The Little River news., 1919-05-14
A LOOK BACKWARD.

"A LOOK BACKWARD.
 The people of town, if they are a,rogressive, look forward to the future
 n planning for better things. some turn their attention solely to the pro 'nlems of the day, while still others .rom l decadent and sordid present look ever backward to the fading glor- ,es ofsspast achievements. Sometimes
 t is worth while to take look back
 ward, to take stock, to see how far we asa va c6Iie.. whether we have advanced !. .ccording to our opportunities, or stood still. After having taken stock
 we can again set our faces to the tut nre proAting by our past mistakes and successes.
 With nothing to do during the past three weeks but to lay up and humor b.sted leg and ruminate, as Bill Arp sused to say, the writer aas had ample oSSnortunity to take stock, to compare aAshdown ten years ago and today.
 yon don't have to be told that the old town has been doing things during tb.t span of time, Maybe you think wes 66uld have done more, and maybe voXS e right. Maybe you think that or rogress as been satisfactory and \, TN you don't. In our reflections
 ma that at least we have gone ' adily forward at rate possibly Fnot exceeding or approaching tho speed limit as set by boom towns, put that has been sure and upon substan- tial foundations fully justified by im- proved conditions throughout the county as whole.
 Had you alighted from train Tn Ashdown ten years ago you would have observed a little red depot en- tirely surrounded by sea of mud had 1t been rainy season. You would have waded through this mud to g neat but frame hotel. Up front and Main streets you would have found strings of fiimsy and rotting frame buildings now and then contrasted with more pretentious brick buildings, which looked lonesome. You would have found business streets paved with mud of unknown depth. Today you would land at modern freproof station with brick paved platforms. You would cross over to modern and handsome brick hotel fitted with all modern conveniences with lights and private baths, or else you would jitney over hard surface paved business Streets to your destination. The blocks of wooden buildings are gone, replaced by blocks of handsome bricks. the homes Of substantial firms. You would find at least one of these business and onice buildings fitted with steam heat. Our streets and buildings are lighted with slectricity. and but few towns Tn the co6Htry can boast of as well light ed streets as ours. Concrete walks can bs4 found where there were no walks before. During this time our population has doubled. and we have a citizenship that is the salt of the earth.
 Ten years ago we obtained our water supply from shallow wells and the old oaken bucket caused many a back ache. Today we have an up to date water and beverage system. owned and op6rated by the city with an or ganised fire department Homes are efurnisked with running water and baths, and the bucket that hung in the well is | xmemory. Most of the unsani- tary surface closets are gone and the others going fast.
 A decale age there were three frame chprch bufldings in this city and three strueSltng congregations. The pas- tors of these churches only gave to them ! part of theiF time, having other churches. Today we have two modern brick 6hnrch bulldings, and at least one otlier to be built soon. We have three stationed pastors with strong congreeations which meet financial demand and more placed upon them. and now planning big things for the csntinary Movement They are alive to tho dsmands of the hour and look ing aboul af ways to increase ef- fectivspssp k usefulness.
 Ouy eGkools have grown with the town. mn ysars aso the main schools boastSi I'm inadeqpate frame build- Ing. Ibl S NC have magnificent brick tfl6fhe with modern, fecilttiss constaatly being Improved. With ten or twelve teachers this progressive school is growing at . pace hard to-