The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1892-06-10
MARKS OF PROSPERITY.

some Novel Features of Ambitious west
ern Towns.
Two things that are novel 10 a visitor
attract attention in all the far west
ern towns and cities. Neither Is
q branch OF government, yet both affec;
Il. The first is the standpoint from
which vice is regarded as a factor in
public affairs, especially in the smaller
cities. II is a trick of the popular mind
where ! have been Cbetween Chicago
and the Pacific coast 90 gauge the
vitality and prosperity of a town 10y
the showing IL makes in what may be
called It's might side" IL is part of
the quality Of hospitality, and is born
of the desire to entertain all corners as
they would wish to be entertained.
These cities are far apart, and are
the centers of great regions. IL is
understood that those who visit
them come 10 spend money not only
upon necessarics and luxuries, but
Mt drinking and gambling, in concert
halls, dance-houses, and the like. II n
large and lively section of town min
listers To these appetites, visitors are
taken 10 see it. II such quarter Ian
guishes, good citizens apologize. and
seek to show that the city is not back
ward in other respects. In discussing
this subject, "a very pushing western
man of national and honorable reputa-
ton, said: There is wisdom and ex-
perience behind all that. III am asked
to buy lots or To locate i'm city, |
would visit the place, and If didn't see
good lively 'after-dark quarter, and
didn't hear chips rafting and corks
popping, there would be no need to tell
me about the geographical position of
the town or its jobbing trade or bank
ing capital; | would have none Of it.
The other novelty in western town
life is the inevitable combination of
best interests of their town. Such
body svariously called board of trade.
chamber of commerce. or a commercial
club IL is the burning-glass which
focuses the public spirit of the com
munity. Its most competent officer is
usually the highly-salaried secretary.
lie does for his town what railroad
passenger agent or a commercial travel
er does for his employers, that is To say.
he secures business. He invites manu-
facturers To set up workshops in his
city, offering gift Of land. or of land
and money or of exemption from taxa
ton for term of years. The mer-
chants, and perhaps the city officials
also, support his promises. In South
Dakota city have known fine
brick warehouse to be built and
given, with the land under IL. 10
a wholesale grocery firm for doing bust
ness there. In IA far northwestern city
there was talk during last winter of
sending II man east on salary To stay
away until he could bring back capital
To found smeltery. These boards of
trade often organize local companies to
give a city what it needs. They urge
the people To subscribe for stock i'm as
sociations that are 10 build electric rail-
ways, opera houses, hotels, convention
halls, water supply and Illuminating
companies, often dividing an acknowl.
edged financial loss for the sake of n
public gain. Thus these boards provide
the machinery by which the most am
bilious, forward and enterprising com
munities in the world expend and util-
ize their energy.-Julius Ralph, in Har-
per's Magazine.