The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-19
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. NOTES


often many of US are taken in bv
the glowing accounts of other cities
or by some wonderful description of
the Land of Gold" to the west. Our
young men have been going to the
west by thousands. In the last fifty
years, it has been estimated. two mill
hon and a half young men left the
south alone for homes in the west.
"A tremendous financial loss to every
section. Not only that, but many of
them left opportunities far greater
than they will ever find in western
fields and some Of them will return
later only to discover their mistake
when it is too late.
The west, today, is realizing that
she no longer has an undisputed
neid' but that the south is coming
into her own and that every inch Of
ground is to be fought over. Not only
is the south to hold her youth at
nome but she is crossing the border
and fighting for new blood, new set
tiers and is inviting capital into the
rlcn fields Of the south for invest
ment. No section Of the entire coun-
try today offers any greater oppor-
tunities than the southland. Realiz-
ing this, the west is raising great
sums Of money to advertise her ad-
Vantages as never before. Last year
1lS commercial clubs of Oregon lea
gued together and spent $4,000 in
advertising alone. This year they
have raised $2OO,O 900 for like purposes
to be spent in the next two years.
Every State in the west is doing the
| same thing. They have learned by
years Of experience, the value of Sc
curing our young men to build up
their lands.
Our State and county has thousands
Of acres Of untitled or only partially
developed lands. All these are value
less unless exploited. We must i'm
press upon the world the desirable
| ity Of living in South Carolina. If
there is an influx of the right kind Of
people Of South Carolina our un-
| developed resources will cease to be
| problem. Many of our lands are
devoted to the raising of one crop
alone which would be made far more
| profitable with some other crop The
! peach lands of Oregon are selling as
high as $1,000 per acre and the ap-
pie lands with orchards as high as
$4,000.
We must, therefore. let the world
know what we have to offer. The re-
sources of South Carolina are little
known outside the State itself. 1t is
| known only as cotton State. While
! other States in the west have been
advertising their opportunities to the
| world we have been contented to sit
by and permit them to take our
youth and energy from us. west
erner never lets an opportunity pass
| to advertise his section. He has
| learned his story we'll and has told
it so often that he actually believes
that his home is a veritable paradise.
Great States and great cities have
been built by this very method. We
can do the same and when he writes
us of mis- wonderful country, write in
| return Of ours. When he talks Of
his splendid opportunities, invite him
TO your land Of greater opportunities.
You have advantages that he never
can have. He may have those that
you have not, but he has no mo-
nopoly.
The Chamber Of Commerce needs
the cooperation of every citizen in
this work. Each can do his part
though it be small. 1t is the aggre-
gate of this effort that counts. The
| Chamber has many plans for adver-
tisng this city and county and in
| Nites your aid. 1t needs a statement
Of the number Of employees in the
whole city with the total wages paid.
Also the total amount of business
| done in 1910. These statements will
| only be published in the aggregate
Some time ago the Secretary sent out
200 letters requesting this informa-
| ton and received 10 replies. 1t is
! information that is badly needed and
can be secured in no other way ex-
| cept at considerable loss Of time. The
Chamber proposes to publish a book
let in the near future giving all these
facts and statistics with photographs
| of our principal industries, buildings