Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-02-11
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY IL, 1897.
F-SUSTAINING.

pendent and happy they will be. No sub
stantial prosperity will be found where
moreis expended than is earned, while
the community which earns more than it
spends is always found in a sound finan-
cial condition. No country on earth pos
sesses more fully the essential requisites
for being selfsustaining than Tazewell
county. 1t has an industrious and intclli-
gent population, healthful, invigorating
climate, and a soil that is of maEyelous
fertility. The close proximity of the rich
Flat Top coal fields, which furnish an
excellent home market for our farmers, is
also great benefit. With these favorable
conditions existing, as a matter of course,
there is considerable degree of prosper
ity and independence found in the county.
The prosperity, however, does not meas
ure up with the favorable conditions that
surround the county. There may be sew
eral reasons for this, but the chief one,
perhaps, is that the farmers of the county
buy a great many things they ought to
produce, and do not raise a surplus ofother
things that the non-agricultural citizens
would consume if they could buy them
from our own farmers. For instance,
Tazewel is not raising enough wheat to
supply its own people with bread. We
have no means or statistics by which we
can determine positively what amount of
flour is brought here or the number Of
bushels of foreign wheat that is purchased
by the mills in the county; but we are
safe in saying that at least one-half of the
wheat bread consumed is made from
wheat which is grown outside of the coun-
ty. a number of farmers argue that it
does not pay to raise wheat 1t pays to
raise it rather than to buy bread from
abroad. The county for many years not
only raised its own bacon but had sur
plus which was sent out and sold in other
places. Now the county does not produce
Dear erouob bacon for IFS own consump-
ton, very large part of that consumed
being brought from the West.
The cattle, lambs, hay and other prod
ucts which brings so much money into the
comfy would benefit the people great
deal if so mach was not sent out again for
bread, meat and other things that ought
to be produced at home.
We recently came across an article
which appeared in the columns of the
Columbia s. g. Telescope, of the 22nd
of April, 1925, from which we quote the
following
The most important event that has oc-
cured to the Southern States, III the last
five years. is the late extraordinary rise in
cotton which is now risen in six weeks,
from / ) to % cents-120 per cent. To our
farmers this occurrence is of the utmost
importance, but it will prove blessing as
it IS prudently used.
Let US, then, be warned by recent eXpe-
rience and reason. x x X While we
pay due attention to tie cultivation of cot
ton. let us not neglect the grain crop
which must supply our own consumption.
Let us pay strict attention to our stock Of
hoes and cattle. Let us ride our own
ponies and drink at our own pure f0unt-
aims. For it is a solemn fact that in 1917
and 1878, when our cotton was worth
above so cents that the whole crop Of cot
ton made in South Carolina, would not
paw for the luXuries brought from the
West Indies, manufactures from Europe,
notions from the Eastern States, corn from
the Middle States, and hogs and cattle
from the Western States. 10 conclude,
we sum all in the following:
LIST. Get out of debt while your property
will bring its full value, and stay So
Cd Make all within yourself which you
have TO consume at home.
Sd. Sell all you make to spare, and
then lay out the proceeds on substantial
property"
This article appeared in the Telescope
more than seventy years ago, but the
principles it enuciates apply with full force
to our condition now Our people have
been carried away too much by the prof
its of cattle and sheep raising, Of produc-
ing and shipping hay and cutting and
selling timber Ali these industries should
be continued in full force, but if all the
farmers of the county, large and small,
would turn their attention heartily to the
effort of making all the bread and bacon
which our people consume, less money
would go away and prosperity would be
more marked.
Since the above was written and put in
type we have been told that Capt c. A.
Fudge says that there werebrought TO Taz-
ewell County last year one hundred car
loads of -four. Each car load contained
two hundred barrels, AID estimating the
cost at $500 per barrel the county will
pay out this year about 100000 for flour,
if it imports as much as it did during the
last year. This will wipe out all the profits
made by the graziers on their cattle and
sheep in 1897.