The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-26
A THRIVING TOWN
Wonderful Progress of
Bessemer City.
De eIOpment of Mining Resources and
Manufacturing Industries. Ad-
vanced Public School
Facilities.

Mr.. Editor: Did you have occasion
to step off the train here about fifteen
years ago? If so, you secured no sub
scribers, for there was no town here
then. Said a prominent man to me a
day or two ago: "When | came here
twelve years ago, there were seventy
five people in the place. Now, we have
q population of over twenty-five huns
dred." Yes, counting it's life in years,
il can number only about two-thirds
of what is required in the life of
man to make him free and indepen-
dent. Yet it is we'll alive, if the mum
OF machinery means anything.
This place was not originally man
ufacturing town, but miners camp
The Bessemer City Mining Company
sunk its shafts down into the earth
in search of it's hidden treasure and
found it, This name was given to the
company in honor Of Sir Henry Bes
semer, an Englishman, who in 1856
discovered a process of rapidly and
cheaply converting pig iron into steel
by blowing a blast of air through the
iron when in a state of fusion, thus
removing practically all the carbon,
etc. This company operated the mine
for time and then sold it's interests
to the Ormand Mining Company which
name Bessemer City.
About ten years ago a cotton mill
was built here. This started the town
on a boom. Within the last five years
two other cotton mills have been put
up. And now a fourth one is in the
process of erection. Thus most Of the
people here are engaged in mill work
in one form or another. What is be-
ing done here in cotton milling is just
only representative of what is being
done all over this county (GaSton.)
For there are about forty cotton mills
IN this county
Bessemer City has beautiful scenery
about it. MILESTONE mountain on the
west, Crowds mountain on the south.
and Spencer mountain TO the east
To the southwest, about five miles
away and prominently visible, il
Kings mountain. where a famous bat
tie of the Revolutionary War was
fought. A large hotel was built on
Milestone mountain years ago and
intended for u summer resort 1t is
most beautiful site for a hotel, but the
building is used for other purposes
now. From the top of this old hotel
you have view which covers about
half of Castor county, and as the
many cotton mills here and there SO
near each other send up their columns
of smoke, it makes you predict the
time when all the county Will be one
great cotton mill city.
CASTOR county is forging ahead also
along lines educational. Under the
management of the present very pro-
gressive county board of education and
the aggressive county superintendent
of schools. Mr.. f. p. Hall, public
school facilities are showing great inn
provement. Several special tax cleo
tons We're carried by good majorities
during the spring of this year.
There are several new graded schools
to open this fall.
Bessemer CITY is one of the places
that recently voted a special tax for
public schools and it's graded school
will open September 4. There was
built here last year a new school build
ing, but owing to the very rapid
growth of the town it is probable that
in the near future a large, comm odious
brick building will be erected to meet
the growing need of more school room.
This place is largely furnished with
opportunities for religious worship,
there being seven churches for white
PEOPLE, representing as many denomt-
These are Baptist, Lutheran,
Presbyterian Episcopal. Associate Re
formed PRESBYTERIAN, Methodist Pro
testant, AMI Methodist Episcopal.
The people here and all over Gas
ton county are justly proud of the pro-
gress along lines educational, indus
trial and agricultural They do not
hesitate to tell YOU that this is the
best county in the State. And l have
known of no one who came here from
elsewhere and remained as long as q
year without his saying the same thing
And, indeed, the people have made
their county worthy of the name Of the
great man for whom it was named.
JOS. E. AVENT.
Reesemer CITY n c.. July Is.