Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-04-27
BUILT UP THE TOWN
THE WORK OF AN ENTERPRlSlNC IN.
PROeEMeNT SOCIETY.

vertea IntO TINE of the Most Pro-
greasive Towns la the Enst-Nove:
Improvement Schemes.
In these days town is a good deal
like a mans business. 1t has got to
be advertised and tlked about and
pushed along to get the best results. A
town which advertises itself. no matter
whether it is situated in Maine or Cali
fornia, is certain to reap benefits. We
have In mind New England town
which was almost asleep u few years
ago, but which Is now one OF the most
progressive in the east. The change
was brought about by the organization
Of local Improvement society, and in
speaking Of the work Of this body its
president recently said:
How did we improve and build up
our town and make it one Of the best
In the state? BY working as we had
never worked before in our lives-that
is, we were continually at it, preaching
improvements from morning till night.
1t might be said that we drove our
citizens into 1t, although that would
not be strictly true, for after we had
fairly got started and showed them
some of the advantages of clean and
we'll lighted streets, better roads, pret-
ty lawns, etc, they joined in heartily
enough. 1t took about two years to
get up to this point. however. but after
that it was plain sailing. Cooperation
is the thing, you know. A few citizens
alone can accomplish very little.
"As to our methods for town i'm
provement," continued the president.
I'VE did no little planning and schem-
ing. About the first thing our society
took up was the streets. which were Il
disgrace to the town. Most of them
were full Of holes and seldom cleaned.
and it was hardship indeed to ride
over them. We agirated this matter
for some time without effect and final
ly began taking photographs of our
worst streets and sending these pic
lures to the town authorities. Under
each photograph we would have print
ed something like this: "A Disgrace to
the Town How Long Must We Stand
This" why Our Town Does Not
Crow etc. This finally brought mat
ters to climax. and after our streets
were improved we turned our attention
J to other improvements.
"In time we induced our citizens OH
the residential streets to remove their
fences. which greatly improved the ap-
pearance of the thoroughfares. We Sc
cured better lights and more ornamen-
( tai lamps for lighting the town at
night; went to people who were plan
ming new houses and got them to adopt
modern architecture and interested
our school children in town beautifying
and were given much valuable aid by
them. In fact, we went in for any
5 thing and everything that would i'm
5 prove and build up the town and make
. it good place to live in. You can sec
the result for yourself. Many desira
BILE residents have moved here from
) surrounding towns, and our merchants
mechanics and builders-in fact. all tn,
o business men in this town-are busy
r except the doctors. Clean and well KEEP
n towns, you know. are healthy places t
# live in.
'In all our work we have had tn
. hearty support of our local newspapers
Indeed we could not have accOmplishe'
half Of what we have without their al
sistance. The first thing is to get tn
editors interested, and as class the
. are always prompt to take up any
- thing and everything for the better
N ment Of their towns. 1t is a good ide.
1t I think. for the local papers to thro,
,e open their columns to the public an
ID publish short communications on th
" subject of local improvements. Wha
- helps the town helps the weeklies 9
dailies.
"Our society has also brought no II
le tie business into the town in one wa
e, and another. We are now on the lool
h. out for conventions of all kinds-rt
v ligious. political. labor. secret order an
the like. Boards Of trade are suppose
to look after such affairs, but It Is nc
. exactly within their scope. A body O
IL citizens organized for this particula
purpose will achieve far better results
It would not be a side issue then. Tn
II advantages that would result from thi
n work can readily be seen. We wOul
= have gathered here perhaps a dozel
times a year representative men from
different sections Of the country. What
over of good there is here would b
y widely advertised. Directly there woul'
r be the not inconsiderable sums Of mon
D, ey spent by these bodies. Indirectl,
,r there might be gain Of a manufat
= turing enterprise or perhaps Of sev
eral.
"The mere fact Of q convention o
any sort holding its session here woul
add to our Importance as a town in tn
eyes Of our neighbors. Our hotel
1t would be well patronized and CORE
" spondingly improved. our transports
z don facilities bettered as natural ei
II feet and. in short, the benefits woul
b many" A. B. LEWIS.