Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1906-02-13
1T is UP TO
THE PEOPLE.
G4
HopkinsviIle Can Have a
$500, 1000 Cotton Mill
If She VIII.
7 PER CENT GUARANTEE
An Enterprise That Will
Give Employment to
4 200 People.

What promises to be of supreme
importance to the city has mani
tested itself since our last edition,
though without going into details,
we could have enlightened our read
ers in Saturdays edition had we not
been under a pledge to keep dark"
until the light was turned on Friday
night.
Mr.. J. c. Clair, connected with
the Illinois Central Railroad system,
as stated in our Saturdays issue,
was in the city at the request of our
most progressive citizens to look
over the city and confer with our
citizens as to what inducements
would be offered the projectors to
locate a large cotton mill here.
The Commercial Club, true to the
purpose of the organization, was
only too glad to make its initial
move for the development Of Greater
Hopkinsville, and in conjunction
with the gentlemen who invited Mr..
CLAIR and Mr.. H. H. Homer, Of Bos-
ton, to come here and look over the
territory and feel the public pulse,
encouraged by the local Elks in al
lowing the use of their home for the
conference. stepped to the front and
showed.thatit isin earnest and deter
mined to do what it can in inducing
outsiders" to come here and invest
their capital.
Without trying to exploit some-
thing that might be without merit,
but only to give our people a chance
to help themselves, Mr.. Clair, who
is a logical reasoner and practical
business man combined, had face
to-face talk with the more pro-
grossive element of our business
men and citizens. He was here
for business and was talking to bust
ness men. He has no idea of de-
ceiving the unwary or anyone else.
To be brief, the substance of
Messrs. Clair and Homer's propo-
sition to our city is this: A cotton
mill worth 100000 or more will
be located here if the people will
take $8O.OO0 of the capital stock
Eastern capitalists to take the other
$120, 900. Seven per cent. annual
dividend will be guaranteed on the
investment. There will be five di-
rectors. three to be chosen by the
Eastern capitalists and two by the
local. This is the offer and simple
enough for anyone to understand.
The question has been asked,
why will an Eastern company that
can guarantee such dividend want
our people to take some of the
stock?" A very pertinent question,
surely. This question has been
freely discussed, and we leave our
readers to make their own answers.
The question has been asked, also,
''Why should any company or corpo-
ration come here for business with
out we have something to offer
them?" Make your own answer.
Question 3. "Can our people af-
ford to put up $4,000 of their
money into the hands of unknown
men who will have entire control Of
it for all time or until it goes into
the hands of a receiver"
Question A. why should not
these gentlemen initiate the ex-
ample of the Imperial Tobacco Co.
and plank up the cash for their in
dustry, and not call on our people
for aid?" That question is with our
readers.
We do MT propose to answer these
question, for we do not intend to in :
any one. were it possible, u
put his money in anything that I
might prove to be. a sink-hole withsy
out bottom that might GO into :ie
hands Of a receiver in a few years.
We much prefer to tell what "other