The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-02-28


length. There is a very snowy, sub
stantial club building, the Croatan,
the many rooms Of which are elegant
" furnished | had the pleasure OF
meeting several most agreeable and
elegant gentlemen there among them
my friend of Lang Syne. Capt. }. III.
b. c'Boly'D Hunt. The Federal gov
eminent has bought Il lot on which
to erect IL post office building to
cost So, 900, and no doubt will add
much to the beauty ofGarnett street.
As was said in the beginning, the
above are the principal objects OF
civic pride. Beside these there are
many beautiful churches-the pride
OF various congregations; in electric
light and power plant, roller and
grist mills: the American Cotton Oil
Company, manufacturing cotton
seed oil and commercial fertilizers;
wholesale hardware store, IL steam
laundry. loan and real estate com
panv, two cotton mills that spin
more yarn per annnm than any IN
the United States; knitting mill
which turns out a large quantity OF
underwear and hosiery: Il large ice
plant, the output Of which is com
mensurate with the wants OF not only
the city but of the surrounding cOun-
try and neighboring villages. The
town boasts an efficient sewerage
system and waterworks plant which
should have been mentioned among
the objects of ''civic pride" The
court house is Il nice SNOWY building,
we'll located and it is to be hoped
that it and the jail, especially the
Jail, is large enough to answer the
needs OF the county for many years
to come, as Vance is Il moral, law
abiding county Judging from short
terms OF the criminal courts.
One Of the institutions of Hender
son is the GOLD LEAF, now in its 18th
year, and the only newspaper pub
Iished in the county. While on tile
subject OF newspapers, If you folks
will excuse me for "butting in, | will
say even though | know, and you
know it is a platitude, that the enter
prise Of Il city is Judged, measured by
its newspapers; and the standing OF
its business men is determined by
their disposition to advertise. When
Il man wants to know what Il city is
doing he takes up the local paper
aud looks over the advertisements,
just as one who wants to know the
definition of Il word. looks at IL die
tiOnary or encyclopedia and he Is as
surely enlightened in the one case as
in the other. Put up signs on all the
the cross roads and byWays pointing
to Henderson, but when the farmer
or traveller gets there, unless you
advertise i'll the paper, he must hunt
around for what he wants, instead
of going directly to the store where
he knows from the ad he can find it.
He who does not advertise is wink
ing III the dark" let him have ever so
complete stock. He knows it; but
others must find it out. An individ-
ual advertisement reaches Jar be-
yOnd the individual in its beneficial
results. 1t spreads all over the town,
and the surrounding country and its
benefits return like echoes and re-
echoes. How, we cannot always
tell, but the experience of all success
full men has proven it to be- so. Mil
lions are made by persistent adver-
ti>ement OF worthless nOStrnmS. |
know cities that have been built up
in the last thirty five years by adver-
tisement OF Individuals, civi'. and
commercial clubs, almost under the
shadow Of old, well known cities
which had every advantage at the
start o, well. you all know all about
this and it is merely to remind you.
\ well patronized paper will be Il
good newspaper. 1t can t help being.
The publisher will take pride in Civ
ing you more than your money 5
worth and the benefit will be mutual,
individually and municipality. a
little more sleep, a little more SUM
Der, al little more folding of the arms,
etc, etc, and competition will come
like an armed man and you will
find some morning when you wake
up that your trade has been grad
ually slipping away to some little
lage that is building up under the
shadow of your court house. This
has happened Otherwhere and can be
anywhere, when enterprise plays.
These are "hustling times. y grow
ing young city, like a young man
just starting i'll business, must watch
and work like-like-well, you know,
and keep at it, in order to keep up
with the procession. Your local pa.
per is your mouthpiece, your mega
| phone, through which you call the
trade from near and afar. Don't
starve the editor else he will be toe
weak to blow" for you, keep him in
strength to hold the horn.
The dispensary is an institution ]
! never ran up against befOre,as where
| have been living there is either
straight prohibition or open saloons
do not understand how the revenue
| Is distributed, but however that may
be, believe it is Il happy compro
mise between other extremes. The eX
press offices are the dispensaries il
| prohibition counties, and get all the
benefits from the sales.
Henderson is situated on the Sea
board Air Line railroad, about 13t
miles West from Norfolk and 80 miles
North from Raleigh. While there
are other small towns between Nor
folk and Raleigh, Henderson is the
only one of Importance and, located
as it is, there is no reason why il
should not expand and become ont
OF the most (if not the mostl impor
tant trade centers in the State. 1t:
tentacles already reach in all direc
tons far beyond Il score OF small
towns, drawing in trade, even from
Virginia, across the Roanoke river
The enterprise of its citizens will con
tinue to increase and lengthen thes
| tentacleS. In this connection tn