The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-28
Town Building.
Mobile Item.


 Under the heading, Making a Town," The Montgomery Advertiser says some good things that are not only applicable to Mobile and Montgomery, but to every other city and, town in the State and the South, The best point in The Adver- users uttcrances is that it takes small as well as. large industries to make prosperous manufacturing town.
 Prosperous cities and towns are built up in the same manner as are prosperous private undertakings, and generally from small beginnings that grow and expand to most satisfactory proportions under broad and liberal management. A city or town can no more be expected to make advancement and carry burden of par simony than can private individual be expected to prosper by mean, skinfiint policies. In the first case, those of the outside who would come to city with their money and energy, will avoid the city or town whose citizens are out with pelting knives prepared to skin every stranger who enters their gates. and that city will continue to drag on at the rear If the procession, while others forge to the front In the second case the private individual is generally forced out of busi- ness by the sheriff, or dries upon the withered stalk of time until his bones rat tie like peas poured on a drum-head.
 The Advertiser calls attention to a case to which we refer an example. The Ad- vertiser says:
 We should take advantage of every opportunity that offers for the location of new industries in our midst, and The Advertiser desires to commend the action of the City Council in selling lot in the northern portion of the city to a citizen of Selma It is his intention to put up a small plant, which will work ip iron and steel but small beginnings often make big endings We ought not to stand out for the last pound of flesh in dealing ! with those who propose to put money and manufacturing skill here. If we are ever to have town where the people are busy he Incl Of eli ant he | in the year, we should meet all intending | investors more than half way. If we stand out and try to drive hard bar gains. those who otherwise would plant here will pass us by and seek another To- cation" {
 In a city not a thousand miles from Mo- bile and Montgomery, but a great deal further removed from coal fields and roll ing mills, a few years ago a firSt-claSs machinist, a practical man. called upon capitalist who owned a vacant lot near the main line of a great North and South Railroad. The propositiaon was made to buy the lot on time and establish there upon small shop for the repairing of machinery. The capitalist was favorable in his price and terms upon the property, and the deal was made and the machin- ist went to work. For time he struggled on, gaining just a little but his business gradually prospered, finally attracting the attention of others, and a small stock company was organized, and the business grew rapidly. Today there stands upon this property to which it was necessary to add a number of lots, a half-milllon dollar plant encased within a magnificent three-story iron and stone building, and the output of these engine works are shipped to many of the leading. cities oi the North and East, notably recently an engine and heating apparatus for one of the Government buildings in Washing ton City. and throughout the South and far West, to say nothing of engine and saw mill machinery for the Central and South American countries, probably some of which latter shipments have passed through Mobile. The monthly receipts and payrolls of this establishment are now not covered with less than five fg- ures
 These are not imaginary accomplish ments, but facts. and go to show what the city referred to would have missed had this single capitalist applied the skin ming knife to the mechanic who asked aid in the esta ablishment of small enter prise which is so short a time was des- tined to make of that city one of the most noted manufacturing centers of the South.
 These are facts worthy the considera- tion of capitalists of Mobile Montgomery and every other city and town in the State or the South.