The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-24
THREE THINGS THAT PUT OK
FORD on 4 PERMANENT
BASIS.
BAD EFFECTS OF THE BOOM FAVE GONE
The Progress and Success of 0xford's Famous
Educational Institutions. Its Care of
the Orphan ChiIdr of
Both Races.

ueHce.J-bISlneSS called me tG
this good old-new town today, and it was
pleasant after the matter Ia hand had
been disposed of to meet again
some of the men who are making o.
ford keep up with the process On. OK
ford had boom" some years ago. /
do not know anything that can do a
country property is put ON the market
at town prices. Oxford's boom came
along with those in the Virginia towns.
People who had been content with
eight per cent suddenly began to dream
of fifty or one hundred per cent. Whe l.
ever you hear man talking about
an enterprise or an investment that
IS to double ones money, put it down
that he is an enthusiast, fake, or
he belongs to a trust or something that
has a 'swig" to it. Ordinary investments
do not pay .'big rich,' and since got
caught to small amount in Virginia
boom deal, / run fromsa promoter as
from a pestilence. The famous South
sea bubbles were nothing in comparison
to the land deals that capered over the
country until the Sherman Purchasing
clause panic struck them hard, and fiat
tened them out so that you could hardly
see where they had sprouted except
for the wrecks that strewed the ground.
1t was in that delirium and craze of
getting rich in day, that Oxford
received its first check in its steady
and substantial growth. A syndicate
here, composed of honest men who be-
lieyed that Oxford was ready to be-
come city in day. obtained some
of the best property in the town and
adjacent to it, divided it up into lots, let
the lot holder draw for an old-time
Southern mansion. and the others TO
receive a fine lot for residence and
manufacturing purposes. 1t was a beau
tiful scheme-7on paper. | was one OF
the early BIRDS TO buy a lot / got
in ON the ground floor" and when |
was notified that my lot was number
one thousand and something, | felt the
first pulsations of being real-estate
millionaire. | stayed awake at nights
deyiSing plans of what [ would do ON
the profits of the lot / had drawn A
few days thereafter, | asked friend
who was coming here on visit to go
over the property, look at my lot, and
let ME know its market value. Mind
you, | had no idea of selling it unless
it would bring $1,000 TO $6,00O-not
much. But | wanted to 'brag" over the
big price | had been offered 1t is a
great sensation to buy thing cheap,
he offered a good advance and to decline
it, 1t makes enc feel very rich. After
wards when you try to sell that very
property at cost, and cannot get a bid
der, and finally let it go for taxes,
well-'.its very different in the morn
ing
My friend went out to find my lot,
and this is what he wrote:
Dear Sir:
Il have spent the day trying to find
your lot. The best | can make out, it
is situated somewhere between Oxford
and Raleigh. l cannot say whether
it is in Granville or Wake Can get
no offer on it at this time.
"a"
And thus vanished my first and last
hope of getting rich.
That "boom" hurt Oxford, and it
took some yeans to recover from the
effects of it. But it has not only re-
covered fully, but has come to he one
of the State. Oxford mas three things
that make it certain that it will always
be an important place.
i. Good people. You may talk about
this or that making a good town, but
the foundation for permanent growth
of the right kind is good folks. They
must be of the right stuff, and they
are greater factors than money or ma
chimes, necessary as these are.
=. Good schools. Bill Arp says that
the chief business in life is raising chill
dren, and that everything else lis Incl
dental The man runs store or a
bank or a shop. What for@ To get
children. Bill Arp is eternalIy right
about that. Oxford is the ideal home
for man with family to educate. 1t
has long been called 1.-THE Athens of
North Carolina" 1t. has more claim
to that title now than ever before in
its history.
3. Good climate. You cannot do your
best work unless the air is Iiire, and
bracing, the water refreshing, and tine
climate free from malaria or other de-
bilitating germs. | use that word
because it is always safe to use the
doubt what word to use.
This trinity of advantages guarantees
Oxford's future growth on permanent
basis. 1t lacks i'll large manufacturing
establishments, having no great factory
except Taylor and Cannady's carriage
factory which Is working large force
of hands and selling bttggies all over
the State There is talk Of a 100000
cotton factory and the indications are
that it will be built within the next
year.
In mentioning Oxford's three advan-
tages, did not include it's churches,
because no town could have good schools
and good men without churches. They
are instparable. Whenever you say
that town is peopled by good men
you have virtually said that these good
men have built good churches. A few
years ago the Baptists finished hand
some brick church here, the Episcopal
lians are completing model stone