The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-09-26
A DEAD TOWN.
HOW TO WAKE IT UP AND MAKE IT
THRIVE.
Some Wise Suggestions from a Wes-
tern nan-Wake Up, Dead Towns,
and Become Blessing to Your Peo-
pie and Section-Public Spirit and a
Little Capital Will Do the Business.
Manufacturers Record.1


pointed out how, from lack of energy
and enterprise and because of the work
OF the neverdying croakers, these ad-
vantages were not utilized, and how,
because of this, the town, like hundreds
of others, was to all intents and pur-
poses dead. The Manufacturers
Record published his letter, and asked
for suggestions as to how to quicken
into life these dead towns that are a
curse to themselves and to the coun-
try. Without life they furnish no en-
ployment, no opportunities for the
young, who must either grow up in
ldleness or seek some new field in which
to find chance to work and live
Wake up, dead towns, and become
a blessing to your people and your
section!
From an Indiana subscriber to the
Manufacturers Record We have the
following letter, which we commend to
our readers, for it tells what enterprise
can do in waking dead towns to life
and creating employment for their
people:
INDIANAPOLIs, IND, August 30.
Editor Many ufacturers' Record.
In your issue of August % Mr.. L.
G. Upton, Of Loudon, Tenn, asks how
to wake a dead town. 1 want to say
that never learned of a town that did
''wake up'' until every inhabitant took
a financial interest i'll some manner,
usually by aiding some factory enter
prise, or through advertising and con-
tinuOus advertising, not for week, but
for years in selected advertising me-
diums. A good medinm costs money,
but we get what we pay for every time.
| believe the Many fdcturers Record has
been and is today, doing more for the
advancement Of Southern interests than
all other papers and magazines COM
bined. | take it and read it, and my
neighbors come and borrow it, and when
they return it one would think it had
been used for ten years. AS result
of the Manufacturers Record being in
my home, | took an interest IN large
orchard company at Marshallvtlle, Ga,
called Red Clay Orchard Co. Mine is
only one case, for my copy OF the Man.
ufacturers' Record has been the means
of causing Northern capital to 60 South
to the amount of $25, 900. l am an
Indiana man, and SO are all my invest
ing friends. Now, there are thousands
of dollars of Northern capital lying in
the banks and safety vaults not only in
indianapolis, but in all large cities, only
waiting favorable opportunity for in
yestment. But those towns wanting
financial aid must first show their own
confidence by leading off, then the out
side capital will follow. Let me tell
your readers that in Indiana in seven
years time there were raised bonuses
| aggregating upwards OF sl,OO0,OOO i'll
| only twelve towns. What did these
towns dos Why they gave this money
| to factories that had dcapital ofover $40,
100000, employing upward OF 10000
hands, a weekly payroll of $4OO, ,OOO
and an animal output Of products ex'
ceeding the amount of capital stock
| know a small town Of 1900 souls which
wanted a factory, and wanted 1t badly
A meeting of business men was called
fifteen were present; out of the fifteen
a self-constituted committee was appoin
ted on ways and means to getup a sub
scription. One man who owned 20(
acres of land offered to donate forty
| acres valued at $4,000. His offer wa
accepted, the land was plated, an'
within three days every person able t.
buy lot Except an occasional croaker
whom we have with us as well as tn
flea and serpent in every town. bough
of these 100 lots, and raised sic, 200 il
easy payments. Two years ago tina
town did not circulate $1,000 month
including every store; today they pa
out in wages over $4,000 per week 70
help alone, and another big plant
building, while new stores and dwelling
arc going up on every hand. More over
eyery man, woman and child feels tn
beneficial effects of the distribution {
money, and no one wanting work
idle. You gay you can't do the sam
thing. and can't get the factory if 20
would? You can't do anything unles
YOU try. While en- route South las
month l noticed many idle "hands
lounging around stores and holding
post down-big men playing marble:
others playing chess, shooting craps
! men who looked to me as if they Aa
! brains for better business, and shoul
; be earning something for themselve
and their families. Some say they hav
no means. Then let tow that hay
means join hands and start the ba
rolling; get your advertisement started
t. announce to the world that your tow
is there, and let every soul that enjoy
If the towns privileges be instructed
. talk out in meeting, in the country,
,ss other cities, everywhere, that yoVr tow
is awake, and that il IS tha place
D live III and invest money in. and th'
your people are enterprislng aud tu
of push. Sometimes it pays 10 engas
: an experienced promoter, but NAL
sure Of your man; he can only aid
securing industrial enterprises. WIFI
South early this year ! had the pleasu
of meeting several distinguished gentl
men who are doing what the lNanmfae
urers' Record is accomplishing and a
vocating, viz, inducing settlers ana ca
italists to come aoSth. 1t looks Iii
the capitalists and settlers were dol,
it with a good will. Gov. w.
Northen is doing good work, SO also
) Hon. J. L. Hand. Of Pelham. Ga.
.s believe Senator Hand will succeed
securing the location of large SAINT