The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-01
lRy HION III. RUTLER.)

rhe story.
castor county is not so old as some
,f the other counties of the State, |
',ating back to 1876. but before the
,"unty was formed the neighborhood
,,as settled, the territory being a hot
snot in the revolutionary days. Just |
o,er the edge of CASTOR county the
battle Of Kings Mountain was fought,
and ND in Lincoln county the battle
Of KamSeur's mills.
In those days the region was live
lier than it probably was for the
hundred years that followed, for
CASTOR had "A very conservative ex-
perience for man a a
Then commenced that remarkable
move forward which has character
,zed so much of North Carolina, and
in the move Castor county has been
pretty close up to the scout who is
blazing the way.
County of Many Cotton Mills.
Between sixty and seventy cotton
mills they tell me they have in the
county. OF these the most important
lot in one bunch is that at Gastonia.
The first Gastonia enthusiast ] fell
in with was a ~wide-awake young man,
who broke the ice by saying that he
was Atkins, of the Gazette, n l
could understand after a short ac-
maintance, hat both the editor and
the paper are factors in helping along
the work that is spreading GaStOnia
out over the fields into the surround
Ing country.
A live newspaper, backed by a live
man, or by two of them, as is the
case in Gastonia, for there are two Of
the Atkinses, is hard to beat when
it comes TO getting a cinch on pro-
gress. l wish every town in the State
would cut hat out and paste it en-
the secretary's desk sc it will not be
forgotten. | am not trying to jolly
the paper fellows. They are familiar
with that game and it Is not work.
But | want the towns to take advan-
tage of their opportunity and to in
crease it by profiting by their papers.
| talked with Atkins a little about
Castor county and Gastonia, and fl
nally he said, Come around here and
see Lloyd. the secretary of the board
uf trade"
So to Lloyd / went, and found him
q young newspaper man from Pitts
burg who had been hired by these
Gastonia folks TO help put salt into
the owns veins. We had to sit back
and talk a little about Griff AleXan-
der, and Burgoyne and Chris Evans,
and all the Pittsburg newspaper
gang, and by hat time we were ready
10 get confidential over CASTOR coun-
y. So in committee of the whole we
voted hat no place on earth is quite
the equal Of the Tar Heel common
wealth, and then we held a consul
tation over Castor county particu-
larry.
Once a BackwOOds Region.
Castor for a century and more was
q ~backwoods region. living an UMPIRE
%tentious life of easily satisfied content
II Is not CASTOR county that has made
the change, but the vast changes that
are going on out in the big world.
IT gets back to hat perpetual Strug.
Die OF men to provide themselves witt
comforts and luXuries, and to tht
romance of that well-knoWn monarch
old King Cotton.
The pressing need for more cOttoT
goods encouraged the handful Of peO'
pie OF the little town of Gastonia tt
oulld a cotton mill. One led to an.
".hel, and as money was earne OF
'he farm and in the mill and at tn
STORE the money went to make NOR
mns' Before We go any farther w
misht as well understand what a TOW
some folks have an idea q tow
sd CORRECTION of men who are bandet
so9ether 10 do the farmer and tn
reI.ory hand, and grow offensivel,
Lines of Growth.
L.. 'ht WIoHS answer. "A LOW!
community which grows togethe
n me economical and SucceSSfu
mosscution of business of all sort
~ me most productive and least eX
m mrt basis. 1t is cooperation an
%u.ually helpful. On those lines
.n sroWs. Innumerable influence
ha ne INTO its prospects. One of tn
arc ol these is a handful of men VIII
ana ooid enough to help things alon
10 a..eiiisent enough to know wher
along. ""o" anything coi"
enwpportunity is a great thing. Bl
enmaI, u catch the opportunity
the 'Iy valuable. Sc l reckon ths
ties men who utilized the opportun
opport" aston county are the bigget
fall i.uhlties of the county. A waite
untu not of much industrial vall
''"ie man puts a wheel under
Tuon "A Budding City.
little ICY years 81 Gastonia was
~ AoWn JnSt IT. =.