The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-04-13
B0OMED THEIR TOWh
How Marx TWain's Boyhood VII
Iage Became a Lively City.
COMMERCIAL CLUB GOT BUSY.
Story Of Hannibal Proves That The
Average Community Can Profit by
Taking Advantage Of Opportunities.
Business Men Must Get Together.

fVcTa9e community Jan VTout "
Taking Advantage Of Opportunities.
Business Men Must Get Together.
What a live and active commercial
club can DO for town IL Indicated IN
the case OF Hannibal, Mo- Hannibal IN
chiefly known afar as the carly home
OF Mark Twain. For mauy years the
town was content 20 rest with its lau.
rels rs The boyhoOd homo of the ri eat
est American humorist. Nark Twain
himself had made 1t famous Ia his
writings, such as TON sawyer and
"Hucklcbo1y Finn" in which books
the Hannibal of sixty years ago Is
described. But that Hannibal was only
a village, a small struggling collection
of houses lying in valley between the
hills that rise north and south froin
the bank of the mighty Mississippi.
Even row somebody occasionally re.
fers to Hannibal as village.
As matter of fact, Hannibal grew
considerably after Mark Twain left
town which time and change blessed
with railroad or two. Hannibal got
TO he city Of about 1900 people, but
that was its limit in the natural order
of things. II had grown up to Just ~
big a town as the agricultural country
lying back of it could support. That
country was all cultivated and dcvcl-
oped, so there was no natural economic
reason why Hannibal should grow just
of itself beyond It's little old 12.OOO or
so, which it maintained with scarcely
n fuctuation through several decades.
Less than ten years ago Hannibal
began 10 wake up. A commercial club
was organized. Some of the leading
business and professional men got to.
gether and said to themselves: 1--WE
have here beautiful old town, with n
fine climate, several railroads and one
river-the biggest ever. Why don't we
grew? We have grown TO the limit as
n farming community, and what we
need now Is factories-just factories.
Let's reach out and get few."
That was good stiff talk. Hannibal
was tired OF being known only us the
somnolent village where Sammy Glenn
ems whitewashed the fence-or bribed
the other boys to do it. So the busi-
ness men reached out.
The first thing that came Hannibals
way was shoe factory. 1t did not
come without pulling. Other good
towns wanted 1t too. But Hannibal
wanted IL so badly that special induce
ments were offered. Hannibal got 1t.
With the shoe factory came an in
crease OF population. Many skilled
workers were required. Besides this.
many Of the local young folks who had
been merely hanging to the ragged
edge OF eXistence-out of jobs most Of
the tlme-soon found profitable en-
ployment and grew to be skilled work
ers. Thus the shoe factory worked
both ways 1t brought new people.
and it put new life into the old people.
OF course It helped business generally.
for tue weekly payroll was large. and
the people spent it right in Hannibal.
The next thing was a whole lot big
ger than shoe factory. 1t was a regu-
lar ten strike. For some years rocky
region south of the city had been sus-
pected Of being guilty of portland ce-
ment. The Commercial club of Han
nibal induced experts to visit the place
and examine the ground. After much
fuss and furore Il big company was or
ganized, 2 cement plant costing more
than a million dollars was established.
and in ono large lump about 5000 popu-
latlon was added TO Hannibal. The
town grew 50 fast that you could al
most see 1t expand. Fei
New business blocks in brick aud
stone began TO SO up. New bank build
lngs appeared. New hotels with prl.
vate baths We're built. Only four years
ago Mark Twain went to Hannibal to
see if he could find any old boyhood
friends. He stopped at the biggest
hotel in town and asked the clerk for
a room with bath. The clerk stared
at him in amazement. Nobody had
dared such n preposterous suggestion
in the history of Hannibal. But IL
Mark Twain should go there now he
would find hotel with private baths
and private telephones. Tho CONNER
cial club did 1t.
Hannibal is now thriving city with
about 10000 people. 1t is still reach
Ing out after factories. because every
factory means a considerable increase
In the population. All Increases mean
more business for the butcher, the bak-
or and the builder, not TO speak of the
banker.
The country is full Of just such towns
as Hannibal, which have within them
selves the possibility of much larger
growth. The right Kind of commercial
club or board of trade can do the bust.
ucsS. D.
eeautify the Approaches. tay
The unt,rpupbps IN ~ s,r <~~rA