28
Some Valuable Suggestions Founded
Upon an ENCOURAGING Instance.
BY THOMAS P. GRAsTY.

Gomorrah had incurred the divine dis
| pleasure, we all remember how it was
proposed to the pious patriarch that H.
peradventure, he could produce i've
righteous men, the entire ubiquitous pop
ulation should be spared. Who, in this
day and time, has not seen even more
convincing instances of favor to the
many through the merits of the few? In
fact, have seen the salvation OF SO many
places vouchsafed through the endeavors
of one man that the conviction has
grown upon my mind that if father Lot
had been just little more enterprising
and persistent he might have appeased
the wrath of Jehovah and saved from
destruction even two such God-forsaken
places as Sodom and Gomorrah.
The truth is, and all history shows it,
most good works, most great movements,
most revolutions, are comprised by sin
gle handed endeavor. Failure to realize
what not five mel alone, but what one
man may do, lis keeping in the
soup'' whole States and districts and
cities, especially in that part Of our
common country called the South. 1t is
really disheartening, yes sickening, to
hear a half dozen strong young fellows
bemoaning stagnatiOn for which their
own inertia is largely responsible, ais
though they, like the original Adam, are
quick enough to lay the blame on the
shoulders of others. Any healthy, fairly
endowed young man, can, by persistent
endeavor and singleness of aim, put in
motion current of progress that will
soon or late sweep out of town the ac-
cumulated debris of generations of in
action. But instead of making up his
mind to do this, he will, as a rule, tell
you long-winded stories of how the
'mossbacks" obstruct every move in the
right direction and come to a climax
with that worm eaten chestnut about
the necessity for q few first class fu-
nerals." If he would only think right
he would realize that in few years he
himself will fall into the ranks of those
whose funerals will be devoutly desired
by the rising generation.
And this brings to mind another alb
surd heresy which is just now Temporal
rily prevalent owing to the dozen or
more untimely, abortive blooms" that
have arisen here and there in Virginia
and one or two other Southern States.
Whenever the establishment of some en-
terprise for the public behoof is pros
posed, it is not uncommon to hear a
piping chorus whose measly refrain is
Don't build a mill or factory, it might
make busted boom'n That men out
side of feeble minded institutions and
insane asylums should so confound cause
and effect, and attribute to factories
what resulted from their lack, is incred-
ible. But all the same they do it every
day. ''Look at Basic City, one ex-
claims, land see the empty houses and
deserted streets. Oh, no, we don't want
any factories in our town" Although
it seems as simple as to say that an en-
CINE will not run without steam, never
theless it may be worth while to explain
that if Basic City's money had not given
out, it's houses would not be empty and
its streets in such solemn solitude. The
causes of the bursted booms are identi-
cal with the causes of the thousands of
failures that Bradstreet and Dun annual
ly record all over the land.
There is, moreover, a wide, wide differ
ence between factories adapted to the
resources of given point and factories
put on paper for lot-selling purposes;
between factories planned for making
permanent pay-rolls and factories rushed
up to look at and talk about; wide,
wide difference between honest develop
ment in accordance with the fitness of
things natural and commercial and that
pseudo development which is sprung
upon the public not for the public's
good but for the public's blood; and,
what is more, the substantial, clear
headed business men, whose co-opera-
| difference like skillful tellers in banks
can catch on to counterfeits.
But that is getting away from what |
started out to talk about, which was of
the lesson taught by the rise and prog
| ress of a town south of the Ohio River
and what few men have done in it's
| behalf. That town is Huntington, w.
! Va, and in this connection, the State of
West Virginia is a singularly fortunate
commonwealth in respect to the results
that have been obtained by one-man
effort. Consider what johnson N. Cam
den, for instance, has done in the way
of opening up West Virginias wilder
nesses. But his name and fame need nc
| accentuation.
This town, or more properly this city
of Huntington, is really a more emphatic
and wholesome example of what may be
done in the line of city-building in the
South than even Roanoke, although il
has been far less extensively advertised
1t is about ten years old, has near 20,00(
inhabitants, has many solid and prosper
Gus industries, a growing and substan'
tial trade, and, what is best OF all, al
though on an average improved property
pays fifteen per cent on the investment
it has never been the scene of excited
speculation. Of course that sort of thing
| will come, unless, forsooth, it happier
that human nature itself shall shortly
undergo change, for craziness over rea
estate invariably at some time or othel
(lnore's the pity accompanies all rapi6
development, be that development ac
tual or apparent, because it is merely
phase of the universal gambling in
stinct founded on the hope of profit an(
the chances of unloading on the othe
fellow.
However that may be, Huntington ha
never had backset, never any ebb il
Its flowing tide, since Coils P. Hunting
ton and his associates first made it tn
shop town of the Chesapeake & Obi
Railway and started the great Ensigl
Car Works.
: But it has been during the last yea