French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-05-31
Western Carolina Editors
Met at Marion, n C.

When the editors of the, weekly
newspapers in Western North Carroll
ma organized about a year age they
adopted as one of their guiding prin-
ciples an educational policy-an. un-
dertaking wherein the, publishers
would visit various towns in Western
North Carolina and better acquaint
| themselves with the places visited and
publish their Impressions for the; in
formation of their readers. The
scribes are invited and entertained at
the expense of the town visited, such
| town considering it a rare treat to
gain valuable publicity at such a, rea-
sonable cost.
In carrying out this policy the
Western North Carolina weekly Press
! association met in Marion on last Fri
day and Saturday and were pleasantl
entertined by Editor S. E. Whitten and
| the Marion Board of Trade.
Industrial Plants
Most of the publishers visited Ma
rion for the first time and were. sur
prised to find it such a busy industrial
| center. Editor Sentele of the Canton
Observer, who doesn't hesitate to use
an indelicate expression to describe
his sentiments. summed uD the situa-
ton figuratiVely when he declared
that Marion is just lousy with indus
tries" He was then completing the
automobile tour of the town Saturday
morning. The Marion business and
professional men took the scribes over
the town and showed them points of
interest and visit was made thrugh
the plant of the CIinchfield Manufac-
T11Isi siT7Cr =
is now more than doubling its ca
pacity.
The industrial plants in Marion in
clude four cotton mills with an invest
ment Of about two and One-half mill
lion dollars; two hosiery mills, four
furniture factries, veneer plant, a
tannery, two flour mills, a glove fac
tory. two novelty factories, two plan
ing mills. two lumber companies, a
bakery and some smaller plants. The
town mas two wholesale grocery stores
anl between 40 and so retail stores;
two banks with total resources. of>over
100000 and two good hotels, where
the editors we're entertained.
Marion claims to have more mileage
of concrete sidewalks per capital than
any other town in the State. The
town SHOWS signs of growth and ac-
tiyity as well as civic pride in the
street Improvements now under way
Whereby $4,000 will be expended IN
building asphalt streets. The town
has electric lights and sewer system
and justly claims the position of the
Border Land of the Sky" which en-
ables it to have gravity line Of
mountain water. Marion has an up
to-date high school building.
The town, including the mill vii
lages about a mile distant. has a pop
ulatiOn of about 5000. Marion is the
county seat and largest town in Nc
DOWelI county, is located on the GEN.
trail highway across the state and by
reason of it's altitude of about 1,400
feet is putting in a bid for some sum-
mer tourists. 1t has two competing
railway lines extending in five direc-
tions and has sixteen passenger trains
! daily, being on the Salisbury
division Of the Southern.
How Marion Grew.
The business men of about every
town, large Or small crave Industrial
plants and Marion was not an excep-
ton. About seven years ago Attor-
ney J. W. Pless of Marion (formerITS
of Brevard where he was. associated
with w. a. Cash in the practice Of
, law. having left this town in 19OO)
read in ~tne French Broad Hustler of
| HendersonviIle, where he took his
| course in law, that some Spartanburg
capitalists wanted to locate in Hender-
sonville but couldn't get $4,000 sub
| scriptiOn of support. Mr.. Pless and
| other Marion Iive-wires seized the op-
| portunity and invited the cotton mill
| fn nd
perienced in raising a subscription in
excess of the required amount. The
! Marion Manuf2 curing company was
established. It propered, then came
other plants of Ike character until
now the town has an Investment of
about two and one-haf million dollars
I in this type of industries, and when
| Hendersonville grows pensive and
| holds industrial mass meetings it al
ways take soccasion to celebrate the
eventful date on which it dropped it's
candy. 1t has recognized it's mistake
| over and over again in its efforts to
win some industrial plants to supple
ment its touristic bank roll.
Incidentally it will not be amiss to
| say for the benefit of the friends of
Mr. Pless that he has made good in
Marion. where he has built mp fat
tering professional, business and ac-
4 cumulated considerable means. He
has one of the finest residences in Ma
rion and has invested in it. and the
! adjacent property something like
$25, 900.
Marion, while enjoying q most pros
iperous state, evidently has a bright
future Sbefore it. 1t is ideally situat-
ed in the foothills of the mountains
| with good climate and water; has
competing railroads, is within the cen
ter of a good farming country with di-
versif1ed crops ranging from those
peculiar to mountain climate and sol
to that of cotton.
Business of Publishers.
The meeting was fairly well at
4 tended and the sessions on FRIDAY
night and Saturday morning were in