The Democratic advocate., 1908-06-05
A PROJECT THAT PAYS
MAKE YOUR TOWN The HEART Uf I'LL
COMMUNITY
Town and Surrounding Country Are
Dependent on Each Other

Does the average individual owe al
Iegiance to anybody or anything? Is
he always sufficient unto himself, or
! is he dependent upon and does he ike
wise contribute to other effort?
These are questions which can best
he discussed by considering the con-
ditions as they are found in any pros
porous community and one Will an
swer for all, says Guy T Mitchell in
Maxwell's Talisman. We will assume
that the native resources of this par
! ticular locality are ample. The SOIL
is fertile and mellow, the methods OF
| farming are good, the crops are uni
formly heavy, and the farmers are
prosperous. Under normal conditions
the towns of such 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 It's houses and
stores be SO poorly Duilt, inartlst1c,
gauche and with no attempt at beauty,
with no idea that tho mellOwing inf1u-
ence of time shall enhance rather than
diminish their attractiveness? Why
are there so few yards well kept, with
shade trees and green lawns and or
namental shrubs and flower beds, and
why, in every way. should there be
such a general appearance of neglect
and unthrift?
What is the reason for the differ
ence?
Because it will be found that in ev-
cry progressive community a small
coterie of energetic, public spirited
men and women have Systematically
gone about the improvement of their
homes. They have set examples; they
have devoted themselves to fostering
the spirit of local pride, of home town
work; they have determined to make
their town a place most satisfactory
to live in, place of beauty, convent
ence and health they have directed
their energies toward making their
town the real heart or the surround
ing community. Every town, every
village, is the center, the heart, of it's
surrounding country. 1t may be a
weak, inactive heart scarcely carrying
it's feeble impulse into the arteries
which ramify the countryside, or it
may be strong enthusiastic pulsating
heart, carrying the current of it's in
1uence vigorously into the remotest
corner of the territory it dominates.
Just as we are considered as ma
ton practically sufficient unto our
selves SO as citizens of different states
we are loyal to home Institutions
state pride is most healthy attribute
and to carry the idea still further we
may with profit support the institu-
tionS of our Individual communities.
But as individual citizens we are in
complete. For full measure of pros
perity we must depend upon our neigh
borS and our neighborS 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 par
ticular state into another state en-
riches that state at the expense of our
own, while 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
A good farming community buys
much. The people live we'll and raise
wholesome variety of products, but
they buy through the year many
things. According to census statistics.
the average of the farmers of the
United States spends $627 a year for
supplies for the family,
household utensils, food that is not
raised at home, farm implements etc.
This is the average. Some buy more,
some much less. Now, this means
large circulation of money, perhaps
100000 or 100000 expended annually
by the farmers within five or six miles
OF any small town. How and where
do they spend it? Is the town itself
such as to impress them with the feel
ing that it is the real heart of their
community? Is it a pretty town,
beautiful town. in which they cannot
but feel just pride? Has it wide, well
kept streets and good roads leading
into 1t over which it is a delight to
drive either with tight buggy or
heavily laden wagon carrying a load
OF produce to market? Has it long
rows of shade trees and some public
parking to make it attractive? Are it's
citizens taking pride in making their
own grounds and yards beautiful and
their houses vine covered and not COM
monplace? In short, is it such place
as man may be glad to visit, to pat
ronlze and to call "his town" and
where as he retires in his later wears
from the active work of farm life he
may move or look forward to moving
into and becoming himself a resident?
With the spirit of cooperative effort
stimulated in community, great
Things have been accomplished.
through persistence in pulling to-
gether communities have grown and
thrived where the natural ADVANTAGES
have been poor. They have forged
ahead and passed other communities
with far greater natural advantages
where the spirit of cooperation has
been dormant.
The man who has pride in his home
town and who. if it does not meet his
ideal, works and strives to arouse en-
tnus1asm IN others to make it such is
the best of citizens. He is worth dol
lars to the community He NAV be
advancing his own interests, but he is
likewise increasing the market value
OF the. community. He is helping his
town, the heart of the community, and
therefore the community. He is en-
tltled to the support of it's citizens,
tneir enthusiastic support and coop