Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1908-07-11
OUR RESOURCES.
Urged to Further De-
velop Our Great State.

SGOCk OF WlaU Guo OtdUO "a NAAAAOSOo"
is doing, both as state, and as a
commonwealth of devoted and public
spirited citizens, to make the resour-
ces, advantages, opportunities of the
tremendous North Star empire
domain of approximately $4,000 square
miles known in quarters of the world
where such knowledge will result in
something; something which will
mean more settlers more money for
investments more energy for develop
ment work, more rapid conquering
to the plow of the vast stretches of
uncultivated agricultural land.
What does it profit state if it's
own marvellous attractions are known
only within it's own boundaries.
A certain patent medicine concern
manufacturing 'snear-booze" con-
coction, is spending this year 81 ,250,-
900 for advertising To Acquaint
More People With the Article and Sell
More Bottles of it Than at Present.
With magnificent generosity the
late state legislature has set aside
about $12, 2,O0O year for the adver-
tising of state as large as New Eng
land and vastly greater in potential
and undeveloped wealth. Comment
on this comparison is quite necessary.
Yet this situation has its bright side.
In January at the invitation of a st.
Paul commercial organization, re-
preventative Minnesota men met to-
consider what might be done to build
a greater Minnesota. A federation of
commercial organizations was formed.
Red Wing furnished president,
Eveleth a vice president, Marshall
another vice president, and every
congressional district of the state a
member of an excellent executive
committee. With very limited funds
these men started the ball rolling.
They have worked quietly, but
effectively. a.ss
HIS 10 WAoO Aoc AcSpHOuCNs
Within thirty days rousing rallies
have been held at Bemidji, Bagley,
Wheaton, Blackduck and Lake City
Other recent meetings were held at
Virginia, Eveleth, Lugerne Rochester,
and at other points
where either these naen Or good local
men have forced the consideration of
state advertising and boosting for
the state on local business men, from
the standpoint of practical business.
A most remarkable fact is that at
many of these meetings, and requests
for dates are coming in upon the
federation officers i'm almost every
mail, the farmers were the bulk of
the audiences. In every case they
followed the addresses with the keen
est interest. At the northern meet |
ings farmers drove fifteen and twenty
miles over wretched roads, to hear !
experts tell how Mime
sofa naay simply and effectively draw
more farm settlers and build up it's
agricultural population.
Minnesota needs no better pro-
mise that some time it will be pro-
perly and effectively advertised to the
world, than the interest and enthusi-
asm shown by the farmers who have
come with the boosters movement.
These are not isolated intances of
From end to end of the
state business men are taking and
thinking, and planning. They realize
that thousands have left for Canada
who would have been better off to
have remained at home in Minnesota.
They realize that the settlement of
Of the great southwestern wastes. ac-
complished in ten years, can be
for the three quarters of
he agricultural land of Minnesota
which is unoccupied, if money, brains
md cold business Judgement are pat
o work on the job. And they want
Every 100 farmers located ada
ent to a Minnesota market town,
means 100000 a year added to the
business of the town absolutely ire
pective Of the commercial ransac
ions resulting from the handling of |
What is produced by the hundred
lew farms. j
1t is curious fact that even in the
'ldest portions of the state, there is
lardIy good farm community town
where they are not 100 vacant farms {
within easy trading radius. In many I
distances there are several hundred. j
Northwestern Canada was settled
y advertising by the spending sof .
100000 in one year for instance,
long lines calculated (and wisely
tanned too) to arouse the interest of
lrmers and others.