The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-04-12
COMES TO TURNING POINT
For a Greater Mitchell-Large and
Enthusiastic Meeting Held at
the Club Rooms.

nent business and professional men
of Mitchell gathered for an intense
and enthusiastic meeting at the
Mitchell Club rooms last evening.
for over two hours the future of
Mitchell was discussed in a sane and
businesslike, but none the less in
tense, way. General G. A. Silsby, the
Hon. HI. c. Preston, VIM. q. Turner.
DR.. Thomas Nicholson, Robert
Burns, j. N. Grow, e. F. Reamer, w.
H. George, T. G. Burns, S. G. Boyce,
Q. w. Downey, and many others. par
ticipated in the discussions The
substance of the discussions was,
Mitchell is the center OF Il radius of
at least seventy-five miles of rich
and prosperous country, the trade of
which naturally belongs to our city.
This is sufficient to make it. within
the next five years OF at least fifteen
thousand inhabitants. The counties
Immediately south of Mitchell are
among the richest and most fertile
in the state. The trade of these
counties is being largely diverted to
other cities, chiefly by reason of the
exorbitant freight rates and of the
present termini of the railroads. 1t
is almost a crisis with the city; it's
future development depends upon an
immediate change in these two direc-
lions. There is ample room for a va
riety of Industries in Mitchell,
among those mentioned as entirely
feasible were a brick yard, a tile
yard, a cement factory, jobbing
houses, particularly wholesaling in
groceries and provisions; a clothing
factory, particularly one which
would manufacture ~overalls and the
coarser clothing for farmers and
workmen; a glove and mitten fac
tory, and a variety of such indus
tries. Nearly all of these are at the
present precluded or rendered diff
cult of establishment by the present
discrimination against Mitchell in
freight rates, and by the railroad
conditions mentioned.
Every speaker paid tribute to the
splendid work done in the past by
the executive committee Of the Com
mercial Committee. Considering
the fact that they are all busy men,
having large interests of their own,
that their work has been entirely
gratuitous, even to the extent of pay
ing for their own stationery and
travelling expenses when on duty,
they were said to be entitled to the
lasting praise of the citizens. With
out using them a whit less, the meet
ing decided that the time had come
for ore definite and vigorous ac-
ton than they could possibly take.
1t was thought that an industrial
commissioner or secretary for the
Commercial Club, who should be a
thoroughly competent man, skilled
in promoting such objects, interested
in Mitchell, and capable of leader
ship among men, should be imme-
diately secured and put upon a sal
airy which should enable him for the
next year to give substantially all his
time to promoting these objects. The
sentiment of the meeting was that
no cheap man should be employed,
that the wise policy was to secure the
best there is, and to give the man
the unanimous backing of the bust
les interests of the city.
In pursuance of this plan, which
came to be quite unanimously an
proved, a committee consisting of w.
E. Turner, B. M. Johnston, and e. F.
Reamer, vas appointed to make a
careful canvass, to ascertain how
large an amount could be secured by
subscription for the salary of such
a commissioner; to see where they
could find a man to meet the ideals
of the meeting; and to report the
amount secured and their nomina-
ton for such commissioner to an adj
journed meeting to be held at the
Club rooms, Monday evening, April
18th.
This committee agreed to take up
the work with vigor. Without a dis
senting voice the n hundred or
more men present requested The Re-
publican to say that they sincerely
hoped the business lei and citizens
would give this committee a cordial
reception and an earnest support.
They mean business, and as one
speaker said, success in what is now
undertaken ear cheaper fuel,
cheaper shoes, cheaper groceries,, and
more business for every resident of
Mitchell. Another speaker stated
that he could give fifty dollars a year
to the support of such a man and
save it on one car of coal, If the
present discrimination in freight
rates could be removed. II all u
citizens could have heard the dis
cussions on this occasion, there
would be little doubt about the abil-
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