The Lake Charles echo., 1893-08-18
L4KE CHARLES.

LHhE IhAhLKE3Ss
A ride ever the city Of Lake Charles
reveals a steady, rapid growth Whleh
Sstonishes all and puzzles the thought
ful. a boom. say some. and they point |
10 the extensive advertisement. through |
the newspapers, through exhibit car,
md Ii every knoRn way. rs the cause.
They point to drouths aud foreclosure
Of mortgages in Kansas, and to terrible
6lizzards in Dakota a few years since a.
irving people into milder climate
and lands watered By moisture-laden
clouds. A boom they cry; and the
,ollapse will soon follow. a bubble,
say others, and it will soon burst.
An embryo city, say others; and they
1oint to The saw mills, the shingle fac
tories, rice mills, refinery, railroads,
splendid residences, street cars, electric
ights, waterworke, ice factories, whole
ale houses aud other industries in and
around the city.
Again, others say a city because deep
water is a certainty Of the near future
Say others, the town is pleasant, it Is
pretty, it 10 crossing, it Is prosperous,
but the immigration into the country
does not keep pace with it. The sur
rounding lands are locked in the en-
brace of a great syndicate, which
waits for the world to fill mp other parts
of earth, sud crowd, of necessity, into
these pTairies. and tender the wealth Of
nations for the lands before they will be
placed upon the market.
I The population Of the town will bt
too great for the industrial enterprises
labor will soon be without employment,
the pine forests will soon disappear anc
the mills will stop, etc. And 50 apecu
late our own people, 70 argue Others
some confident Of a great future, other
fearful of coming destitution, while I
few, possessed Of pluel, energy and en-
terprise. are continually adding to onl
beautiful town while amassiBg fortune,
for themselves.
Only one or two years since it wa
thought that the business Of Lake
Charles would not Justify bricA build
ing. Nov. behold thriving merchants
! IN massive brick stores, others going up
others being planned for; furnishing
banks. etc.
The truth is, that while Lake Charles
is greatly indebted to her milling indus
tries to the increase in the rural PUpu
lstion. she is also greatly indebted t.
her situation aud the intelligent eHerg1
of her business men. People in oil
states are accustomed to see towns fol
low the rural population in growth
Give the town an immediate eOuntr.
backing, say they, and it will mSintail
a healthy attitude. But the obseryan
historian and traveller notices that town
dependent upon Immediate cOnntr
backing never become more than COM
try towns; while cities have continual
spruBg into existence without snl
roundiug country Of value. What az
vantage to New Orleans and Mobile al
the surrounding swamps Dad the al
Joining country make Chicago
, Towns which are destined to be citi'
! do not follow the surrounding cuuntr
but shoot ahead of it, drag it, as
A were, after it; they grow from situati,
:, aud the enterprise Of her people.
: Lake Charles has developed more c
= terprise than any other Lloui-iana tow
:. the Eesnlt is a more rapid growth a
= greater possibilities. We have but
keep the shoulder to the wheel ye
while longer when that stage in corp
ate life will be reached when oapitali
d will no longer need inducement to col
,e here, but will come Of their own aecOl
II When railroads instead Of asking
re bonus will hasten to be on hand rea
1s t. haul rich freights.
ie There is no cause for apprehension
I'd to the fptnre of onr town. It is ol
re necessary to work together with a y
73 in order TO behold a city by the lake