The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1910-12-21
Wise Is On the
Upward Move
Once Called a Back County"
But Now in the Front
Ranks.


now in the minds of the Wise
countyites. Wise is proud of a
citizenship with the courage TO
vote close up 20 the million
mark for building good roads.
Now watch. wait and listen,
there are surprises in this
county for many. With the
coming OF good roads it will
develop Wise county in years
gone by was known in the
Virginia Legislature as the
! Pauper county. IL was consid-
cred the poorest agricultural
county in the State, but Mr.
/ Editor. that isn't so-"not by a
Jug full" It was simply poor
farming. Wise county has
splendid agricultural soil. Ii
can bee proven by one statement.
| Ask any lumber merchant If he
ever saw "a finer grade of oak
lumber come from any section
than from Wise county; ask
him about the yellow poplar,
the hickory. etc. More feet Of
the fine lumber has been manu-
factured i'm Wise county since
the building OF the Clinch Val
LEY road than any other county
lin the State. Common sense
teaches YOU. Mr.. Editor, if no
one else. that good nmN is
mot made from chin r N
, bushes. nor does it gro~ ,
chinouapin land Wise county
will. with the completion of her
good roads. take her p ace
alongside the very best agricul
! tural soil of the State. and We
- will appear at your corn show
.. and carry oil some OF your blue
a ribbons too There are thous
Iands and thousands of acres OF
J., fine farming land in Wise
y county. waiting only the toucf
=. of the scientific farmer. lt hat
' been tested right here IN NOR
ton, the finest gardens the ey'
:. ever beheld are made here
y Truth rs. the old citizens o
p Wise didn't know what the.
81, had. and didn't know what G
= do with " hat little they had
" / Clear up patch and scutt II d
\. corn year IN, year out, until
PC was dead as door nail, an
" then clear another. One ol
citizen showed the writer
- piece of ground which ne sal
. he cultivated IA corn for
~, wears successively and prett
4, tolerably successful too, l
~ said. for he got "a fair "crap
- the 2l years. Why, such scu
~ fin as that would wear out Il
pigeon roost.
h It may not be general
q known when YOU clear up IN
~ ~ white oak, hickory and popl
= land and give 10 "a show, lt SO
- itself splendidly in grass. Al
people of ~ Use knew not ho
60 wisely they were building VIII,
on the 23rd day of Novembt
'"i 1910. they voted 500 600 I
good roads. A word MOI
. There Is a cause for that vOi
az People, as "a rule, can be le
~ not driven. Drive them, a.
p war and destruction follow
oO lead them and the wand
-, II, prosperity will touch the lar
III For some years past, since
r. railroad came, NEARLY 2Oyear
~ the men Of money who Cal
m ~. here, the men of brain, the m
- of intellect, were men of pub
fo q spirit, the rest followed. TIVE
'O' " years ago you couldn't ha
gotten Wise county TO ha
voted 81, 600 for good roads,
YOU let a few leading cItize
who are successful, say in "
Who county or any other cOun
'om take a stand for or against,
fire matter what the enterprise,
was they go the majority will
X a low. Why, they will vote
on let the devil in or drive
nty, out, just as these infiuen
had men saw, some men will ca
rev. pretty big responsibilities ul