Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-04-12
TOWN BOOSTING PLAN
How Advertising Benefited Lost.
burg" and Paid a Syndicate.
VENTURE OF THREE HUsTLERs
Bought Up Whole Town and Outlying
Lands In Semiarid State-Dcveloped
Water by Sinking WeIls-WonderfuI
Change In Less Than Two Years.

Water by Sinking WeIls-Wonderfui
Change In Less Than Two Years.
Does 1t pay to advertise town?
Here Is true narrative that proves
how greatly 1t pays. In this instance
1t has paid syndicate Of three men,
and the citizens Of the town have prof.
lted inevitably. but II these same citi.
Gems had done the advertising them.
selves, as they might have done. the
big prodts would have gone to them
instead Of to the three outsiders.
In western state there was IN old
town very much run down at the heels
1t had had fairly good population in
years gone by. but owing to lack Of
interest In the home place among the
people who lived there this old town
gradually disintegrated. went to pieces.
got liver complaint or something and
finally faded almost out Of existence
Its population Of 600 to 700 dwindled
to less than 200. Grass grew in all
the streets. so that the village COW had
no need to 60 afleld for pasture. 1t
was fine for the village COW. but not
80 fine for the villager who did not
own the cow and who had TO earn
money there In order to buy milk from
his COW owning neighbor
There was railroad that ran
through this town. IRAN through" Is
just what Is meant. The trains ran
through, on the through line. too. the
main line, and now and then they hest
tated at the station to let off or take
on passenger who N"""od THO m
gineer. Train crews got 10 making
this deserted village the butt of their
Jokes. They took Joy in commenting
upon the run down appearance Of the
place. They called it "Lostburg." be-
cause 1t had disappeared from the
state map and was but an infinitesimal
point ON the railroad map.
The few remaining citizens used to
60 up to the "deepo" and watch the
limited train speed by like fash of
oiled lightning on stormy day They
would 60 up and sit beside the water
tank and chat with the head brakeman
Of the local freight. TIL" 'o"o' freight
sometimes stopped In LoStburg to get
a drink. Be 1t known that the lost
village was In one of the semiarid
states, where water Is scarce at the
surface. The railroad people had de
veloped" water. They sank we'll
down about eighty feet and found
fine supply-just the sort that locomo-
tives like to drink. The rest of the
village drank the subsurface water.
ten or fifteen feet under. which they
could get Mt small expense. They used
to sit around the tank and talk OF the
possibilities of Lostburg-if it only had
more wells like the one developed by
the railroad.
FINEST farming and orchard land IL
seven states around here" was the
common expression. but nothing do
ing because we hain't got the water"
why don't you get the water
them" inquired keen looking young
fellow of about thirty-tive who lored
off the limited when it made sl.@ht
pause one day. He loped of down
near the water tank because it WAS
water that he was LOOKING; ror IN Loo;
burg and it's vicinity.
ooh, we don't just seem to take no
interest" said the langud citizen who
had made the nothing doing" remark
Huh" commented the newcomer
The young man spent Il week at the
local hotel, which had not entertained
guest in six weeks. He went on;
into the surrounding lands ana made
investigations. Then he went back to
the states metropolis.
A month or so later the keen looking
young man returned with two other
men. older and just as keen. In six
weeks time they had bought up the
town - actually bought the whole
works, reasonably too They bought
also the outlying lands fer miles
around, so that they had IL town and Il
tract surrounding it about five miles
square.
Then they brought engineers to the
place and developed water just like
the tank brand, here, there ard every
where. The wells flowed with wonder
full regularity and volume. There was
water enough In sight to lrrigate the
entire tract and plenty more on the
outskirts. or. as the keen eyed young
promoter remarked, 1.-The underskirts."
what happened?'
Do you ask 1t?
Just this. The syndicate sold back
to the original owners in many in
stances their houses and lots ut a big
profit to the syndicate. They sold also
thousands Of acres of farm and or
chard land. They set out thousands
Of acres Of apples and other fruits for
which the soil and climate were best
adapted. They planted the plains to
alfalfa and sold other acres to alfalfa
hungry farmers. The result is that
this town in less than two years has
upward Of 1000 happy, satisfied. pros
porous people, while several hundred
c.orc 80 Developing far. -"r -.
Now the limited stops there because
there is such an thrush Of home seek
ers, land buyers. spectators and pro-
moters.
The syndicate did all this Ivy aGver-
Using. They paid for space In city