The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1910-12-14
Campaign of
c. c. & o.
To Bring SouthernerS Back
Home.

Tennessee, assistant industrial
agent Carolina, Clinchfield aud
Ohio Railway, writes to the
Manufacturers Record as fol
lows:
"The Carolina, Clinchfield &
Ohio Railways back home
plan of immigration is an effort
10 induce some of the thousands
who have gone inso the North
west and Canada so return TO
their former homes IN the
Southern States. This has also
led us TO employ all possible
means 90 discourage a further
outgo of people from our terri
tory. While our participation
in the revenues divided by the
railroads from the travel of
people going West Is compare
lively small, IL IA something.
and If we were successful IN
stopping the movement entirely
1--WE hope 20 10 this, the direct
loss would be cOLsid Srabie in
the course of "A year, but from
the standpoint OF freight ton
mage we consider the loss Of
these people as producers Is
many times greater than their
passenger fares TO the West
amount TO on any Southern
railroad
Looking at it from the stand
point of our people, we take the
position that the combination
Of cheap and productive lands,
favorable climate and nearness
70 pOpulOus cities and industrial
districts now open 60 them
makes opportunities which
cannot be found anywhere IN
the West or Canada. Therefore
both for those who should come
back home and for victims OF
the w estern fever we are
convinced that the South today
is the very best possible country
for them TO live in. Many whC
have gone West are writing Us
TO this effect, and others whC
have already come back hom,
confirm this conviction. Tn,
primary essential 10 profitable
farming is "a good market and ,
quick delivery of products. In
the West the cities and indus
trial districts are very distan
from the cheap farming lands
which fact consumes the profit
by freight charges. But even
ia farming country compare
lively close TO the cities aud L
the mining and numbering sec
tions in the We the mass o
land Is SO extensive that thes
markets are quickly OversuI
piled and the farmer is CON
PEELED TO find an outlet for hi
surplus at distant points or ! =
his labor entirely. And whe
he sends his products 10 thes
points the profits are PRACTICAL
absorbed by the railroads an
commission men. Here all
different. Cities and towns al
close together, and an immens
consuming population is IN tf
mining districts of the Virginia
and Eastern kentucky, in tf
cotton mills of the CarOlinas,
the numbering regions, and 81
great cities of the Atlant
States-Baltimore, Philade
phia, New York and Bostol
with their teeming millions, a
within "a few hours haul.
the matter of distance alone u
fruit and livestock producer {
our cheap mountain lands h;
as great an advantage over I'll
W esterner as an absolute
prohibitive tariff wall cou
give him. He can take al
hold these Southern and Eas
ern markets if every acre
the Northwest were given
settlers free of charge al
irrigation thrown in.
Railway managements
the South have been dividil
their efforts in this matter
immigration. Through tn,
industrial departments tn
have spent a great deal
money TO induce settlers TO Ia
mp lands and supply the near
markets. but their passene
departments have been just
alert TO aid the w estern ra