West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-07-01
CIVIC SPIRITS VALUE
important Factor In Winning
Home Trade.
PUBLICITY MEANS PROGRESS.

Rightly Used, IL ls an Engine For In.
dividusl and Municipal Advance.
ment-How a Newspaper and Com
nereisi Club Can Boost Town.
When all is said and done II is the
ipirit OF people that makes their In.
stitutions. This applies to towns and
cities as well as To societies ana nn.
tions.
In the work or winning home trade
and OF town growth and Improvement
IL is the spirit OF the merchants and
or the citizens that counts.
This is an age OF intellect and OF In
tellectual forces. We are realizing
more and more that mind rules. This
truth applies TO all departments OF life.
III applies with especial force To the
building OF municipality.
Remove the present Inhabitants from
any American city and put an equal
number OF Zulus In their places and
what would be the rcsult2 Despite all
modern improvements, twentieth cen.
tury buildings, elevators, telephones,
telegraph, street cars. water, gas and
electricity, palatial homes and the rest.
that city I'm ten years would be but n
Zulu habitation, the modern improve.
mcnts wrecked. grass growing In the
streets. all progress oblltcrnted and ev.
erything reverted TO savagery.
Suppose the process were reversed
and the American Inhabitants of my
city were removed 90 the middle OF
Zululand. what then would happen?
In ten years they would have builded
city on modern lines The twentieth
century buildings. street cars, water.
gas and electricity, telephones, paIatial
homes and all modern improvements
would be reared as II by magic.
The people are the city. Given their
constructive spirit and the outer mani.
festation follows as n matter OF course.
When Chicago burned In the seven
ties n new and greater city arose In
Its place. The people were undaunted.
Their spirit was more determined than
before. When San Francisco was de.
stroyed by earthquake and fire the
whole world was thrilled by the splen-
did courage and cheerfulness OF the
inhabitants The spirit OF the people
rose triumphant and assured new
San Francisco better than the old
IL Is ever so. The spirit OF town or
city determine what that town or city
Will be. If there IL united purpose.
energy and Will all other things are
added.
The first work 90 do In upbulldlnR
beautifying and promoting any munich
pality Is to arouse public spirit
People must believe In their town.
must have faith I'm its future. must
unite for it's progress
There Is no room for fault finders
knockers, reactIonaries and dead.alIve
human entities on the car OF progress
Only those who believe, who have
courage and who work belong there.
The constructive spirit Is the spirit
OF Americanism and OF the new age.
what every town that would become
greater and better town needs is this
infusion Of spirit, OF optimism. OF unit
ed purpose.
Anything that helps TO engender this
spirit and purpose should be welcomed
Anything that dampens or retards IL
should be eliminated.
Among the most powerful public
agencies I'm building civic spirit are the
newspaper and the commercial club
The newspaper comes first, for IN this
day the press is the greatest power I'm
the world. This IL no idle boast. bur f.
recognized by every student who has
true insight.
No one can measure the influence OF
one public spirited, progressive, wide
awake paper I'm any community. IL not
only builds local spirit, but it adyer-
tises the town TO the world. IL sows
tho seeds OF suggestion People are
shaped and influenced by it uncon-
sciously. III It is n paper OF the right
sort 1t unifies sentiment for the town.
stirs the citizens to action. brings i'm
provement. induces others to come
Citizens who want TO help the cOmmu-
nifty In which they live can do no bet
ter than TO urge the local editor TO take
up the cause OF larger trade and town
Improvement and then stand behind
that editor, boosting his circulation,
his advertising and his power for good.
Publicity is the magic word OF our
times. It means commerce; Il means
progress; II means correction; It means
success. Rightly used II Is an engine
for individual and civic advancement.
IL you would boost your town, boost
your local press and set II 10 preaching
the gospel Of town advancement.
Side by side with the newspaper
goes the commercial club. IL is an or
ganic thing and teaches people the use
OF organic, united action In organlza.
tlon the strength OF the unit increases
In geOmetrlc ratio The individual is
raised 70 the nth power. This, IL
but another way OF stating the old ma
trlte maxim that I'm union f. strength.
The commercial club. board OF trade,
town Improvement society or other
body Of like purpose, called by what
ever name II may be. serves a double
purpose. II both engenders public
spirit and furnishes n means of It's ex
preston. II makes people want a bet.
ter town and furnishes them an avenue
through which b. get n better town. In
" the prOgressives stimulate the lag
CARDS and the widcnwakes open the
eyes Of the dullards The commercial
club mikes advancement and trade
winning fashionable
Advertise and organize. These are
the two watchwords OF town improve.
ment And always and everywhere
build up the civic spirit Of the people.
J. A. EDGERTON