Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-03-16
SMALL INDUSTRIES WHAT WE
SHOULD REACH FOR,


The people who pay attention to the
small things of life, and attend to
them properly, are generally the
ones in the end who accomplish the
great things. Those who are always
longing for great opportunities and
neglecting the small opportunities as
a class accomplish nothing. They are
simply a dissatisfied, disconnected and
useless lot who lay on luck" the
responsibility for ill-fortune that is
attributable only to themselves.
Communities being but aggregations
of individuals, whatever applies to the
individual character applies with full
~ as much force to the community.
The spirit of the individual if applied
to the community, brings like results.
The community that is waiting for
great things to turn up and not avail
ing itself of the small opportunities
within its grasp is not likely to ever
see the great aspirations realized.
The bulk of the great industries ell
this country had their origin in small
beginnings. The Baldwin Locomotive
Works started with a few hands. To-
day it employs ten or twelve thousand
highly skilled mechanics. The Disston
Saw Works, now with four thousand
men on its pay rolls, began its exis-
tence in a cellar with the founder and
one boy at work. And so with the
vast majority of the other leading in
dustries. They are all exempIifica-
lions of the old adage that Great oaks
from little acorns grow" In the
South the majority of the large cot
ton mills started on a small scale
and expanded their plants out of the
profits of their business.
TtIs mistake we are making in
Americas is aiming at too big start.
We expect to begin with half million
dollar plants, as if they grew on
huckleberry bushes and were to be
picked for the having. AS a matter OF
fact, what we should be aiming for is
a diversification of industries, on a !
small scale. What we should seek
is not one mammoth plant, although
that would of course, be very wei
come, but number of small indus
tries, employing limited capital and
few hands, but with a prospect Of
growing into industries Of Importance.
A hosiery mill with $4,000 to $50, 900
capital, broom factory with $4,000
to $4,000 capital, a wo enware fac
tory with $4,000 capital, a mattress
factory with few thousand dollars in
it's service, a harness and saddlery
works also giving employment to
dozen or more hands-these and 9th
ers suggest themselves as industries
that might be established here on a
modest scale and with a fair prospect
Of flourishing and becoming perma-
nent factors in the city's growth.
It is sheer folly to sit still, await
ng for a 100000 cotton factory. To
be very candid, We don't believe the
lalf million dollar cotton factory IS
anywhere in sight But there is no
reason apparently why a number of
small industries should not be encour-
aged, why they should not be estab-
ished here and developed. That is the
rue way to build up the city indus
rally, and it is probably the only
way we can hope to see Americas ex-
1and into manufacturing city of i'm i
'ortance. Don't let us get our minds
% full of a half million dollar mill
hat we fail to see that the small
,lants are the ones that we should
each out for, and in keeping our eyes
let on glittering prize away off
n the distance neglect the real oppor-
unities that surround us.
tn rT-pE A C0TnrN ONE nav