Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-06-01
A Business Organization in Lex
ington.

We have frequently advocated the for
nation In Lexington OF a merchants eX-
change or board of trade, and have given a
number OF reasons why we thought that
such All Institution would prove profitable
to the city and county. The merchants
generally think that the place is too small
to justify an organization of the kind.
with due respect for their opinions we must
differ from them. Beside the convenience
which would ensue. and the advantages to
be obtained by Joint purchases, such an or
Ganization could do u great deal toward in
ducing manufacturers to locate in our midst,
We would not advise that its membership
be strictly confined to merciants-every
CUISINES, man IN the city, whether mechanic,
professional man, or trader should be eu-
courased TO identify himself with it. II is
well recognized that the hoIneiy old adage,
''what Is every body's business Is nubouy's
business" is true. Whose business, then,
Is II 10 encourage manufactures in l.eXing-
ton? We may safely answer, no one in
Particular. An organization such as we
propose could make this important work
part of its business. Eliminate from the
N''t - AliO tHlo dHS Ii
demagOgical attempts to account for it on
political grounds, and what do we see {:
Kansas has for years had cheap lands-lands
to give away, one might say-and good lands
too. Why Is II that the stream of immirrs.
ton to that state only began in q noticeable
degree n few months ago: Because up to
that time no persistent and systematic effort
had been made to advertise these lands. \
year or more ago the Atchi>On Il Topeka
railroad went earnestly to work to make an
effort to settle up Its line and sell its lands;
SCENTS were sent into various sections of
the east and north with car. loads of Judi
ciously prepared advertising matter; very
low fares were eNtrndei.t to persons desiring
TO Examine the lands offered for sale
every encouragement was extended 10 those
desiring to purchase. What was the result:
An immigration hitherto unprecedented. az
the means to procure it had been unusual in
their magnitude. If We had AN organiZa-
,ion such u we advocate, 1t could do much
toward attracting immigration into Lafayette
county; indeed this should be one of its
prime objects, a. every dollar of wealth
added to the county must. directly or midi
rectly, benefit Lexington. In another direc.
ton very valuable service could be rendered.
The Importance OF manufactures to the
future growth of the city is conceded by all.
We. here at home, know that there Is no
point i'll Missouri more eligible for manu-
facturin:-we know that we have wood OF
all kinds and in abundance; cheap coal In
lneXhaustible quantities; the Missouri river.
q clear wafer SpriDp rtyuInf and oasiIc
obtained wells. for water: water and rail
transportation in every dtrection; 4 beauti-
full, high and healthy I%ocation; cheap living
and a moral community. with good church
and educational iacilitirs-every GeSiderata,
in fact, for u manufacturing town. We
know these things. but who else does!
What efforts have been made to advertise
them where they should he known! The
newspapers of the county do what they can,
but they do not circulate in eastern states
sufficiently to accomplish much-even the
St.Louls daily papers would fail to reach the
class Of people which We desire to attract.
For this purpose advertisements setting
forth the advantages which Lexington pos
sesses for manufacturing, should be inserted
In some leading eastern paper, which Will
be seen by manufacturing people. There
are a great many manufactures in the east
which are ianguiShing because of the grad.
ual change which is being made IN trade
%centcrs. But \ few years ago and almost
every Manufactured article used In the west
was imported from eastern states. This
condition of things is being changed. Many
establishments in the east have heretofore
drawn fbotr ruyr nafartul fran, tho roSt
paid freight on ii to the factory, and then
have found their market in the west, causing
the consumer to pay an additional freight.
They find that they cannot much longer do
this, their competitors In the west, nearer
the consumers, having too great ar advan-
tage over them. These are the people
with whom we wish to become acquainted.
A few days ago We saw an account of u
factory for making household implements OF
wood, changing its location from SPRING
field, Vermont, to Fairfax, Virginia.
| Here Is one industry that has ound it prof
liable to place itself In closer relations with
the consumers Of its product, and there are
many such In the east. 1t is very much to
our interest to place ourselves In correspon-
dence with such people; but how are we to
do so: No single individual can we'll afford
to devote hi nself, his time and his money
to the work; but If we had u business Or
ganization in the city, it could be very
effectively done. The race for supremacy
In these days is not to the sluggard or the
careless, and we cannot too forcibly remind
our people OF q maxim to which every days
observation adds strength-it is that "God
helps them that help themselves"