Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-06-06
SPIRIT OF PROGRESS.
SAN FRANclscANs ACTIVE IN THE
clTY's WELFARE.

Relieve In Home Industries and Home In
conss-Encrgy to Take tho Place of Apa-
thy-AIore People Wanted of the Right
Kin,l-Half "a Million In 1900.
Tho progressive citizens of San Fran
cisco lave formed Il Half Million club,
population of the city to 100000 by
1900. The sentiments expressed by {,
member of the club'in recent letter
have the ring of true civic pride and be-
lief i'll the city's future greatness. The
ideas suggested apply, with modifica-
lions to suit conditions, to any COM
munity. He says:
have been asked to express few
ideas i'll regard to the Half Million club,
which has been organized to increase
tho population of San Francisco to $780,
600 by 1900. have been given to un-
derstand that the people whom it is the
wish to bring here are to be desirable
people, They are TO be industrious, hon
est and i'll some sense capitalists, being
persons of sufficient means to make them
measurably independent.
1t is not supposed that all of tho pco-
pie who are expected to come here from
other states will be thus independent,
but probably most of them will be. Such
people cannot fail to be of great advan-
tagc to us, and therefore I am III favor
of tho Half Million club.
Clubs with increased populations III
view have been organized ut Chicago,
New York and other eastern cities. All
these movements arc i'll the right direc-
ton. San Francisco has reached Il con-
diiion where she should put forth more
enterprise. Tho city, located as it is on
tho greatest bay OH the western part of
the continent and i'll the richest state
of tho United States, occupies !. posi-
tion unexcelled by any other i'll the
world. Vast tracts of rich but unculti-
waited lands, mines of gold, silver and
other metals and forests of as fine tim
Der as is grown lie ON one side of her.
On tho other lies the orient, With Il
mighty trade, as yet almost entirely un-
developed i'll our interest. might also
speak of the thousands of miles of coast
line, OF the states and territories con-
tisuous to rs, whose trade by right of
location and neighborly feeling should
come i'll Immensely increased volume to
us.
Practically there is no limit to our
greatness, if we but consider our oppor-
tunities and act upon them. Therefore
am Il believer i'll the Half Million club
We have been too slow i'll the past We
should no~ run, and run all together,
for our advancement
The only thing we want to do is to go
to work. Let us pull all together, and
i'll 1900 VIC will easily see IL half mil
lion people i'll this city. More than this,
California throughout will be more
denscly populated, and wc will have
such Il busy mart here as will set the
world to wonder.
lam i'll favor of issuing bonds for the
Improvement of streets and public
squares. Tho city has neglected this too
long and has Ill instances lost hundreds
of thousands Of dollars worth of prop
| crty through the neglect of her officials
Property owners lavc been forced to
form Improvement clubs and in many
instances have pushed matters to such
an extent that they supervise everything
that the city has projected. believe i'll
home industries, home manufactures
and home incomes. 1t is II crying shame
that the immense fortunes gathered i'll
California are to q great extent now i'll
l,n
their incomes cast and abroad, With lit
tie thought of spending Il few thousand
| dollars i'll the interest of our fair state.
The time has passed when our citizens
and press shall unite against various ell
terprises that start here Eastern and
local capitalists should now join togeth-
er to develop our many resources us yet
almost unknown. Many eastern capital
lists have turned away from California
OH account OF the apathy displayed by
| the people of our state against our own
good and welfare. We know push and
energy built up Chicago, Denver aud
other western cities. We know there is
q general awakening of Californians,
SO that we can look forward to an era of
prosperity never before equaled i'll our
half centurys experience.
We should all pull together, with the
feeling that where every one is interested
nothing can fail. Our trade used to con-
troll the northwest us far as Montana
and south into Texas and Arizona. 1t
has been wrcstcd from us by new roads
and competition. We must reclaim it,
and we can do it if we work together
The Nicaragua canal will help our grain
and Wine shipments, and more railroads
will help our facilities for handling the
interior crops.