The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-09
CHANGE SELDOM CALLS AT ANY MANS
DOOR MORE Than ONCE.
Having Allowed One Good Man to Go Else
where to Build a Cotton Mill, Shall we
Turn Away Another Mill that is Just in
Sight?

Ahhariue cn q have a new cotton mill, if we So will il, and if
we give the touch of the elbow to those who would take the ieao' great
oood will come to this town and every citizen will be benefited.
There is no estimating the the value of a cotton mill 70 a
From the biggest landowner to the least merchant; rom ne ogees'
bank to the humbest laborer, every man in the town Will De 'nc'
dentallv. if not directly, benefited. Certainly none Of the older clu-
zens need proof of this statement. At the time When tne AooeVMe
Cotton Mill was started, counting little shops and canoy oootns'A 'O
vile had sixteen stores. Real estate was worth little or notnlpg' Viz
could hardly be sold at any price. The rents OF store houses "ete
low and dwelling houses we've almost given away to caretakers.
We all know that countless numbers of store houses ehln
have been built
We had almost no schools and very few children to go to them
We held court in a tobacco barn.
But all things are changed now. Abbeville for fifteen years a
been progressive. 1t has been so successful that it has now become the
subject of jealousy. The progressive momentum has been great %
now, if we sit still, the pendulum may swing BACK. u o"s
may occupy houses and the hawks of the valley may come 10 "
roost on chimney tops The stranger in going through our street
may think that he has discovered a lost town.
And now, when the opportunity to take another step 1or"afu -
offered, and we refuse to- accept a new cotton mlI that may oe pre-
scented on a silver platter, the insulting and impudent little Englsh
sparrows may chirp at US and mock at US while W. sH III te sues
AS we believe, the money is in sight to secure another 10000 spin
die mill. The ability to run it is here and ready to go to work. In
fact, we have more ability than money.
But the investors of this large sum need and want assurance au
sympathy of their n%eighborsi in making so great a venture.
There are men here who can give thousands. There are e VINO
cam give one thousand. There are plenty of men who can give "
hundred. And there is scarcely a man who cannot afford TO give u
hundred dollars.
And when VIC say "give" we do not mean that any man is to lose
the amount of his subscription. There is no manufacturing enterprise
that is so safe as that of spinning and weaving into cloth the greatest
staple of this country The great and only thing TO secure, not only
the good of the presence of The mill, is abilityto take care of the office.
The making Of thread and cloth have been reduced to a science, and
there is no risk in that part of the work. The executive ability and
the good Judgment of the president will make the money. And The
president has that confidence in himself which would induce MIN &c
nut bis money into it, we can surely lend a helping hand.
When the Abbevile mill was started, we knew little or nothing
about the cotton mill business. The presidency went begging until we
induced a neighbor to put his money into an enterprise with which he
was unfamiliar as we were. So to speak, with Mr.. Vlsanska al u
lead horse, a few men with money subscribed a few shares. And then
nearly every man, even the poorest in town, subscribed for one or
more shares.
Tt was thus that Mr.. Visanska, and the multitude of poor folk
built the mill
While the Abbevine mill stock was not at a premium, yet, if there
is msn in town who regretted bis investment, we have not heard Of
him At one time, we believe, there were about one hundred stock
holders mostly owners of one, two or three shares. These shares
wares sold at from rs to go cents on the dollar, and every man felt glad
that the mill was built-loss or no loss.
IF Abbevile wants to grow, and if the people are willing to lend a
helping hand, the new mill will come.
Perhaps some of our people recollect how we, not so long ago,
withheld the necessary support to Mr.. Aug. w. Smith, who left US to
Snild q mill at Woodruff He built that mill, which Is as good as
ours,a at a cost which was greatly below the cost of our mill, and the
stock in his mill has we believe neIyeriOeen below o" It's now Sl2'
and is worth much more.
We should not let another chance pass US. This editor cares not
one cent who is the president of the proposed new mll. we only
want to know that he has the money and that he and his friends have
confidence in his ability to build and to operate the mill.
Another matter. Even if the stock goes below par, let 1t go. we
ar willing, if necessary, to lose 20 per cent of our subscription. we
would be more than repaid by the improved condition of the town.
AbbeviIe has as much ability as any town, and our people are as
public spirited as any on earth.
Stockholders may be depended upon to elect a proper board of d.
rectors, and a proper board OF directors may be depended upon to elect
the right president, and If the right president does bis duty, as we
know that he will, all will be we'll with all of US.