Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-12-06
HOW TO DRAW CROWD
Small Kansas Towns Unique
Idea That Helps Trade.
ADJUSTMENTS ON SATURDAY.
Committee Advertises Prizes For Light.
est Married Woman, Heaviest Lady,
oueerest Dressed Boy-Fat Mems
Raee-Othsr Funny Stunts.

Ihats why people don't care to come
to town" The farmers around about
stay at home Saturday afternoons and
piddle around II work is slack rather
than hitch and drive into town and
find themselves too lonesome to live.
What the small town needs to keep up
Its spirits, attract people, draw trade
and make life worth living is amuse-
ment.
There is little town in Kansas call
ed Ettingham which has realized this
fact and has done something unique.
Etfingham has new Commercial
club. The Commercial club has a
special committee to work up stunts"
A stunt" is something that is made to
happen by artificial means. This COM
mittee got its several heads together
and figured out a series OF Saturday
afternoon stunts" that make most
town affairs look like a plugged nickel.
Every Saturday afternoon now there
are hundreds OF out Of town people In
Efingham. Any town with spunk
enough can do likewise. Those people
trade at the stores and other places
and help the town along.
In a recent issue the Kansas City
Star thus describes one of Efingham's
stunt Saturdays:
On Saturday the Commercial club
Just said that certain things would be
done on Main street Saturday after
noon at 2 o'clock, and Saturday after
noon at O'Clock those same things
were done. And there were about 200
farmers wagons in town. That's all.
They said there would be fat
mems race. There. was. Five hun
drsd farmers brought their families to
town to see II. The winner got bug
~ whip, bottle OF grape juice and a
facial massage. They said there would
be a twenty-five yard race for girls
under twelve, the winner to be given
a neck charm and two pounds Of can
dy. They said that each Of the two
heaviest women coming to town to-
gether In one vehicle should receive a
china silk shirtwaist pattern. and the
heav 81 In cash. They said that the
two lightest married women coming to
town in one vehicle should receive a
white embroidered parasol and a
cake. They said the most ludicrously
dressed boy should receive two collars,
a necktie and pair OF socks. The
week before they said there were $50
In money and sack OF -four waiting
for the heaviest load Of women COM
ing TO town In one vehicle.
II ralned Saturday in EfflngAam. II
rained quite some, but the CONNER
cial club through its committee on
stunts, had said there would be things
doing on Main street at O'Clock, and
the rain didn't melt anything with
them. They got scraper and team
OF mules, skinned about thirty inches
OF surface Off Main street and In ten
minutes everything was ready for
the fat mems race.
"All ready to enter here" called
Willis Cahoon. This is the fat mems
race. Who's IMP
Doc White stepped up to the line. Il
amt fat man." he said. 81 only
weigh 2sO, but I'm willing to show
what / can do"
Here" said Jim Stewart, 81 thought
this was a fat mems race. | weigh
$40. but | amt going to run with no
living skeleton"
Three hundred and twenty-slx Is
my figure" said Roy Wallack as he
toed the line. but I'm willing to run
with these race riders II White will
take off that Panama hat II the wind
gets under that it'll bow him across
the finish line. This amt no aero
plane contest. this Is a foot race"
"Cut out that talk and walt for the
word" called out Starter Sharpless.
This is no debating society; It's foot
race to see who gets that facial mas
sage"
an give Stewart his now II he don't
quit crowdlng." said Wallack.
go"
The word caught Stewart with his
mouth open. and he lost valuable time
getting II shut again that ought to
have been devoted to getting his feet
out OF the mud. The crowd standing
behind the starting line had to be told
about the race afterward. They didn't
see anything after the first deluge OF
mud that followed the uplifting OF
those feet. They telephoned back from
the finish that White was the winner.
The weighing OF the two heaviest
women reused the partisanship Of the
crowd to the highest pitch. Cheers
went up when Mrs. John Henry prov
ed by the scales that she weighed
2O5ib pounds. Mrs ]. r. Goodpasture
only smiled. Lead me to IT," she
said. As she stepped on the platform
the crowd qulvered with excitement
So did the scales. II may have lost
some" said Mrs. Goodpasture mod
estlv. 'I haven't been weighed since
Yesterday at o'clock"
The clerk OF the scales. MT. Arthur
showed traces Of deep emotion. Mad
am" he said. III you have lost any
thing ii isn't weight; It is all here. Go
TO the committee and get a shirt wais'
pattern and 81 in cash. The scales
quit at 245l4.'
"Whoop-eer' said the crowd
II ~, ~ paaca aStahItshed her ciaIrr