River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-11-18
Who Build up the Towns. VII
lagos and Citiesf

country, people were looking for homes
not for renown, or even for rising
cities. But the first thing now on the
brain of a rising aspirant in this west
ern country, is u ''town site, "a vii
lage site," or, perchance "a city site. "
And, some that we know of, have been
found which could not be surpassed
either in convenience of location, or
natural beauty. But what has become
of themi 1t may be too true that they
were knocked in the head by the av-
arice of their early proprietors.
On the other hand, who build up
towns, villages, or cities! Can you
tell usl Is it men of wealth, and even
of brainsl Not always, since they are
sometimes 'penny-wise," and pound
foolish" But it is men of pluck-men
of energy-men who blow their own
horns-men who stir-men who rattle
around and make crash, bones or no
bones, who build up places.
To be sure place, to become place,
must have some advantages; it must
have some natural advantages-some
surroundings, and some attractions.
But it is advertising that brings them
into notice, and it is live business men
who lay foundation for the rapid devel-
opment. Far be it from us to make any
comparisons, invidious, or otherwise,
but we propose to do little ''advertis-
ing" on our own account, and of our
own volition. We have often spoken
of River Falls, but never disparaingly
We have often spoken
of her citizens, and we have often en-
couraged them in their efforts to main
tain their rights--their dignity, and to
falter not in their attempts to grasp
the helm at the rising tide, that they
might dip their garments in the pure
white waves that were bearing the
Ship of Fortune in its passage to or
from her harbor.
But from "glittering generalities'
we will come down to regular bust
ness, which, in this article, after few
general remarks, will be a few person
al notices.
As we have already intimated, the
character of any place is not only in
Dictated, but determined by the type of
its leading business men. If they are
men of enlarged views, of wise concep-
tions, of prudence as well as sagacity,
they will perceive the possibilities, as
well as the probabilities of the future,
and they will be ready to meet each
and every emergency as it arises; they
will comprehend the fact that there is
time to SOW as well as to reap, and
they will be prompt to respond to the
increasing demands of each coming
year, month, or day.
And now to individuals: The Pow
ell Brothers were among the first to
seek and to find the little spot now
known as our village, and to advertise
it to the sends of the earth" True
Judge Foster was before them, but he
sought seclusion rather than notoriety.
On these Brothers, then, to great ex-
tent, rested the responsibility of build
ing up ''town," village or city, or
of knocking it out of existence. Two
of them laid down their lives, not as a
sacrifice, but yet in the prime thereof,
even while the fruits of their labors
were scarcely visible, leaving behind
them examples which do work for us,
and which ever will-examples which
we all might initiate with profit. These
events, sad as they were, threw upon
the youngest of the three, Mr.. 0. S.
Powell, the weight of responsibilities
which might have crushed man of
ItcStI HtlNCs Duls III Ilo tNH utlldl U
ment, he was equal to the emergen-
cies of the times, and how well he has
acted his part, we need not here m.
fold.
With Messrs. Powell were Messrs.
Cox, Andrews, and others who
made some effort by way of improve
ments. But still the business depart
ment--the life of trade in our village,
came not until the advent of that live
ly genius-Fred J. Burhyte-who
dropped down of sudden in a com.
paratively obscure portion Of our viii
lage, only to make the same the most
attractive. At first he was here only
to sell little surplus of the stock of
the firm of Burhyte Bros. then operat.
ing in Hudson. We need not trace his
history for the eight or nine years just
passed, for sure his works doth follow
him, and full well is it now known
that the entire stock and capital
of the firm has. ut last, been trans.