Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-11-26
A Timely Article.

On an important SuDJec5, as Inere
has been a great need for some time
especially for the next few months,
of modern hotel for Edgefeld, and
as the committee of the Dixie High
way Hotel report that their plans are
about to fall through, unless they can
raise sufficient funds to start work
on the new hotel, anu they have al
ready started another drive among
the citizens md merchants in order
to raise the necessary funds to erect
the hotel. In calling on the merchants
of the town to subscribe they were
of the opinion that the merchants
should have given more than they
did. But pause and let US look at the
merchants point of view of this i'm
portant question, which concerns him
self Especially shoes and clothing
merchants more than it does most of
its citizens).
Of late there has been an enor-
NOUS amount of their trade carried
to Augusta, Columbia and other larg-
er cities, and unless campaign of
"Trade at home and help build up
your own town" is started soon there
won't be any need of hotel at all,
as any one knows that nearly half of
the revenue of hotel is derived
from commercial travellers, and the
other half from store room rent,
which. would have 'For Sale" sign
in them unless the citizens of the
Town stand behind the merchants in
their efforts to build up the town.
Does the merchant need the support
of it's citizens? 1t certainly does, for
look what the merchant has done for
their town; contributed to the flag
pole and two flags thereon, service
flag and band, school entertainments,
Lyceums and Chautauquas. And
other enterprises were gotten up
with the aid of the merchants who
gave willingly for these things which
are the life of the town.
For while Edgefeld seemed to be
on its running legs, and was trying
to get somewhere, with the prospects
of Hospital, Bank, Water Works
and Sewerage, but for the time being
something has brought things to a
stand still. The Hospital is reported
as fallen through, the Hotel as being
shaky, but the Bank, Water Works
and Sewerage are assured. The real
estate transactions seem to be less
lively than they were some time age.
Will it be hard 20 meet the taxes of
the water works and sewerage
bonds? 1t will unless the citizens of
this town find out what is holding it
back and remedy the cause.
Another word while on the sub
ject, if the buying public could be
educated into the habit of spending
their cash at home, and stop trying
to build some other city hotel, why
there would be nothing to it but that
the local merchants would build a
hotel and an Office building besides,
because they would know that they
could afford to do so as thu trade of
the town demanded it, and if one
could travel bit ne would find this
true. Take New York, Chicago and
other large cities which are trade
centers, look at these. What is true
of large place applies to small
place.
This is not written as whine of &
merchant who doesn'. think that he
is getting the trade due him. No, be-
cause he would not be merchant if
he wasn't rendering service of some
kind, as stores of today have to be
alive as to the needs Of the buying
public or it doesn't exist. But back to
the point: One merchant can't make
or break a town, anL if he cant make
his living there he moves elsewhere
to do it.
So all in all, this hotel must surely
be built, or we just as we'll hang
crepe on the town, but to make it a
paying propositi On is a job.
MERCHANT.
Edgefeld, S. C.