The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-03-20
Opportunities for Home Capital.

The purchase Of estates in George
lively, by I. E. Emerson and H. O..
Havemeyer, Northern capitalists, is
by no means Objectionable; it is rath-
er gratifying that South Carolina is
attracting immigrants Of this class,
even if they do not spend their whole
time in or become citizens Of the
State, but it ought to point a lesson
to South Carolinians. These wealthy
| men bring money into the State and
! they will hasten the development Of
South Corolina recources, but their
investments emphasize the advice Of
The News and Courier to our own
people to buy lands. Lands which are
| chiefly desirable now for hunting pre-
serves will be valuable for plantations
in very few years, and shrewd
Yankees" eve employ the term with
affection) know it. They know that
with the whole country advancing
with astonishing celebrity, there can be
no possible danger Of loss on purchases
of real estate at the trifing prices
that it now commands in many parts
of South Carolina.
What we would urge is that our
ties that the Emersons and Havemey-
ers, and others who have boght lands
in former years have seen, and they
that act upon them. Twenty years
ago wealthy men were uncomm On
men in South Carolina, but now there
are many hundreds whose fortunes
amount to from 100000 to S1,000,-
900. They live in Charleston, Spar
tanburg, Greenvil:e, Richland, MARI
boro, Orangeburg, Sumter and in all
the counties. Any man who has such
fortune can afford to invest in land,
and the man who does will secure for
his family kind of property that
cannot be lost by nlisnlanagement or
by any kind Of disaster known to this
part of the world. The man in mod
crate circumstances must, as rule.
confne his real estate purchases to
properties to which he can apply his
own business direction and industry,
but the wealthy man, even if he do
not receive a return from land pur-
chases sufficient to pay the taxes, will
reap large profits in the enhancement
Of values, which is as sure to come
as that sunrise shall follow sunset.
We are saying this simply and sole
own people, n preference to stran-
gers, obtain the large rewards that
are in easy reach. We bear no
grudge towards outsiders who We're
wise enough to come into South Caro-
lima and buy timber lands; they have
helped the State and they are excel
lent citizens, but the same opportuni-
ties are offering even now in land
that were offered in timber few
years ago, and if South Carolinians
do not take advantage of them, they
will have themselves to blame.
We should like to witness a gen.
eral movement on the part Of capital
lists of Greenville, Spartanburg, Co.
lumbia, Charleston and other cities
to investigate the lands Of the State
chases. It goes without saying that
the man in moderate circumstances
and the poor man are not advised to
sell their holdings, bu> we wish that
those lands owned by persons whe
cannot afford to hold them longer
could be bought by our own people.
Meantime, we welcome the coming
of the rich Yankees, the more the
better, for they sharpen the demand
for lands; which makes it easier for
the poor to retain those that they
now have, but our own wealthy men,
who are on the ground, who know
the State, should "get into the game"
with them; for the profits are certain;
there is practically no element Of
speculation in it. Why do not our
prosperous planters, cotton mill pres
idents, bankers and lawyers form real
estate companies in all parts Of
South Carolina
Why do they slumber while great
rich slices of South Carolina territory
are slipping away-given away
News and Courier.
*You should be very careful OF your