The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-01-31
Letter to the Chronicle.
Dear Bro. Chronicle:

to loose by trying. One thing speaks
volumes for Colfax. 1t is self-made
town. It's people have madeit. That
is always the best. Self-made men
are always the best; SO, too, with
towns. And in this Colfax is an ex
ception to the rule down South. Gen
orally speaking our old Southern peo-
Die wait for the Northern man to
come down and wake them up. And
they wait for Northern people to come
and build up their towns and country,
too. Generally we old-time Southern
ers are slow and pokey. We lack en-
ergy, new ideas, and rustling quail
ties. lam glad to see and know that
Colfax is a conspicuous exception to
the rule. If it will continue on the
line begun it's future is nothing but
good.
We were glad to go over the new
court house with that very polite Col
fax gentleman, Capt. Charley Teal.
The house is beauty, and seems to
be a solid piece of work. While it
may be large enough now, it is likely
to be little cramped and narrow
when Colfax gets a decade or two
ahead. But we are not to borrow
trouble. 1t gets here soon enough
any time, and all the time.
And Capt. Charley Teal takes a
commendablepride in showing up the
town. This is all right. Charley
Teal is a real promoter. He belongs
to thatsor who make something out
of nothing. If we had three men like
Charley out in Texas, we could start
the young Chicago of the Southwest.
These promoters are real benefactOrs,
but generally they have to fight the
razOrbacks, and the mOssbacks, and
all the rest of the backs, setbacks and
drawbacks.
/ was real glad a few years ago
when / heard that Colfax had natural
gas. And / was glad to hear that it
flowed spontaneously from the
ground. Capt. Charley had been fur
nishing it so long that was relieved
tor Charley's sake, and l felt then that
the town would come. The fact is,
Charley Teal and a natural gas well
all in the same town are a bonanza
1t has either to expand or explode.
1t will show up or blow up. There is
nothing like real live promoter.
Then there is the new school build
ing. 1t is a handsome thing, and
will prove a great promoter, too.
Then there is the new bank, and the
splendid new brick store houses. Even
Bob LeSage has a move on him.
Strange to.say. Bob has about as
neat and good a plant as see be-
tween Shreveport and Alexandria. ]
am quite sure if Bob LeSage can ex-
pand this way, the leanest and hun
griest man i'm the settlement ought
not dispair. While there is life there
is hope.
l used to visit Don Cameron in his
meek little cot down on the river front
l see Don has reversed ends with the
town, and has an up-to-date home
out on the boulevard. Harve Will
hanson has started up, too, by add
ing an upper story. This makes his
home show up finely. Houses like
men get top heavy sometimes. We
hope this will not come to Harve OF
his home. Harve's home was OuI
| first home in Colfax.
Weare glad, too, to see the Chronicle
still navigating the stream of news
paperdom. Any man who edits a pa.
per as long as my good friend, Good
wyn, ought to get to heaven. The
perils of paperdom are prodigious, as
well as precarious and perplexing
About all the editor gets enough o.
on an average is criticisms and hard
times, and hard times and criticisms
The people ought to stand by theiI
paper, for in SO doing they are stand
ing by their town.
We own, and edit, and run three pa
pers out in Texas, and have a bid fol
the fourth. We are trying to help
along the people and the towns, and
the public good in general. Still there
are a whole lot of people you have to
carry-just carry. But we have such
people in Texas. Poor people, poor
ways, poor ideas. In general they
are among the razorbacks and moss
backs, and they are always with the
setbacks and drawbacks, and o
course you have to carry them. It'll
that way in Texas.
l see where man in New York TIT
other day sold nm idea he had for ont
million ofdollars. Heis an electrician
He sold the idea and walked off will
the cash. If whole lot of our peopl,
in Texas were to enter the marke
a.