The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-01-04
COS

1905.
The majority OF our merchants have
just finished their yearly invoice. in
order to find just what has been the
profit and loss Of each department.. It
lie necessary for them to know just how
they stand with the world. Perhaps it
would be well II We would take an in
voice Of Denison as 1t stands today;
look over what may be termed our as-
sets % town, our liabilities and our
prospects for the coming year.
Denison .is q town Of perhaps $500
people: the county seat Of . county Of
20 townships having population Of
not less than $4,000. The nearest cities
Of greater population and importance
are Council Bluffs. IS miles to the
southwest; Sioux City, 90 miles tc the
northwest; Fl. Dodge, IS miles north.
east: Boone, IS miles east; Atlantic. SO
miles to the south. 1t is surrounded by
an excellent agricultural country prac-
tically ell of which 10 under cultiva-
ton. and while 1t has not reached its
limit of productiveness it has reached
all that will probably be attained in
the next decade, or until new methods
of farming are in vogue or new enter
prises are established.
There are numerous smaller towns in
the county, each of which serves to
take from Denison's trade territory es-
pecially 90 9 market town. Several OF
these towns have good stocks of mer-
chandise, are enterprising and have 9
good trade. AS an Offset to this loss,
especially in heavy lines, such as lum-
Der, implements and groceries. Deni-
son ia gamer from these towns in that
its stores furnish many Of the higher
grades not only to the farmers
throughout the county, but to the resi-
dents OF the other towns. In some lines
this gain has more than Offset the loss.
Regarded from the standooint of q
residence city Denison stands par ex-
cellence; it has nine church organiza-
tions, supported at an annual average
charge of not less than 1880 each. 1t
has fine library. It has splendid
school system which is we'll housed in
comfortable buildings and directed by
q corps of teachers that cannot be ex-
celled. It has two parochial schools.
one conducted by the Catholic church
and the other by the Lutheran church.
At the head of the educational system
stands the Denison college, an institu-
tion which has not only brought many
outside students to Deniscn, but which
has added largely to the earning capa-
city ana the power Of enjoyment of our
own young people. The city is noted
for its fine residences and beautiful.
shaded streets. What is perhaps more
noteworthy is that the city has no poor
quarter, no rotten row, no poverty fiat,
no place where pauperism breeds crime
and crime breeds pauperism. In fact
there are notaa half dozen families in
the entire city that are not self-sup-
porting, independent. and self-respect-
ing. 1t is not in the fine houses, but
in the fact that the smaller houses are
bright and cosy and comfortable that
we find the greatest source for pride in
Denison.
Denison stands upon the hills, pic
turesque but difficult. The large
amount of grading to be done has prov
ed 9 preventative to that permanent
Improvement of the streets which adds
to the convenience of other towns. It
is only within the last ten years that
Denison has achieved permanent re-
suits in street improvement. UP to
that time the work consisted lin minor
cuttings and filings and road mend
ings, but in the last ten years the coun-