The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-03-16
WHAT ARE the PROSPECTS?

WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS?
In reply to the above query the
Posi- takes pleasure in saying they
are good Just at this time every
class of business is extremely dull, |
and those who are not in easy fnan-
cial circumstances are naturally feel
ing a little .blue," but, according to
the opinions of the better posted
men and those closely connected in
business way with the great COM
panies interested at Big Stone Gap,
the present condition of affairs will
not last long. AS evidence of the
genuineness of the opinions expressed
by these gentlemen, in the first place
they are men who under no circum-
stances would try to create wrong
impression, and in the second place
they arc men who could not afford to,
and would not, lose their valuable
time by remaining here did they not
fully believe that work will be conf
menced at an early day.
To those who have allowed them
selves to become somewhat dishcart-
encd. the PosT would remind them
of the advantages possessed by Big
Stone Gap in the way of natural re-
sources and conveniences in the
manufacture of iron and coke over
Birmingham, Alabama. Here we
produce better grade of iron than
can be made at Birmingham, and at
n cost of at least $100 less on the
ton; the coke produced from the
coal of this field is tar superior to
that of the Birmingham field; IN
fact, it is only equaled by the cele-
bratel Conncllsville coke. Compare
our situation of to-day with that OF
Birmingham only few years ago.
At that time Birmingham had just
past through one of the widest
..booms', ever witnessed in the south.
Poor men had become rich, men OF
wealth had become paupers ; on an
ticipation the price of real estate had
by far outstrippcd the progress and
advancement of the town and its in
dustrics. Men who had formerly
commanded thousands awole to the
fact that they were penilcss and
hopelessly in debt; the result OF 1T
was general stampede, everybody left
that could get away, and the future
of the place locked anything else but
hopeful. The stock of the town
company dropped to almost nothing,
and the town and the people who IN
vested there were ridiculed on all
sides.
But nature never intended that
such vast stores of wealth as sur
round Birmingham and Big Stone
Gan should forever lie undeveloped
Look at the magnificent manutactur-
ing city of the Birmingham of to-
day and compare it with the Birm-
ingham of only a few years ago.
The same stock that at one time
could be bought at ten cents on the
dollar a short time ago brought to
it's fortunate holders a return of
forty-four hundred dollars on every
single dollar of It's face value.
Big Stone Gap is but repeating
the history of Birmingham, and
other similar manufacturing cities
that have been almost forced into
existence by reason of their superior
natural advantages.
1t has always been the case that
when spectators see men OF capital
investing hundreds of thousands of
dollars at place with the view of
putting in large industries they flock
in, like a swarm of flies around mo-
lasses barrel in July, and in the great
gambling movement that is then
carried on, in it's mad rush, the price
of real estate is carried far beyond
the point justified by the advance
ment of the town, and the usual re-
suit is, when the rayenous Spectator
takes time to draw fresh breath,
and look around him, like the poor
hungry fly, after trying to crowd out
all Of his neighbors in his greed to
eat all the molasses himself, finds he
is firmly stuck to the barrel, while
his companions, who did not get so
much molasses, serenely and smiling