Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-04-08
MARTiNssuRe MAY PROSPER.

A force of more than thirteen hun
dred men were br3mght together on
MONDAY in opposition TO the saloon.
Can not that same thirteen hundred
men, together with a great many OF
the eleven hundred and mere who vot-
ed for the open saloon, be brught to-
gether for the upbuilding Of this city,
not only upon a higher moral plane
but from a business standpoint as
well?
This great force, cooperating, can
bring about great things in Martins
burg. There will be many who Will
decry every effcrt made for the adj
vancement of the city. There has al
ways been more or less opposition to
the advancement OF the interests of
the city by those who would not ben
eft directly There have been times
when certain propositions were favor
ed because those who were promoting
them would be personally benefited
They cared not what benefit it would
bring TO the community so long as
they personally were the gamers.
Martinsburg at one time had the OPP
rortunity of getting the Shenandoah
Valley railroad, now the Norfolk and
Western, into this city. The promoters
were anxious that the road should
come here and connect with the Cum
berland Valley. With this great south
ern feeder coming to Martinsburg in
stead of Hagerstown this point would
have had the big yards and been the
division terminal. Think of the bene-
fit the town would have derived from
this project alone.
Why was the proposed line aban.
doned and the road taken to Hagers-
town? Whose influence was chiefly
responsible in keeping the road away
from Martilsburg? Would it not have
been possible to have retained the Bal
timore and Ohio division and shops
here IL the proper spirit, cooperation
and inducements had BEEN given the
great corporation
.. These few instances will serve to
show that Marti1sburg is what the
people make It.
What might not the people make
Martinsburg IL they work together for
the accomplishment of results. Mar
tinsburg has grown and prospered in
spite of itself Its resources and en-
vironments have been such that CAPT.
tai and labor have come here with
out the hearty invitation OF the peo-
Pile
g Thule some of the people have been
laborinrg for the advancement of the
community and they have done much
for the city's mpbuilding. but what
might have been done if all the peo-
pile had entered into the movement
with a sincere desire to- advance the
prosperity of the community.
How many vacant houses are there
today? Look at the large number of
cosy, comfortable and convenient
homes that have been built in the past
few years on the new additions to the
city. All are occupied and the houses
in the older part of the city that were
at one time occupied by those who
now live in the more remote parts OF
the city are also occupied. Does
that indicate that Martinsburg is
''dead?" Is not the city a prosper
Gus one? Have VIE amy industries
that are not running full time with
orders ahead? Does that indicate
that Martinsburg is not a good manu-
featuring center,
What we have we can hold, and
with united effort for progress and
a show of the proper spirit we can
double the industries and double our
population in the next ten years.
Martinsburg people can do things.
They have been done in the past. they
can be done now and they can be dcne
in the future.