Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-10-21
INJECTED NEW LIFE.
HOW \ MoRI8UNO TOWN WAS RE-
JUvEEkTEO.


yenate what had already begun TO de-
cay is told by a citizen Of Peru, Neb.,
in a communication 10 the Omaha
World-Herald. he thus relates the story:
Some IL or IL years ago the Missouri
Pacific railroad built its north and south
line up through this region, intcrsect.
ing the Burlington near the center Of
this county. Nemaha, and the thriving
little city of Auburn sprang into life.
The county seat was removed from
Brownsville TO the new town, taking
with it the prestige and trade Of not
only the old historic town Of Brown
vile, but likewise of Peru and Nemaha
City, two thriving little river towns on
either side.
Peru, having somewhat the advan.
tage Of the other two, because Of the 10.
cation of the state normal school at
this point, did not decline so rapidly,
but nevertheless it soon became evident
we were on the down grade Within q
few years We had reached a point that
was alarming-business Of all kinds de.
creasing, population dwindling, proper.
| ty values ditto, no new buildings being
erected or improvements made-in fact,
we were going to seed generally. And
then, to cap the climax, the only hotel
IN town. "a rickety old wooden struc.
ture Of the early days" burned down,
leaving us without any place of enter
tainment for the travelling public, and
no one seemed disposed to invest in q
new building for the purpose.
About this time movement was set
on foot TO remove the state normal
school to more central location in the
state. The news of this latter fact
brought CONSERVATION TO the minds Of
| our people--evsn the most ultra conserv.
alive. Something must be done at once
to stem tho tide, if possible. A mass
meeting Of the citizens was called and
the matter fully discussed in all it's
phases and the following conclusions
reached: 1t was decided that certain
public improvements, such as grading
streets, building new sidewalks, etc. =,
and Il new hotel Of neat and modest
proportions, but ample for the needs OF
town Of this size, We're the first in or,
der and absolutely essential to return
of confidence in our future.
A committee was appointed to solici,
funds and carry out the proposed i'm
provements on streets, also committee
to solicit subscriptions and organize a
stock company to build a hotel. The
first committee took hold Of the matter
in earnest. Several hundred dollars was
subscribed and the Improvements COM
pleted as per programme.
Not so, however, with the hotel prof.
ect. The committee took hold of the
matter all right and succeeded i'll getting
about $500 of stock subscribed, and then
it got stalled-couldn' raise another
dollar apparently. Therefore the project
was allowed to lapse for the time being.
Some of the heaviest property owners
could not be convinced that it would be
good investment. They argued that il
would bring no tangible returns and
that if hotel would pay private capital
would build one.
The matter thus drifted along for sew.
eral months until gentleman Of mean.
from a neighboring town put in an up
pearance one day looking over the field
with view of erecting a brick bloch
and starting bank. However, he wa.
not long in discovering the status Of
affairs and was about to leave in dis
gust with town that had not enough
enterprise to support u hotel Some o.
the more enterprising citizens got vino
of the situation and went to the gentle
man and told him to hold ON a little be-
fore locating elsewhere, and they would
see what could be done.
And now, to make long story short
the citizens of Peru once more awoke t.
the situation, and within three day.
they had about 81, 900 of stock subscrib
ed to build hotel A grand jubile,
meeting was held to celebrate the success
. of the enterprise. Almost every either
of the town had become interested ant
was stakeholder. A company was le
gally organized, and neat, commodi
GUS structure erected.
The enterprise thus displayed so pleas
ed the gentleman before mentioned tina
he decided to locate with US. The bricl
block was erected, the bank went in
and Peru started ON the up grade, will
all hands rejoicing. 1t is estimated tina
since that period, some six or sever
years ago, nearly or quite 500, 900 ha
been expended in buildings and perma
nent improvements here in this villag
and suburbs
, Property values have increased no
less than one third; population like
wise. No one wishes 10 sell out now
t whereas formerly nearly all wanted t.
, get away. The state normal school j
f1ourishing, attendance and prestige in
Creasing from year tOyear. In fact, not
} vithstanding the disastrous hard time
OF the last three or four years, Peru ha
been steadily on the up grade. 1t is
matter of frequent comment by the trav
/ cling statesmen with whom the write
; comes in frequent contact that Peru /
one of the best towns of its size in tn
state, and that especially during tn
e past two or three years it is outstrip
ping nearly all other small towns in tn
matter of growth and business.
Now, the milk in the cocoanut Of al
this is that the turning point i'll on
career was at the time when that hote
project became assured. The success o
, that enterprise was the foundation o
| faith, which brought capital to us. TIL
{ stockholders did not expect to receiv
any direct dividends upon the capita
, invested, and up to the present tim
they have not. But none of them, evel
the most parsimonious and conservative