Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-05-22
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-value of Loyalty to Home
Institutions.
Does the average individual owe al.
legiance to anybody or anything? Is
he always sufficient unto himSGf, or
is he dependent upon and does he like
wise contribute to other effort?
These are questions which can best
be discussed by considering the con-
ditions as they are found In any pros
porous community, aud one will an
swer for all. says Guy 7. 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 a rural district
should share this prosperity. Here
NE ind one which partakes of this
condition. The visitor observes that
the houses are well 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 abr0ad.
Rpt Why SHOULD perhaps the very next
faWA Or village, net ten miles distant
surrounded by the same g98d farm.
ing land. support conditions the exact
reverse? Why should Its houses and
stores be so poorly built, inartistic,
gauche and with no attempt at beauty,
with no idea that the mellowing influ i
ence of time shall enhance rather than
diminish tAeIr attractiveness? Why
are there 50 few yards well Kept, With
shade trees and green lawns and or |
nameptal shrubs and flower beds, and
why, in every way, should there be
spc4 q esaeTal appearance ST neglect
and untdrlft3
What is the reason for the differ
Ppce?
Because 1T VIII be found that In ey-
cry progressive community p small
c9terie Of energetic, public spirited
men and wameH 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 "a, q place of beauty, convenience
and health: they have directed their
energies toward making their town the
real heart of the surrounding commu
nifty Every town, every village is the
ee9ter, the heart Of its surrounding
county. II Wsy be weak. inactive
heart. scarcely CARRYING liz feGble i'm
pulse into the arteries which ranify
the countryside, or it may be strong,
enthusiastic, pulsating heart, carrying
the current of its influence vigorously
into the remqt4st corner of the terri
tory it dominates.
Just as we are considered as ma
ton practically Sufficient unto our
selves, so as citizens of diffaFept states
we are loyal to home institutions
state pride is a most healthy attribute
and 70 carry the idea still further we
may With pYsat support the institu-
lions of our individnai e99alHl9ities.
But as individual citizens we are in
complete. For a full measure of pros
perity we mHst depend HP9n our neigh
baFs and our neighb9rs pp94 ~. 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 tbs
country, so money sent out of our par
ticuiFg state into another state enriches
that state at the expense of our own,
while 1t is equally true thar CUR ID
dividuai 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 nourishing, both
from within and without, for It Is the
central force which makes Of the COM
munity a virile, active and aggressive
place. AS an instance OF the value to
the entire community of the activity
Of the heart, take the case Of an up to
date Iowa town of some $4,000 or TO-,
400 DQlgJation. A few years ago the
place supported twG miserable little
hotels. On the road, AMONG tLe tray
cling men, that great moving army
throughout the west, this town was
known AS srsttean The drummers
skipped the town when possible, or IS
they had to make 1t they came Ia on
one train and went out on the next.
They got through their business as
expeditiously as possible, even slight
ing it to get to the next place on their
route, where good meals and a good
nights lodging could be had. Then
the town concluded that its business
required a good hotel, and while the
people were about it they put up q
''sweii" ONE. Now every travelling
man likes to make =. He stays
over Sunday there. He stays there as
long rs he can and canyasses every
store for the sale Of his goods. What
is the result of simply having this fine
hotel? The stores have 2 fall lipe Of
goods of all descriptions, the people Of
the community come to town to buy,
for they can get what they want, and
the merchants do big business.
A good farming community buys
much The people live well and raise
wholesome variety of products, but
they buy through the year many
things. According TO census statistics.
the average of the f4Emers of the
United States spends 1927 year for
supplies = clothing Tor the tamny, |
household utensils, food that is not |
raised at home, farm implements, etc. |
This is the average. Some buy more, |
some mnch less. Now, this means
large circulation of HlGnltey. perhaps |
100000 or 100000 expended annually |
by the farmers within five or six miles