The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-26
~MoNrGoMERY-YouR oProRruNr-

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 | For q slogan and . trade mark Montgomery has adopted key and the words Your opportunity" This is we'll The appeal is made primarily to the outside world, but the city will pros- per more, If its own people read. un- derstand and act upon the call. than it would if the appeal is made solely to the outside world. The slogan should be read from within the city as well as from without and in that de- gree by which the city is inspired will the outer world be impressed and the city develop. .-
 | The growth of a city is like the growth of tree-each growing from within and each growing from without. The more important growths of a tree is from within, and even so 1t Is with a city. As a tree cannot spread It's branches and offer its leaves to the air and breezes for the strength that come from without until its roots are 1 firmly imbedded in the soil and until the strength of the soil is running in its sap through its trunks and limbs, so a city cannot win capital invest i ment and population until Its basis is esta blished and it's own people have created the prosperity that invigorates the commerce which flows through the arteries of it's trade.
 In the past six years Montgomery forty years after the war. The people within Montgomery made possible and started this growth. Outside capital did not come in voluntarily and take up the task of making a great city of Montgomery. Our own people inaug- urated the prosperity. put up some of the money and started the work. Help came from the outside, because 1t was seen from the outside that Montgom- ery's own people had faith in her and her future.
 Montgomery needed street car sys- tenn. Her own business men put in their money and made the system pos sible. Outside money quickly flowed in to. extend the system. It was proposed to build oil mills and fertilizer facto- ries. Montgomery money started the enterprises. but investors from the out CT world hurried In to get in on the propositions. The building of cotton factories was urged, but nothing was done until Montgomerians put in their money and other money quickly came
 Small factories have been advocated and unnumbered invitations have been sent over the country to have owners did not get her quota of small facto- ries in that way. She got them. be- cause her own people had faith and confidence in the city. And when they had proved this they got aid and as- sistance in building the enterprises.
 For half a century there were old fields and pine thicixets adjoining the city and near Its best residential sec tions No man with money came vol untariiy to turn these old fields into modern suburbs. to plot the thick cts, to cut streets across them and to build houses. Our own people did the work and until they started on 1t, 1t was not done. And as soon as it was started men with money came from the outside to put in money and share the profits. Montgomery's rapid sub urban development is today one Of the city's proudest boasts. but Mont gom- erians are responsible for it.
 Some twenty-five years ago well to do Montgomerians unwisely allowed tn themselves to become affected by the boom spirit of severar North Alabams towns. The fever ran high, and Mont gomerians invested their money in lots that they never saw, and surrounding which were conditions that they did not understand. They took money that had been made and saved In Montgom- cry and put 1t in land speculation in pooHi Cilics. 4nuSh VI lHaI hioHcy- more than half of twas a total loss
 If the money which was put In town lot speculation in boom towns had been invested in Montgomery real estate the investors would probably have trebled the investment instead of sustaining heavy losses. If that money had been invested in Montgomery city or sub urban property the city of Montgomery would be better of and the investors would be infinitely better off. lack of understanding of Montgomerys con ditions lack of appreciation of Mont gomery's possibilities cost some of our people heavily.
 The past is an earnest of the future Faith in the city is the city's best as- set. Assured1y we should invite capi- tai from without. but we should be willing to combine with it capital from within. No inducement that we could offer to investors can be as strong as a display of our absolute confidence in the city.
 The slogan with it's key, should read to those without Montgomery, Your Opportunity" Turned to Montgomery with its key. showing it should read to us, Our Opportunity"