The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-20


 situation as well as they will after they have been here some time.
 And now. after you have gotten the people interested in your community and they begin to make inquiries, keep following them up. But don't imagine that because they write you, they Will be down on the next train. And anoth- CT thing, don't think that the man who writes three or four page typs-writ- ten letter is of more consequence than the man who sends only line on a postal card asking for information. In almost every instance, I would, prefer the latter. because it shows that he Is busy and has not time to waste on saying what he will do. until he hears from you and knows what you have to offer him. It may require time, pa- tience and push to keep after him, but in the end 1t will pay. for if he doesn't come himself, he is almost certain to tell John Jones or Tom Smith or some of his kin or neighbors about your place, and one or all of them will come.
 But while you are working 10 bring people here. you must also work to prepare yourself to suit them in their prospective purchases by becom- ing thoroughly familiar as to details. exact boundaries and kinds of crops most successfully raised on each tract. Every town should have two or three wide-awake real estate men. Suppose I should have one or half a dozen men come here today? When they got of the train, where would they go for in- formation? Who is 1t here who can tell them about the different farm lands, the different properties that are offered for sale, their size and where located? Who is it that knows enough about the different kinds of crops to talk intelii- gently about them?
 Yes. what every Southern town should have are several hustling real estate men, who. when a stranger comes to town. will greet him cordially, and knowing the properties they represent, be quick enough to find out what he wants, and take him over 1t. Above all, be sincere and honest in all their statements regarding 1t, for you don't want to get an immigrant here who is dissatisfied through misrepresentation. for 1t would do your country more harm than good. It Is 6 fact that there are more possibilities for dishonesty in ef- thing else; but a real estate man should be strictly honest.
 Often I have occasion to write real estate men in the South, asking if they have farms of 5000 or 10000 acres, and get replies like this:
 My Dear MT. Richards: Your letter of recent date to hand. Am glad to hear from you: I can furnish any amount of land you want Just send your man down and will take care of | him. Yours truly.
 'so-and-so.'
 Now that's all rot. What I want | and what the people I represent want Is definite, accurate information. In- stead of such letter as have quoted, I should have received a rough sketch of some particular farm or farms Of more than one Is necessary to make up the tract required), showing the boun- daries of each. the location and char acter of any buildings, the length and size of streams, the land whether level | or hilIy, wooded or what especially adapted to. It doesn't matter if it Is written on brown paper with blue | pencil It gives a definite Idea for a prospective purchaser to base his opin- | ion upon, and that's what he wants.
 And when you are showing one of these home seekers around. don't talk l too much about your educational facili- ties in comparison with the North, for you must remember that up there in sections where you want to get people from, they have schools about every two miles, which employ good, com- potent teachers, and the schoolhouses-- l WAJB thSy dAS PoAhboN "ASh green shutters, and have a flag over | them! So you will see that the ordin- ary country schoolhouse down here would not compare very favorably with them; yet still you want them to know that there are schools here.
 Another thing that strikes a stranG- CT unfavorably Is the lack of system and the appearance of general disorder in many stores. even In larger towns, which is not seen anywhere, even in the country stores of the North and West. for there everything Is kept in shipshape order and strictly up-to-date; and many a man after seeing the state of affairs mentally ejaculates, My old lady couldn't stand this,' and goes back to his home to stay there, or seeks home in a section where things are run more in accordance with his tastes.
 Now, just one thing more. You've 1 got a splendid climate, you have lands l that are fine and cheap when compared with land In the Northwest, but just here-dont think that for that reason you can put your price up above the | local market and stick stranger. for these men when coming down here to locate are usually shrewd fellows who know all about land. and before buy. ing what you offer, are more than apt to investigate to see what the acre age price of land is, and will be dis gusted and may leave your community | if they fnd they are being gouged." --~-----------------