Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-09-17
saturday Evening", sept. II. 1854.
ENTERPRISE

lAVulONAAlO "a
rival villages up the Ohio, happen to
be running expOsitions at the same
time. Whenever a town up that way
has a population ola hundred thou
sand or more, the people have fairs,
races, expositions or other attractions
and blow about it, and get
people to come and see the sights,
~patronize their hotels and buy goods.
They call this enterprise and progress,
and as a consequence have to open
new streets, build bridges and houses,
and go to great expense and trouble
to make room for new corners, and
the necessities Of increased m~ultitudes.
Happily there are a few conservative
places, well built up aud city like too,
where there is none of this unnec'
essaIy graf game for new business
where goats and COWS and pigs still
run in the streets; where boys can
trundle their bicycles undisturbed and
the old and the young come and go
without any risk to life and limb from
the explosion Of a factory engine. We
could name one or two such places
south Of the Cumberland river. But
Louisville and Cincinnati are SO neal
each other hat it begets competition
intense rivalry, and a mad race fol
wealth, and what they call prosperity
Each one advertises n of the grand
est expositions of the times, and they
have succeeded in making a good
many people go there to see aud pos.
sibly to believe it. The Louisville
merchants were so bent on having q
crowd and on selling goods that they
bought $500 worth Of railroad icketl
and sent them out as courtesies Il
country merchants in various parts o.
the South and West. The invited
guests we're much pleased generally
and packing their v~alises, fastened Of
to the Louisville Exposition, where
further courtesies awaited them and
many business men who had cheaI
goods to sell. This piece of enter.
prise was fine success, and Louis,
vile rubbed its hands joyfully and
said we will give another show next
year" Cincinnati, however, did not
draw SO we'll, Notwithstanding it had a
nalural history collection and
a hairy Siberian mammoth il
its show. Therefore, the wise
men of the Paris Of America lait
their heads together, or as neal
together as the size Of their feet and
their stomachs would permit, ant
said, let us go down to Louisville anG
capture the crowd which has been
gathered there from the South. Sc
they forthwith procured free ticket:
for all who would come, and sent
runners to drum among the visitors al
the Louisville Exposition. The run.
ners did their work well and button.
holed many grangers and rural mer.
chants from afar. They gathered
them by twoS, by tens and singly, and
chalked them through to Cincinnati
But it transpired that most of those
who went had bought their fall stocks
already in Louisville or waited until
they got back to do SO, or we're of 9
class who seldom buy at all unless on
q perpetual credit. As it only cost
Cincinnati about two dollars a head to
carry the guests of Louisville up to
their town they smiled broadly at the
economy and the wisdom of the game
Louisville smiled also. Both seen
too happy for anything. One place
captured a portion Of the others
crowd, but it was a clear case of try.
ing to shesr a hog for wool. Louis.
vile seems TO have reaped the full
benefit of a legitimate enterprise
That sleepy old city can do u nice
smart thing when in the proper mood
for it. and this seems to have been one
Of the occasions.