Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1909-10-28
7. ]. Brown, Editor and Publisher.
THURSDAY, OCT. IS 1909.
TALE OF TWO CITIES.

Once upon time as ali leSShu9
and stories go there were two towns
on the shore of Lake Erie-and as
far as that is concerned they are
there yet-only one of these places
is a city of about 1000 population
while the other town is Tagging along
with about $4,000.
Originally both of these places had
practically the same advantages
Both had about the same quality OF
harbor and the same resources be-
hind them. For a time the smaller
town forged ahead of the other town
and it had fifteen thousand inhabit-
ants before the other had good sew
en-. Then a railroad started to leave
Pittsburg for Lake Erie to secure a
water port for the incoming ore
shipped and and export for manufac-
tured steel. The $4,000 population
town observed the move and smiled
approvingly!
Were the destined metropolis OF
northern Ohio, We're the city of the
future. That road will simply have
to come here. 1t wouldn't think OF
going anywhere else" And the com
placent population of the town went
to sleep again and before they had
awakened a number of energetic cit
liens from the smaller town went to
Pittsburg, made the proper induce
ments and-got the road.
1t didn't mean a great deal at first.
A few small factories and little bet
ter depot. Then the lake traffic in
creased, the Pittsburg steel boom
came and with it a breath of new
life to the middle west and the town
with direct line to Pittsburg grew
by leaps and bounds.
The other town which had had the
lead up to the $4,000 mark, acquired
a crouch, got mad, sulked and re-
fused to try to do anything for itself
or anybody else.
1--WE were the city of destiny for
these parts" the citizens. used to de-
clare. 'Tbut those Cleveland fellows
played us dirt and stole our prosper
ity away from US"
There is a lesson for Payette in
the story. If we are going to make
of her the best city in Southern Ida
no we will have to get after things.
No matter how big and imposing they
look. People and communities gener-
ally get what they go after, if they
go after it hard enough and long
enough. But it requires constant
boosting, constant work and firm
belief in victory in the end.
From some points Payette is forg-
ing ahead quite rapidly. There is
probably more building going on in
Payette this fall than in any other
city of her size in Southern Idaho
and this under very unfavorable con
ditions. The sewer bonds are before
the people and will soon be voted up
on. Their election means an i'm
provement to Payette of the nature
that will induce men of means to To-
cate with us. New cement crossings
and sidewalks are going in by the
thousands of feet and all this is
along the right line and receiving
the approval of the majority.
But what of factories, places toI
point to and tell the laboring man
if YOU locate here you are assured OF
considerable steady work from some
one of our factories. There is an
abundance of power going to waste
day by day in both the Payette and
Snake river and there are a num-
Der of manufacturing concerns for
which sufficient raw material is pro
duced in the Payette Valley every
year to keep them steadily grinding
and give employment to a large num-
her of people. With power and re
sources why do we not make an eff
fort to secure some factories ana
manufacturing plants in Payette? 1t
might not be accomplished in one
year nor in two but with consistent
boosting and everlasting hammering
we might in the end get a wooden
factory, an alfalfa meal mill, cold
storage plant for the storage OF fruit
and produce in the fall, an artificial
ice plant. or any one of dozen 9th
err concerns that would add eonyen-
fence. wealth and prosperity to the
community.