The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-09-29
The Future Of Denison.

For many months those interested in
the future Of our city have been anx-
iously debating as to the effect of the
new railroads upon its trade. During
this summer we have felt little but the
good effects. Hundreds of men have
been employed here; the building of
new towns has helped our lumber trade;
prosperity has attended every branch of
business. With the new lines in actual
operation the situation will be reversed.
Hogs and grain will seek the nearest
markets; lumber, hardware, machinery
and rgroceries will be bought at the
nearest points. If, as is undeniable,
Deloit. Kiron and Schleswig do an in
creased business Denison must to a GER
tain extent be the loser.
These are conditions, not theories,
and Denison business men must be pre-
pared to meet them OF see Denison re-
trograde from a business standpoint.
The coming Of new railroads helps
some towns and kills others, and we
are inclined to the belief that the final
result is largely due to the citizens of
the town.
There are pleasant features connected
with the recent railroad developments.
First, is the temporary rush of business
such as we are now experiencing. Sc
cond, although of comparatively minor
Importance. is the number of additional
men who will be employed permanent
ly at junction point such as Deniscn
is to be. Third, is the fact that the
larger bills of clothing, dry goods, furn-
iture, ETC.. will be bought at the larger
town where greater assortments and
stronger competition invites the buyer
and the more people there are in the
county the more buyers of this class
there will be.
The question for Denison merchants
is how to meet these changing condi-
tions. Denison is sixty five miles at least
from any competing trade center and
the first thing that must be done is to
establish the SUPREMACY OF DEN1soN
in its own territory. Instead of compe-
ting with neighboring towns we must
learn in measure to compete with
Council Bluffs, Omaha, Sioux City and
TT. Dodge. We cannot do this without
better and more attractive store build
ings. Many of our store buildings are
unworthy town of half the size of
Denison. If the owners will not build
the lots should be assessed SO high that
a poor building will be Improbable.
With the advent of new buildings our
merchants can put in better and more
complete stocks. Some stocks of goods
in Denis0n are already as good as any
in Council Bluffs, but others are not.
Another way to upbuild the town is by
advertising. By this We do not mean
to obtrude our own business, although
judicious advertising in the county pa
pers of general circulation cannot fail
to be of benefit. Advertising we use as
a generic term. Every merchant should
set aside so much for advertising his
particular business and SO much for adj
vertising the town in general.
The great thing for the Denison
merchants to do however is to build up
the home trade, II we are to be cut
off from trade territory ten miles dis
tant, let us be sure that we get ALL the
trade within five miles. This can be
secured by furnishing good markets.
both for buying and selling and by good
roads. AT present Denison has the
worst roads leading into it of any town
in the county. just think of it. Let
us stop cutting down hills here in town
and devote our energies to building
good roads in the country. A good
road often determines which town a
farmer shall trade in.