The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-09-19
Communicated.
Why do Small Towns Remain Small ?

ually tulk Mnon anything III the ma
ture of improvements is suggested
for people to say "our town is too
small, we don't have the money"
People who thus express themselves
either do not read or have no idea at
all of what they are reading. We
see daily money lenders appearing
in the daily papers with their adver-
tisements, seeking investments for
capital that is laying idle, only too
anxious to take hold of anything
that will bring their patrons from 3
to 4 per cent. interest for their idle
money When yon mention this
fact about the Only answer that is
given is. I'VE have nothing to invest
it in, wo do not have any money to
make start" This goes to confirm
the assertion that people are not
acquainted with business affairs of
the world. II Philadelphia. New
York and all other cities of the
world would have depended on
ready money in hand to start man.
ufacturing and giving employment
to their people they would be un-
known to the world generally and it
is in deed an impossibility to con-
lecture what would have long ago be-
come Of all the people on the face Of
the earth. The question then is
how lid they become great ! 1t is
fair to presume that it was thous-
and times harder for our older cities
to spring into prominence than it is
to-day because there was no circu-
lating medium money in abund-
ance as II is to-day, nor was it need
ed in such large amounts as it is
now, but there was enough to meet
the demands Of the day. Now is it
reasonable 10 suppose that when the
first mandatory was started that
the ryomot ers Of the enterprise had
~ Us rs u,Ss q. thei. owni r. is
not at all likely. What was TO b
, donef Just what they are all doing
, now. Borrow the necessary capi
y tai run the business economically
/ pay the interest promptly land the
{ borrowed money in reasonable
@ time. II the Pennsylvania Railroad
r one Of the greatest OF all systems
| would have waited for people tc
subscribe for stock alone, we would
n Lever have heard of the existence o.
[ it. How are all these great enter
prises brought about? A few mel
Of energy and pluck undertake tn,
I, work by banding together and form
# ing themselves into corporation
;. they issue bonds under their char
ter, throw them on the market ant
sell them to those people who start
|. ed out in a similar way and becam,
. rich, and with that capital the bust
- ness Of the world is done. In few
9 years with well managed business
:. the promoters become the Lenders
a to other borrowers and through tha
:. system the people are CONSTANT!
|, supplied with labor and means OF
earning living as the population OF
the world increases. The next argu
ment is, "thore is great deal o
: risk in it," SO there is in everything
n a man undertakes in this world. A
) farmer may start out with fn'
. stock and lose most or all of it b,
r disease among his cattle, mer
o chant may have hisrstock damage,
4 in some way entailing great loss, bu
0 where loss may occur in few cases
Q experience teaches us that the ma
:, jority of prudent men will succeed
) It is therefore only a matter of en-
|. ergy or determination to change
: dead old town to n live business
: place. Let half dozen citizens
+. make up their minds that something
must be done and go to work in deaC
). earnest and see the effect it vii
4 have in few years. Let them Sc
a lect some brand of manufacturini
. that is almost certain to pay and il
!. a year or two add something else
I and it will be but very short tim,
I till others will flock to the sam,
/ place TO locate. Who is interested
q or can be benefited by such move
a Everybody from the merchant t,
n the head of the family. 1t is not on
!. ly proper that this should be done
4 but a solemn duty we all owe to on
q families. When will Middleburgl
). awake to its duty' 1t is the first
town in the county that should on