Newark post., 1910-05-25

every opportunity OF getting some
business out OF the people when they
come to town on such an OCCASION.
But that is all right, Mr.. Merchant,
whenever you can real thoroughly ap-
preciate the fact that the people about
you can sometimes be touched and ar-
pealed to with something besides
"cut price" or bargain" you will be
in better position to handle the peo-
pie about you.
| These men of Emlenton realized that
the prime thing they wanted was to
get the people interested and they
certainly did interest the people, too
| The town has a population OF about
| fifteen hundred, but when all the noses
were counted at the picnic they dis
covered that there were fifteen thous
and there The idea man said that the
merchants told him that people drove
twenty miles to the picnic because they
were told that it was to be reg
old-fashioned picnic where everything
was free and no strings to it. They
came, old and young, everybody for
got their work and business and worry
for the day a.S1 everybody seemed bent
on getting all the real enjoyment pos
sble out OF the day, and there was
nothing left undone on the part of The
business men. They had gone into the
deal with a purpose and had arranged
their system to that purpose. Every
man was placed on some committee
and every man worked with all his vim
to see that his part did not lag There
was no opportunity fol anyone to
kick all were too busy. Then when
the day came-which, by the way, was
in August--ior the picnic, everybody
was ready and things went off without
hitch.
| There were games for the young
sters, five bands were on the grounds,
good speakers were procured to ad,
dress the people, there was dancing
for the young people-and whole lot
of the old fellows got the young feel
ing-and all in all, it was, according
to the stories told the idea man by the
business men OF Emlenton, bowling
success i'll every way. People remark
ed that it did them more good than
any gathering they had attended in
many a year. The people went home
happy. They went home to think OF
the jolly good time they had that day,
and there was one thing that they
seemed to appreciate, and that was the
| fact that it had not cost them ANYTHING.
| The business men in arranging for the
holiday decided that there should b.
no charge oi any kind for anything,
| The dinner and all entertainment was
Tree and the picnic was held in a beau,
tiful grove clear away from town, so
the people were not asked to buy
goods TO pay the merchants for their
trouble. They had met here for good
sociable time, IL get better acquainted
with one another and to learn that the
old sentiments that we sometimes talk
about existing in the hearts OF the pio-
neer people were not dead.
Now as to whether il paid these
business men TO put on such an enter.
tainment it is sufficient to state that
they met and unanimously voted to
make the picnic permanent thing
They will have another picnic and the
people will be talking about it for
months before it happens and for
months after, and certainly that is one
OF the important things for the bust
ness man to consider when boosting
Ehis business or his town. Many and
many person no doubt will go to the
little city OF Emlenton to buy goods
who would perhaps not have done SO
had not their thought been directed TO
the town by the picnic booster spirit
OF these few men.
Is there any reason why these mer-
chants here were able to draw fifteen
thousand people in one day and you
cannot You may indeed have bet
ter town and a more thickly-sett ed
country SO that you could draw more
than fifteen thousand people and get
them to talking and thinking about
your town if you merchants and busi-
ness men would put your heads toge-
ther and work as these men did
Merchants Trade Journal