The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

sion was reached that ordinary land. such
as Is now being occupied in the northern
/ part OF the District OF Columbia by rows
OF box houses" really costs more here
( Yet six-room cottages in Atlanta. a story
and half and two steries high. are built
upon 30 and 50 foot front lots. Is and 100
/ feet deep. and the people want nothing
I less than that. This combination on the
/ side streets sells here between Ss.000 and
I 5000
Atlanta proves the contention that the
/ block house is a necessity only in the
! mind Of the specuiatOr IN houses and
lands, who seeks 20 befoggle the buyer
Z into the notion that land really costs too
much 70 allow the use OF any Of Il % the
man who pays HIS 5000 and 5000 for
home AS though there IS not land enough
even in Washington. 20 build a city with
some semblance Of comfort 70 the people
who must 1--we and die there.
But 70 return 10 the Atlanta spirit The
writer can do no better than relate HIS
experience upon arrival The train
steamed into the new station just after
ID O'Clock IN the morning. Il had been
grueling hot on the way down and the
sun seemed like a Bessemer furnace as Il
blazed in a cloudless sky. A hurried trip
70 the hotel and the quickest route 10 the
bath tub seemed the only thing p-acti-
cable.
Meets Courteous Stranger.
Coming down from above. the writer
was met almost at the elevator door by a
sleek-loOking Albanian. who called him
BY name. explaining that he had learned
my identity from the hotel clerk. He ex-
planned that he represented the chamber
o. commerce and was a member OF the
reception committee 70 look after the
comfort Of strangers in attendance upon
the meeting OF the commercial secretaries.
The first crack out Of the box I was
presented with an envelope containing
cards OF admission 10 ten social clubs.
was cOurteously urged TO make use OF
them, and was told that everybody in At
lanta would consider II a privilege 10 an
swer inquiries about the way one wanted
TO go and that the comfort OF the stran-
ger was the first care OF every man.
woman. and child IN the city. This was
found later 20 be entirely true, and I
have been stopped several times by the
committeeman and asked II anything
could be done for my personal comfort or
convenience.
These little attentions by the commit
teeman were much appreciated IN this IN
stance. and after a stay OF two days here
only one thing can be said OF these At
lantans: They carry hospitality 70 an ex-
treme possibly. but 20 an extreme so prac-
teal In results and so pleasing 10 the re-
cipient that he begins 10 wonder why all
people cannot be so ingrained with the
milk Of human kindness as 10 make So
journing in a strange city as delightful as
Il is here.
Best Way to Advertise City.
And IS this not. after all, the best pos
sible way in the wide, wide worid 10 ad-
vertise a city? Can anything better be
imagined than that the whole population
should be so fun OF the idea 10 impress
strangers favorably that they are willing.
to a man. TO make little sacrifices. which |
must put the stranger on his good be-
havior and cause him TO think well OF his
hosts forever after? Il seems to me now
that no one could possibly visit Atlanta
and 90 away and not talk about its being
the incest town on the American map.
Atlanta might be discussed from a hun !
dred points OF interest Its municipal gov
ernmene IS now passing through some in /
teresting phases. Il Is a dry town." and
proved II Is the very hub OF the Pied !
mont region. with fourteen radiating lines /
OF railway reaching TO distant points on /
the rim OF the commercial wheel. II Is /
the headquarters both OF the Southeastern /
freight and passenger associations and OF I
many other things affecting the transpOr- /
tatiOn business OF the Southern STATES /
II IS a cotton town. with mills and looms !
Atlanta Is growing az the rate OF about /
1000 buildings year. about 100 new struc- I
t'1res being completed and occupied each (
month during the open season. As an 1
educational center. manufacturing center, /
social center, in fact. from almost any /
point OF view, Il IS vastly interesting 1
place.
It compeis recognition from every stran- I
ger and observer as city great because \
II deserves 20 be 50 from the very spirit 4
and genius Of its men Of affairs
J. c. RANSOM.