Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-03-22
SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
A Former Great Bend Boys Ideas About
What Will Benefit Our City and
County.

A Former Great Bend Boys Ideas About
What Will Benefit Our City and
I County.
In reply to letter from F. Vernon
Russell, Secretary of the Great Bend
Commercial Club. in which suggestions
were invited from George M. Moss, for.
merly an active member of the first
commercial club organized here some
years ago, but for a number of years
past resident of Providence. R. l.,
Mr.. Moss writes the Club as follows:
1t gives me the greatest pleasure. I
can assure you. to comply with this in.
vitation, and if there is anything can
say that will be beneficial in the up.
building and improving of your city I
shall be very glad, indeed. l have al
ways carried the interests of Great
Bend in my heart and although
far removed for some years there
is no place that seems more like home
to me and / often wish that l was one
among you once again.
A man of family seeking residence
IN your city would naturally. carefully
investigate several conditions. viz:
What are the chances of making money,
and what is the cost of living expenses?
Are the public schools of high orderp
Are the people cordial7 Is the city or
derly and well goverued7 Is the eli
mate healthful7 What Is the feeling
among the citizens IN regard to public
improvements A city is progressive
if it keeps up its improvements and
adds others from time to time. On the
other hand if this is not done it soon
has a run down appearance and is very
soon classed as a dead town. There
is no such thing as remaining stationary.
Either you advance or recede. A city
can have no better advertisement, nor
one that pays so we'll, as to be contin.
ually making improvements There is
no better indication of prosperity, nor
anything that attracts the attention that
SoAS oOSSs <AhOthVA AoSkOAs "A City tS
noticed because it is different from 9th.
er cities, does something better than
other cities do. and does it oftener.
This is an age of specially. 1t is bet
ter to do few things and do them well
than to do too much, or only half dc
them, or fail on them all. As said g
city is brought into prominence because
of difference between it and othel
cities. Unlike polls of a magnet at
tract. SO will this difference attract peo
pie and cause others to investigate the
advantages offered and throw the scale
in case this difference is favorable.
~ould suggest. first, that you select Z
few things that would make your city
popular, and second, keep hammerin,
until you get them.
While on my way west last summe
passed through Niles, Michigan. l
is not large place and we made but
short stop, but every head was out o
the car windows, and heard more com
ments made in Its favor than any othe
place we passed through. and the feel
ing seemed to be that it was a wide
awake city and good place to live
On both sides of the railroad trac
some distance were beds of bloom
ing flowers that did one good to see al
ter sc much monotony. A greenhous
was but a short distance away, an
during our stop uniformed boy passe
through the train and presented eac
lady with small bouquet. Now th
was quite small thing in itself. but
undoubtedly made an impression, SHOW
ed the character of the place. and CAV
one desire TO know more about it.
was enough, everything else beiu
equal. to decide contemplating hom,
seekers. Anyhow there was q diffe
ence and it attracted attention.
1t seems to me that your FIRST duty
to keep up tbs improvements that yc
have. You have good sized park ar
have given it much attention. It lool
cd very we'll last fall. but it could /
improved. The band-stand should
painted every spring. It would pay