The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-04-30
PROJECT THAT PAYS.
Make Your Town the Heart of the
Community.
COOPERATION A BIG FACTOR.
How a Town and the Surrounding
Country Are Dependent on Each
Other-VaIue of Loyalty to Home
Institutions.

thingo Is he always sufficient
unto himself, or is he dependent
upon and does he likewise con
tribute to others efforts?
These are questions which can
best be discussed by considering
the conditions as they are found in
any prosperous community, and
one will answer for all, says Guy
7. Mitchell in MaXwell's Tails.
man. We will assume that the
native resources of this particular
locality are ample. The soil is
fertile and mellow, the methods of
farming are good, the crops are
uniformly heavy, and the farmers
are prosperous. Under normal
conditions the towns of such a
rural district should share this
prosperity. Here we find one
which partakes of this condition.
The visitor observes that the
houses are we'll built, the grounds
we'll kept and the homes attractive
and artistic. He is impressed at
once with the fact that the value
of the beautiful is appreciated by
the citizens and that the spirit of
cooperation is abroad. But why
should perhaps the very next town
or village, not ten miles distant,
surrounded by the same good farm
ing land, support conditions the
exact reverse? Why should its
houses and stores be so poorly
built, inartistic, gauch and with
no attempt at beauty, with no idea
that the mellowing influence of
time shall enhance rather that di-
minish their attraCtiveness? Why
are there so few yards we'll kept,
with shade trees and green lawns
and ornamental shrubs and flower
beds, and why, in every way,
should there be such a general APP
pearance of neglect and unthrift.
What is the reason for the differ
ence?
Because it will be found that in
every progressive community a
small coterie Of energetic, public
spirited men and women have
Systematically gone about the i'm
provement of their homes. They
have set examples; they have de-
voted themselves to fostering the
spirit of local pride, of home town
work; they have determined to
make their town a place most sat
isfaCtory to live in, town of
! beauty, convenience and health;
| they have directed their energies
toward making their town the real
heart of the surrounding commit
nifty. Every town, every village,
is the center, the heart of the sur
rounding country. 1t may be a
weak, inactive heart, scarcely car
rying its feeble impulse into the
arteries which ramify to the coun-
try-side, or it may be strong, en-
thusiastic, pulsating heart, carry
ing the current of its influence
vigorously into the remotest cor
ner of the territory it dominates.
Just as we are considered as a
nation practically sufficient unto
ourselves, so as citizens of differ
ent states we are loyal to home in
stitutions-state pride is a most
healthy attribute and to carry
the idea still further we may with
profit support the institutions of
our individual communities. But
as Individual citizens we are I'M
complete For a full measure of
| prosperity we must depend upon
us. AS every dollar that is sent
out of the United States to Europe
or elsewhere for the purchase of
things which we have at home is a
distinct loss to the country, SO
money sent out of our particular
state into another state enriches
that state at the expense Of our
own, which it is equally true that
our individual community suffers
to the same extent through the
purchase of goods in distant places
which we might buy at home.
The heart of the community is
worth stimulating, worth nourish.