Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-06-10
THE BOOSTERS CLUB,
Story Of a Unique Organization
That Is Booming a Town.
WAS THE OUTCOME OF A JOKE

But the Boosters Of Mortified, Minn.,
Have Grown strons-Wise Business
Men Approve and Applaud These
| Youngsters, and the Town Grows.
Knock and the world knocks with you;
Boost and you boost alone.
That is not always true, not by a
long shot. One booster In q town, If
he Is real booster, will draw other
boosters to him, and the boosting soon
booster will have plenty of company.
This fact is well illustrated by the
story Of the Boosters club of North
field, Mimi, the little city made ia
nous in 1876 by the bank raid and at
tempted robbery by the Younger broth
ers and their gang from Missouri
Mortified had one booster at first, and
now the town has a whole club of
them. These boosters declare that
within five years they will boost the
population of NorthfieId from 1000 to
10000.
The Boosters club Is an Organlza-
ton of young commercial and profess
sional men, clerks and, In fact, all of
the younger activity of the town. No
restrictions are placed on eligibility to
membership except good character
and an age limit Other requirements,
however, to become a booster are set
by hard and fast rules Every one
who joins first has to agree to bury
the knockers hammer" and thence
forth to boost his town and its busl-
ness interests. "For Mortified first"
is the clubs motto
The story of how the organization
started is worth relating 1t was really
the outcome of Il practical joke, though
the idea had been discussed by sew
eral spirited ones before.
On an evening early last spring word
was passed around among the young
men Of the town that there was to be
something doing on certain evening
IN one Of the halls Of the town. There
was to be mock trial, with one Of the
progressive young business men as de
PENDANT, for the theft of piece OF
furniture from one OF the hosteries
of the city. At the trial there was a
judge assisted by all Of the usual and
necessary court officials and an impos-
ing array Of legal counsel. About fifty
young men applied for admission to
the hearing All that was required
was the signing of paper at the door.
After a lengthy trial the question was
left with the jury, and a verdict Of
guilty was brought In. At the close Of
the evenings amusement the paper.
which was signed by every one pres
ent, was brought to the front, and,
much to the surprise and amusement
of all, 1t was found that the signature
had been duplicated with the aid Of
carbon paper and each man had signed
a pledge to abstain from intoxicants
for period of year After the court
was adjourned the convicted man in
vited those present to a little lunch,
and 1t was there that the organization
was thought Of. A suitable name was
taken, that Of the Boosters club and
since that time this body Of men has
been known as such. The club does
not pose as a moneyed body and pub
fishes the fact that 1t is not composed |
Of men who even have large salaries. |
1t boasts Of It's energy and hustling
qualities, and all it asks from the 9th
er class of citizens is cooperation and
assistance.
The growth Of the club is really mar
yelous 1t does not stop to ask the APP
plicant of his financial standing, re-
llgion or politics, but asks that all |
boost and stop knocking. One of the |
unique features Of It's membership is |
the invitation to all travelling men to |
Join without any initiation fee or de-
post. This feature alone Is one Of |
great advertising force. The travelling |
men are taken In as honorary mem |
bers and have all the privileges Of the
club rooms. They naturally go out
from Mortified and boost for the boys.
In the beginning the club had no
funds Of any kind, no place in which
to hold It's meetings, and even had not
the respect Of the men of the city. On
one side 1t was called the "Boozers
club" and on the other it was known
as the Temperance society" But this
the Northern Boosters club has sue
lived down.
AS soon as the officers were elected
and committees appointed the latent
energy began to show itself. A much
needed public benefit, rest room, was
the first object of the organization.
The club had no money but had good
igltators. Soon a movement was set
going, and all of the organzatio be-
gan to lend helping hand. An eye
Iore on the west side of the square
las been selected as the site for the
est room, and it now remains for the
noneyed men Of the city to buy the site.