The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-08-31
MAKING A BLUFF
WELL-MGAhiHo cirtxEhe VINO
WORK ALONG WRONG LihEs.
KNOCKING THE HOME TOWN
Her comms~ciai clubs Pail In Work
Undertaken fos me Improvement
Of Local cooditIons-

In q western town not long since Q
General Call was issued 10 citizens 10
hold a Meeting for the purpose Of or
Eaniring Business Mems Association,
or AZ the papers announced. Com
mercial club. According 70 the News
paper Reports OF the event the NEST
ing was a Grand Success. and some 40
or so prominent citizens enrolled their
names as members. Thus The Com
mercial club was started on its Career.
Among the active citizens and those
who were foremost In advocating the
Club as an Important Thing for the
welfare Of the Town. were a Minister
and a Lawyer The good clergyman
was made the Secretary, Banker OF
the town was elected President, and
the Lawyer Treasurer. AS 10 usual
with such clubs. q Constitution and
Bylaws were adopted; an Executive
Committee appointed. and also Hus-
Ting Committee 20 add Push TO the
club II was outlined that by harmony
and cooperation the town could be
Doomed and made much Better. One
OF the Things desired was a Public
Library. Among the other Things
were Manufacturing Enterprises,
Creamery and another Elevator for the
town, TO compete with the one Elevs-
tor already located there.
Sir months OF careful labor on the
part Of the Commercial Club devel.
oped the fact that the efforts towards
securing any OF these Things were
without results. There was no Library,
the Creamery Proposition was consid-
cred unfavorable. as the farmers could
secure more by shipping their cream
out OF Town than the Creamery could
AFFORD 20 pay, and AZ 10 the Elevator,
only part of the Stock necessary for
it's start was subscribed. An investi-
CATION revealed that out OF this very
same town each day an average OF
more than 1900 was being sent 10 Out
side Cities for Goods that might as
well have been purchased at the home
stores. II was discovered that the
Minister, who was the Secretary OF
the Club, all the while he was Advo-
eating Town improvement. was quiet.
~ WI eAH0hN NhV FAtAhRNAa Va hAe
Flock 10 secure Orders for Groceries
and other goods TO send 10 Chicago
alleged cooperative concern. He was
receiving five per cent. commission on
all Purchases made. The Lawyer OF
the town, who was made the Treasurer
OF the Club, was sending away for the
Clothes he wore. and even the Banker
could not ind Carpets sufficiently good
in his home town, and sent away the
money TO foreign place for rugs. and
also a Piano that ornsmented his
home.
These misled Enterprising Citizens
were working all along the wrong
prove the Town. TO start the Creamery
that. perhaps. would keep a few
thousand dollars a year In the town
an Elevator that was almost unneces-
sary, as the one already located In the
Town was capable OF handling all the
grain produced In the neighborhood.
and would result In no saving or the
bringing In OF greater income, they
overlooked the Importance Of deyising
means OF retaining Business 10 the
Town that was going away from H.
The very ones intrusted with the
Building Up OF the Industries OF the
Place were foremost in turning over
10 other communities the Dollars that
should be retained TO improve the
Home Trade. and make Wealthy the
community
Moral--It would be well for mem.
bers OF Commercial Clubs 10 take heed
that the most important action for the
Club to take is 20 Devise Means OF
Protecting Enterprises already estab.
lished instead OF gaining new Enter.
prises OF Doubtful Utility