Telegram-herald., 1888-02-22
THE WAY TO Do IT
+o~ TOWNS ARE sooneO OUT VEST
They De0bio Their fsPal@stos by Means
0f Nsssp4psrs-As Issas Mas sees
Gr4aa R<Pids' splsadtd
Opportunity.

Il is with real pleasure that the TELK-
oRAA HEsALD rays the Grsnd Rapids Dsms-
oFat the compliment OF reprinting from It's
columns al interview With W r. McGsrry.
Of loniA This Journal has eonscientiOusly
aud consistently isD0rsd with tie people Of
this community 70 persuade everybody 70
assist IN the work OF building up Grand
Rapids. A year sgo tue IELEsRAs- HEkALD
snnounced its hrm belief that the Valley
City would number 100 600 Ia 1892 and us
persistent efforts 10 give reason for is be
lief were laughed a. BY the other city papers
quite a. persistenily. Recently this journal
has insisted that instead Of five Il will bs
less than three years that We shall number
one hundred thousand. Slowly. perhaps
unwillingly. the other papers are dropping
into line on this question. and nov We have
pleasure 10 giving the following inter-
view fer the benefit OF the TELEGRAM
HERALDs widely extended circulation. Ar.
Ac1arry respects what .bis paper has often
said in reference TO the lanuence OF news
papers on the growth Of a city, and the
gentleman from lOnia cannot be accssed IA
having a selfish motive.
There's 40 reason why Grand Rapids
should nOt have boom. in the best mean-
ing OF the word. said w. K. McGsrry TO
reporter at sweets yesterday. Mr.. McGsrry
has been travelling extensively IN the West
of late, and when asked for his opinion OF
booms replied: well, sir, / think | can
give you some pointers on booms. l have
visited q great many OF the booming West
ern cities. in fact have had considerable ex-
perience in the booming business, and
every time come TO this city wonder why
the people here don't boom their town
why don't they give IL genuine legiti mate
boost? ii has ali the advantages necessary
and there is no reason why II should not
rival Detroit In nearly every kind OF bus
iness.
How? Well I'll tell.you how. In the
first place remember the adage OF Max
talk about yourself. 1t applies TO cities as
well as 10 men-more appropriately, /
think. Many men nave become great or
have achieved success at least by sdvertis
ing themselves. Now, all that a city With
u favorable location and good natural ad-
vantages has TO do TO experience rapid
growth and development of Its resources
is to advertise itself Let the world know
what you have and what you want and
the boom will come before you think you
have it started. That's the way they do IL
out West. The people decide that their
city ought TO be double its population and
they proceed 20 tell the world Why they
think so through the newspapers They
say what they want and they are not al all
conservative in their action, nor modest
in their demands. They generally begin
by getting out an illustrated edition
some paper, showing up their location,
natural advantages and resources Ia the best
possible manner. This leads men having
money to invest TO visit the city and inves-
tiga;e. If the matter mas not been over
drawn capitalists are quick to zee where
investments are likely 10 pay; they plant
their money where 1t will grow, and the
result is q boom that astonishes the old
fogies, who for years have been content 10
allow themselv YES 10 be pushed along, in
stead of trying TO push the city. The booms
are lasting, too; they never collapse or go
back and leave people on their launches,
where there was any basis 10 build on. OF
course there are some new towns which
have grown o fast-fastsr than the coun-
try around tbem-they may be compelled
to take q rest to allow the country to catch
up, but those who have helped build them
up will not lose their investments.
In support of my idea | Will mention
some of the booming cities: First look al
st. Joseph. Missouri. That town had about
1900 inhabitants and stood at that for
years Ii WAS solid town, bot lacked
enterprise. Merchants and business men
were content to plod along year after year
without crowding each otber-never
thought il worth while 10 try To boom the
city. Some scoffed the idea, but q few OF
them, about three years ago, concluded
they would take . little of the boom, which
had, until then. been used only further
west. They began 10 advertise. gently al
first, but were so well pleased with the re-
suit that they put on more ink, and today
their city mas 5000 inhabitants-they
claim 65,000-and is one of the hvliesi
towns on the Missouri River.
Then look at Kansas City, Justly called
the municipal MARVEL il was butt up in
the same way. Ii never amounted 10 any
thing until they began 10 boom Il in the
papers. Three years ago 1t bad little more
than $1,000. now il has 10000. Then go
further up the river and look at Omaha
The Giant OF the Missouri For years II
was considered no good Its real eststs
deals used to be made in Council Butts
where dealers used TO consider II q good
| Joke to unload Omaha rezl estate on eastern
greenhorns Fiually II was boomed. and
now il is the finest city in the West Sioux
| City is another nne example of booming
town. aud several mere may be found
| further north.
| = The people believe in boons out there
| They have no use for conservative men ir
| business or politics The people Of Nebrssk,
shelved Senator Van Wyck just because hs
was too SLOW, and took % Paddock. becsu.s
| be is radical and progressive. JDey wan
boomers, regular rushers, and old iogies &c
| left. Paddock came to the front because b,
| helped to boom bis town. Bestrios. are
| made IL one Of the finest cities Ia the State
He il building hotsi there now which vii
cost 81 OO0.OJ0.
The bet example OF town which re
fused to boom that ! know of is Leavep
| worth. Kansas. The business men thsr'
would not listen 70 any body who proposed
TO start boon. As rssuit the town has-
vel. vitbsred expresses its csnditien YER
nesriy-while all the cities in that reyes
have gro.n rspisly during the past fe'
years.
Bot about Grand Rapid. everything ;
fsrsrsble for a substantial beem hsre, o.
IL needs is starter Il mast ss eSn
| threugn the Devspapers OF caarss "a
newspapers are senestfec By q sSesa. g
thsir rewards 60 not come until al otke
kiEss ct Business have besn greatly bsns
/ fitted sso 4 = rst fair - ssk tasm - d
a. tss ~oTk. he res estate men, ne
casnts. n2s1i sctgrsrs. eoctsrs lswTers "a
every other sss sasU.d hep pss tns -
Rense q saFsrlssrg TIE city Jhev -
- gst rsiu-as frem fasir isvestnsrts -
! fors tie newspapers sake saTtaiHg eat G
IT. Nsr is tss time 70 stzrt It-ln -
epriug = RE rws q pant sess-ano II
is n8sD AGED rigkt tbsrs a Bs TssseE vhs th
ctT osa8of have 10 60 n sssr sBts bsfs'
ths snd ~ 1888 Ise Bosr1 81 Irsos
Beatrice. Eesrssks. srrrcp-Isssd 30 oee |
re use5 i8 advertising tue p0rn Iaey 2,
s. bsck en6 - 90 vIta . in iess tssn =
months sna mach nars ister. Ths-s
NJ Fsaso1 shT saen scheme sho1ss ~
work mors s1ccsxsfuilT n Crane ksps1