Middletown transcript., 1911-03-18
"A R0ARA OF TRADE


knocked at her doors when the
big Moline Plow Works with 1000
or two workmen begged leave tc
come within her borders. Had
this huge plant not been driven
away Middletown would be to-day
q city second only to Wilmington
Ia size and importance. OPpor.
tunity knocked again, wishing to
locate the P. W. & B Railroad
repair shops here and got another
rebuff. So all along the decades
Of the past has this long suffering
Goddess of Fortune been knock
ing, knocking and almost al
ways, in vain.
So recently as last summer
Opportunity sent her advance
agent here in the shape Of the
Delmarvia Mfg. Co asking moth
ing buta building for their works.
For their pains-what, help-en
couragement !? No. A polite an
swer with thanks for their offer?
No-nothing-just stolid i'll man
nered nothing, not even the com
mon business courtesy Of reply
to the letter making a PROPOSE
ton to the towns advantage !!
That same mandatory was bid
for elsewhere. Another town,
Clayton, made valuable conces-
sions to get what Middletown re
fused to take for nothing.
Amazing, but a fact |! And Clay
ton is reaping due reward for
its live, progressive spirit.
One would think that Oppor
tunity in sheer disgust would
never again deign to look atsuch
q town as ours. But it has and
marvellous to say, with even re
doubled generosity.
Mr.. Louis Topkis, the well
known merchant of Wilmington,
wants to start a mandatory for
light underwear here, which will
employ 100 or more persons.
His pay roll in Smyrna for like
business is thousands yearly. He
prefers the old shirt factory to
the Parker building. Newark
wants him to come there and that |
live, growing town is bidding for
him-offering = bonus for the To-
cation there of his factory.
When the Burgess shirt factory |
was at its height here, itemploy.
ed 20 men and ITO women. Two
big hackloads of workers, 25, |
came daily over from Odessa;
Townsend sent up its quota
young women came here from
Dover, Milford, Smyrna, ETC., to
reside in order to work in the
factory.
All this can be repeated and
more, if the town will only wake
up and welcome its good fortune
instead Of lubbing it away as in
the olden days or coldly ignoring
il as in the more recent times.
This town with the tt0o manufac-
tories now seeking to locate here,
can increase its population by |
100 or more families in one year. |
Do we wish more people more
buslness-more bnilding-more
property-more money ? Then
let Us wake up and welcome those
business men who want to do US
good.
What are our leading business
men going to do about it ?
What are our Town Commis-
sioners going to do about it?
MiddletoWn has lost not few
families in the past six months.
There are IL houses and two
stores for rent in town !! It used
to be hard to find a house here.
We have spoken with numbers
Of industrious (men and women
TOO, for that mstter) who complain
bitterly that they must keep idle
hands. Others say they will have
to 60 away. More houses will
be empty and still more and the
town will 90 from bad to worse.
Over 80 Of the leading citizens
of the town, including number
Of ladies who are enthusiastic
about the ma tier, have signifed
) willingness to form and pro
mote "The MiddI etown Board Of
Trade" A notice Of q meeting
b organize the enterprise will be
given at an early day.
Ms. Cuthbert Green, Misses Ethel and
Helsn Brady viii sail Tor England Oh
May 6th, to spend ssveral months ii
Europe.
orninn News improvements