The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-26
reason to doubt tho fulf,llment Of the


prophecy.
There Is no water system. The substi-
tute fs private tanks, supplied with water
driven by electric motors. There are
pumps all over the town, and the water
liz OF finest quality. Some Of the mer-
chants are erdeavoring now to inaugu-
rate n system Of street sprinkling The
need Of some method OF alle,ying the dust
of the streets Is urgently felt.
But such men as those who compose
the business strength OF Dmporia VIII
not long DO content with inakeshifts.
Tanks and private street sprinkling Will
have to co. and In thcir stead the town
will have It's system Of water mains and
sewerage pipes.
/ 1t may be that tt,ere are some Drn-
porlans who oppose paved Streets be-
cause to have them would be to mako
employment scnrcer for the chain-gang.
For Empora has chain-gnnE. me
sergeant and his deputy generally have
q goodly-sized gang OF unwilling WORT
ers on their hands, r1ending the streets.
Recruits are obtained from among habi-
tues of the places Of refreshments, not
soda fountains, that 30 frequently glad
den tina slight OF tho thirsty In Emporia.
For in this town Of something less than
5000 souls--men, women and children
there are no less than eleven saloons.
Ono citizen gravely Informed mo that
the town was growing betteri that TWO
saloons had closed this year. Reforma-
tlon at this speed would leave one par
man growing rich beyond tho dream OK
avarce ut tho end OF five years. and
moral suasion. Estimating that adult
males compose one-third OF tho populn-
ton OF Emporta, there Is saloon IN
town for every seventy-five OF theme II
Is certain that largo portion, perhaps
half. maybe q majority OF the men q
tlh town, nre total abstainers. II VIII
occur to tho reader that somebody ID
drinking n lot OF whiskey in this town:
I have seen no Indications OF nm unusual
amount of drunkenness. On last bathr-
day afternoon and night. for instance,
when tho town wns crowded with nhnus
from the mills. which closed Mt nal1-past
o'clock, could not find u drunken man
in town, though many had taken dritk
or more.
THE EXPLANATION.
Emporia people tell me that tho secret
of the number and prosperity OF the
saloons here Ia found In the fact that
there are none In tho county ut winch tho
men Mt tho mills may spend their money,
and there are none In Brunswick which
udiotns Greensviie on tho west. nor In
Mecklenburg. or beyond Brunswick. me
.'jug trade from Lawrencevllle and
Boydton. county seats Of BRUNSWICK ana
Mccklenburg respectively. IS very heavy.
There does not appear to be strons
local option sentiment in Emporia. ~
course, there are good people who Wish
to sec all tho saloons OF the town closed
some day, but It does not appear that
there are enough Of them to make It
probable that any strong anti-hquor cru
SADIE will DO inaugurated at an early Day
The saloons turn into the town treasury
every year the sum of $3.50.
One naturally asks, Where does I'm.
poria,s money-her wealth and general
prOsperity-come from7
The answer Is prompt: From the Woods'
Lumber tns mndc E1porin flourish
The woods OF tho surrounding county arc
full OF saw mills There are three enorr
nous box factories at the town, manu-
featuring lumber cut In the woods nearby,
and some OF tho biggest mills in this
country arc located In the pine forests
that encompass Drnporia "as tho noun
tains are round about Jerusalem" There
arc farms in the county. on which are
raised peanuts, cotton. tobacco toma-
toes for the cannery here, little corn
and truck. but lumber has mado ana Is
making the fortunes OF many enterpris-
ing men. who linking business sagaclty
and an Industry which made them WILL
inr to eat bread in the sweat OF their
faces. went into the mighty forests ana
broke the hush OF the woods with the
Inp OF the axe and the whirr OF the saw.
And Virgin!ans have done It. virginia
men ard Virginia money lof course.
there are notable exceptions) have cleared
away tho wilderness, and though they
have not turned 1t into a garden. they
have made tho woods yield wealth, ana
have helped thousands OF men and women
solve the vexing problem OF how to Keep
soul and body together.
WALTER EDWARD HARHls.