Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-06-13
THE BOARD OF TRADE.
BECOME A MEMBER AND HELP TO
ADVANCE THE TOWN.
An Active Organization of This Character
Is Necessary to Secure Industries That
VIII Employ Freeland's Idle Labor
and Revive the Town.

/ an atliNc Ot lnlh tnafHctei
Is Necessary to Secure Industries That
VIII Employ Freeland's Idle Labor
| and Revive the Town.
To those Of our townsmen who are not
members of the Board of Trade, yet
hope to see Frceland advance from a
coal town" to a town that can exist
almost independent of the coal trade, it
may not be amSs to call attention to
the absolute necessity on their part Of
devoting some thought to the advan-
tages the town might receive if this or
ganlzation (or If this ono does not please,
then another with similar aims and
objects) were developed as it should be
and can be with the material at hand.
| United action in all walks of life is the
order OF the day, and il Freeland is to
be saved from going backward the buSi-
ness people, property holders, citizens
| and investors must unite and make a
determined bid for such industries as
will give the town its old-time life spirit
and energy. With the coal trade in its
present condition and with its poor
| prospects for the future, it is folly 70
wait for the revival of trade and work
which may come when the immense and
untouched deposits which surround the
| town will be developed. The question
before Freeand is to provide work and
trade for its present population or else
prepare for the fall which inevitably
comes to every town that lacks push
and enterprise.
Before going further 1t might be well
to give a story as told at recent meet
ing of the board by Hugh Malloy. MIR.
Malloy stated that while on his recent
trip through the West he stopped at
many towns that looked beautiful, had
fine buildings, many of them costing
from $4,000 up, wherein business of
various kinds had been transacted. De-
pending entirely on some mine that was
paying well for the time being, the people
bought up ground and erected those
buildings, investing their all. Today
they are practically deSolated, the mine
having suspended and the people gone.
While going through one particular
w" u VI WIS NHul dtltls lllt. DluCG DtlIlp
rated in 1890 as having population of
5000, he noticed number of houses
with windows and doors boarded and
barred, there were no signs of life and
the deserted village of Goldsmith'S
fancy was reality before his eyes. Pres
entity he met man. In conversation
with him Mr.. Malloy learned that he
and another person were the sole dwell
lerS in this handsome town, the re-
mainder Of its accredited 5000 having
moved on, leaving it, with its wealth of
buildings, to decay. Cause: Lack of
energy among the people to rally to
its support when the leading industry
failed.
The remedy, or rather the preventive
for this, Is in good, active aud hustling
Board of Trade. Freeland is possessed
of good hustlers in many pursuits, but a
lack of that accomplishment is notice
able when the subject is one upon which
the future life of the town is staked.
In the first place, some people labor
under tho impression that becoming
equivalent to serving notice on the pub
lie that you have money to invest, and
that no other class is welcome. Not true
at ALL Investors are welcome, but the
Board of Trade will also welcome to
membership every property holder and
citizen in the town--that they may
assist by their presence and in other
ways in establishing and maintaining a
permanent and much-alive body, one
that would meet regularly and consider
subjects of interest to the welfare of the
town, discussing them with view of
benetiting all.
Secondly, that provided reprcsentiye
of manufacturing firm would come to
town he could be taken to the Board of
| Trade meeting without fear on the
part of the escort that only few mem
bers would be there; instead, that a
large and representative gathering
would be present to give due couSidera-
ton to all industrial offers After hear
ing the requirements of the firm rep
resented by the visitor the matter
could be discussed without further
delay, thereby doing away with the
need of exploiting the industry in the
newspapers and allowing live boards in
other towns getting after the firm