The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-11-06
HOW TO "PUSH, WILMINGTON,

HOW TO "PUSHo WILMINGTON.
Meeting Mr.. w. B. Cooper a day or
so ago We asked him to tell us what
ought to be done to push" Whining
ton. He was busy, Of course, as he
always is, and said that he did not
have time to talk to us then. At our
request he promised to jot down a few
ideas On this important subject and
send them to US, which he has done
in the letter given below, which we
commend to the reading of every busi-
ness man in the city. Outsiders who
contemplate change of home and are
looking about for suitable location
would profit by its reading, also; for,
as Mr.. Cooper says, what he states
about Wilmington, her business and
her natural advantages, are facts-not
wind.
The best suggestions Mr.. Cooper
makes is the necessity of advertising
the city and of all the people pulling
together, talking up the city and work
ing for her, helping each other for The
general good of all.
Mr.. w. B. Cooper needs no introduce
ton to the people of Wilmington or Of
those sections of this state and South
Carolina in which he has numerous
customers; but to readers of The Mes
senger in more distant parts we will
say that he is one of the leading whole
sale grocers and commission merchants
of Wilmington, and is thoroughly ac-
quainted with the conditions and needs
of our city.
His letter follows:
Wilmington, N. c., November 2.
Editor of The Messenger
Dear Sir: You ask me how to
"push' Wilmington. I say it is large
~ matter Of advertising. Newspapers
come first, and 1 am glad you are
eager to do your part; but can news
paper live on wind and push the city?
We have twenty jobbers in my line.
How many pay our newspapers as
much as one hundred dollars per year
for advertising? We have many whole
sale and retail dealers in dry goods
shoes, hardware, etc, and how many
come In line? No city in America has
more honorable men in all these lines
but We want the world tc know it.
Have we a right to criticise our papers
IL we do not support them? Do we as
business men appreciate criticism
from those who give us7nO business?
Another form of advertising is to
tell what we have right here. There is
no necessity to Overrate the city;
simply tell the facts.
We have the headquarters of the
finest and best managed railroad sys
tenn in the SOUTH which has always
succeeded, whose management has
been entirely fair to the smallest stock
holder. Hundreds, yes thousands of
people have been and are being helped
by it. The system is ever ready to
give us a square DEAL in fact to do
anything we ask that is reasonable |
BY the way, down town ticket office |
would be convenient. If we ask for |
it no doubt we could get it.
We have the largest single cotton |
exporting firm in the south whose very
name means honor all over the world. |
We have the largest and strongest
banks in the state. They are progress
sive and liberal. yet solid and safe
No finer trucking section is to be
found in the whole country. There
is no finer Gotten section in the south
There are no more progressive peo-
pie in the immigration line than the
million dollar firm in our midst.
Our laboring people are, as a rule,
good, square men and good citizens,
who earn every dollar they get.
Our city is law abiding. Where is
there coast city whose business is so
entirely suspended on Sunday by
everybody, including the saloons?
I might greatly extend this enumer-
alton. All of these are cold facts-not
wind.
All we have to do to reach a popu-
lation of fifty thousand people in a
few years is to let the world know '
what we have: to talk and work: to
help each other, and not try to tear
each other down. Pull together; what
ever our little local differences may be, |
settle them and go ahead. Il
Yours truly, !
w. COOPER.