Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-08-14

|
ness Motives Inspire OriginatOrs of
Enterprising Movement Committee
Named.
There has been inaugurated recent
! ly movement in Western North Car
| oilna which unquestionably is of more
far reaching Importance than perhaps
anything which has ever been propos-
ed looking toward the benefit of this
| section of country. The above state
ment has doubtless been made CON-
corning many propositions that have
| come before the public, but it is GER
tain that this one can be substantiated
by the experience of dozens of others,
| cities and sections, who have adver
| tised and consumated Home Coming
| movements. In 1914 through the aus
pices of the Greater Western North
Carolina Association it is proposed
| that we bring back to the mountains
| of the Old North State as one grand
home coming event, literally tens of
thousands of North Carolinians who
have in the past, migrated to distant
parts all over the world.
1t was first thought that such an
event could be consumted during the
fall months of the present year, but
as the magnitude Of the occasion be-
gan to grow nthe minds of those who
were inaugurating it, it seemed avis
able to postpone it until 1914. thus
making it possible for a most extern
sive campaign Of publicity.
Last Thursday night Manager Cohen
of the Greater Western North Carroll
ma Association invited number Of
gentlemen from the various counties
in Western North Carolina to a most
delightful Dutch" supper which was
held in the banquet room of the Ian
gren Hotel at Asheville. 1t was GER
tainly delightful and long to be re-
membered occasion and fortunate in
deed were those who attended and
vere enabled to get first hand, the in
spfration of the mammouth movement
which is now under way. 1t would be
difficult to conceive of anything that
could have aroused as much enthusf-
asm and appealed to the hearts, as did
the purpose of which this meeting was
called Hardened indeed would be the
soul of men to whom the expression
'home coming" would not have pc
culiar appeal.
AS strong however as is the senti
mental side of this movement, there is
yet business feature of it which is
intensely practical. At this meeting
there were a number of gentlemen
who gave the experience of other COM
munities cities and states who have in
augurated similar Home Coming pc.
riods. 1t was shown that in many
instances the number of people return
ing actually equalled the total popu-
lation. In Lawrence, Mass, the num-
ber of people returning on similar
occasion was somethin like eight
times the present population. The
first proposition of this character was
the magnificent event Back to Old
Kentucky" 1t is estimated that hun
dreds and hundreds of thousands OF
people returned to the grand old Blue
Grass State. What other communities
have done, surely can be accomplished
here. all the more so as the Greater
western North Carolina Association is
organized Sust for these large and ben
eficial undertakings.
The event is to be a great Home
Coming to the mountains OF the Ola
''Tar Heel state of all those VINO nave
left since the civil. war. Few people
realize how large number OF people
have left this section during the las
fifty years. The chances are that the
number of those who have left, IN.
Guiding their families, would NUM-
ber close on to one million people
This statement seems extravagant but
4 it is probably fact.
The benefits to be derived aside from
the vast advertising and the soclai
| features of such Home Coming.
would be the absolute certainty that
many would want to return and re-
r,ain in these beautiful mountains for
the remainder of their lives. Such has