West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-06-10
WINNER OF BUSINESS
Commercial Clubs Value In De.
veloping Home Trade.
PRODUCER OF GOOD RESULTS.
Found Ehieisnt In Civic Improvement,
Advertising Towns and Procuring
New Manufactures and Business
Heuses-Trsds Leagues Methods.

Advertising Towns and Proeurins
New Manufaetoriss and Business
Heusss-Trsds Leagues Methods.
As means OF procuring home trade
bnd civic Improvement the commercial
club Is meeting with ever increasing
favor. IL n found efficient IN uniting
home sentiment, in gaining local ad-
vantages. In advertising the town. in
going after new manufactures aud
business houses and In sending out
scouting parties for trade. Drganiza-
tion Is the key to civic success. The
difference between animate aud innnf-
mate matter is that one Is organic. the
other Inorganic. This Is also the dir.
ference between cosmos aud chaos.
The beginning OF better things In n
vast number OF cities aud towns has
dated from the organization OF hus-
tling commercial clubs. We are I'm an
age OF cooperation. aud the communl.
~ that does not make use OF this prin-
eiple is handicapped IA the race.
have before me the reports OF
three commercial clubs ia widely sep
arated parts OF the country They
are selected as types for the reason
that they represent different lines OF
activity. The three OF them together
do not All all the wide field that an or
ganization OF this sort may occupy.
Indeed. IL 10 impossible TO Indicate this
entire held IN detail or To lay down
any hard and fast limits, as each town
has Its own needs and Its own best
way OF reaching results But. speak
Ing generally. the experience Of one
town will coincide with that OF others
OF similar size. surroundings and re-
sources. Organization. hustle. unity
OF purpose. intelligent advertising and
keeping eternally ut Il are necessary
In all. These results can best be
achieved through a commercial club.
IL need not necessarily bear that
name. but may be- called board OF
trade. merchants association. civic
improvement league or anything else
that appeals TO those organizing Il:
but, under whatever name. IL must COW
er these general lines. varied in detail.
or course. TO ft to local conditions.
The first OF the reports referred TO is
from Kansas City. NO.. where the
commercial club recently sent out 100
members to canvass contiguous terri
tory for trade. The band was called
trade winners and WAS on the road a
full week. invading the three states OF
Kansas. Nebraska and Missouri.
Scores OF towns were visited, and be-
cause OF judIcious advance advertis-
Ing the train bearing the boomers was
met by large crowds Mt practically
every stop.
One novel feature OF the crusade
was the prominence Of the social side.
The trade winners were canny and
knew that II they could enlist the wo-
men and children their battle was
more than half won. So they armed
themselves with 10000 boxes OF bon
bons and went forth seeking not those
whom they might devour. but those
that would do the devouring them
selves. They had no trouble In locat-
Ing victims. Possibly here Is the ex-
PLANTATION or the large crowds at the
stations. The fame OF those bonbons
had gone ahend. This method Of cam.
paigning IL on the old principle that
inolasses catches more iIes than vine
gar. Candy catches more trade than
oratory.
towns visited entered into the spirit OF
the occasion WAS shown at the town
OF TripIeit. where several pretty girls
went about pInnlng bouquets on the
boomers. each bearing the label. For
the Hands0mest Man ON the Train"
In view OF the fact that number
were thus decorated. while others were
not. a coldnpss sprang up which caus-
ed several men merely to grunt when
they spoke the next morning. One
badge bore the legend. For the Hand
soonest Fat Man Oh the Train" but
that Is nov rather distinction In
keeping with White House styles.
The second report IL from Bridgeton.
y. j. BrldgetOn Is small city 10
south Jersey. the county scat OF Cum
beFinnd county. where the great glass
an1 textile mills are located. II has
recentiy organized u commercial league,
opened permanent headquarters and
started campaign Of publicity. IL
will cover not only the field Of solicit.
: Ing new enterprises aud home trade.
but VIII take mp the work Of improv-
ing aud beaunfyIng the city. u will
also consider municipal problems. one
~
municipal electric lighting plant In
plnce OF the privately owned one now
in existence. That Brldgeton Is up to
date Is shown by the recent adoption
% the Galveston plan" IN eIectIng Its
city council
The third report ls from Charleston.
s. O.. whtre through the efforts of the
chamber Of commerce In opening river
navigation the city has developed rap
Ids as n distributing and wholesale
center. On the advent OF railroads
Into Charleston river navigation was
gradually abandoned and ut one time
had practically disappeared. As re-
suit 81 railroad rates Charleston be
came Impossible as distributing cen.
ter. other cities underselling her in her
own Immediate territory. u was then
that the chamber of commerce took up
The question ~ water transportation.
and. although one boat was lost By
IRE. Il persisted until today under the
stimulus ~ reduced rates Charleston
has mn encouraging Wholesale trads.
one house selling In fifteen states.
JAMES a. EDGERTON.
Sunday Services In Tunnsiton.
Methodist Epiecopal clurcl T,,nnol-