La Junta tribune., 1910-07-30

by and by the manager OF the town
site company takes another look al
the blueprint map OF the town and
sees ty the chalked off squares that
few lots remain to be sold
We may as well let up here" be
tells the sales manager. and one by
one the real estate men move on to
the next bargain counter, forty miles
down the railway.
A few weeks later the citizens Of
New Town suddenly realize that
something is the matter No new
houses are going up and the bank de-
posIts are not increas ing. The town
Is as llfeiess as a department store
without an advertising manager, or
a circus parade without a steam cali
ope Down the road Newest Town
Is selling lots Ike a bankrupt cloth.
ing sale
The bankers and the leading mer-
chants aud the editor issue call
for mass meeting Every one come.
out. and there are several speeches
by the towns most expert orators.
They point with pride to the towns
advantageous location; they depIore
the staEuation which seems about TO
begin. They call on all good citizens
TO put a shoulder to the wheel OF
progress and help make New Town
the largest in the stale There is
much euthus iasm.
4 commercial club Is formed and
everyone Joins Then CONNER.
cial secretary is imported from anoih.
cr town, and the place goes forward.
continues the work Of the townsite
company. but his objects are differ.
ent
he engages In no business for him.
self. but acts as manager for the
town In which capacity he Is always
busy Regular meetings OF the board
OF directors OF the commercial club
are held and the needs Of the town
are discussed as carefully a. II mum.
iclpallty were business IN which the
directors were stockholders. They de
eide what Is needed 4 new hotel
must be built to stop the slanderous
stories Of travelling men and induce
them TO spend sundays there. A dis
elimination In railway rates must be
looked into A campaign for paving
streets should De started There Is
talk OF railroad extension which
the town must secure.
Empire Building In Miniature.
The commercial secretary takes
these tasks In hand He gets into
correspondence with several people
who may be induced TO build a hotel
who may be induced to buid a hotel
He has talk with the editors. who
begin writing editorials about paw.
ing. He appeals 10 the railroad TO
correct the unfair rates. and gathers
Information whIch will enable him to
force correction. lie goes after
the new railroad with figures on pos.
sible tonnage and cost of construc.
,ion. Without him all these enter.
prises would be talked OF. but he gets
immediate action on them. Putting
his shoulder TO the wheel OF progress
Is too slow for him. he bitches an
automobile TO It and jerks II out OF
the mud and down the road
when the demand for the CONNER.
cial secretary first manifested itself
II was necessary TO make new pro.
tcssion out OF an old one. So the
ranks Of uewspapermon We're drawn
upon. and the transition was easy
The old reporter who had grown too
cynical FOR enthusiasm over any story
found new interest In the faSeina
ton OF town building. II Is empire
building on small scale and with
out the disadvantages OF having Ia
whip coupl. of nations before you
get chance at the Job. Most OF
the commercial secretaries have founc
the work 30 fascinating that 1t Is
seldom one can be induced to go into
other work.
The profession Is scarcely as old
ms the x.ray. No one can tell Just
where 4, started. for the commercial
secretary seems to have bocn y nat
ural result of conditions rather thar
the economic invention Of some mum
cipal uplifter. Perhaps some news
papcrmAn ou, Of n Job organized tn,
first commercial club In order tt
edge himself on to its payroll II
so. history has neglected to prcscr,.
the name OF this pioneer. A, mn,
rate. the profession is here TO stay
The demand for the services OF II,