Cañon City record., 1910-01-20
Iditor The Daily Record:

Editor lne Ddlly heCOTu-
That the business men OF Canon
City are at last aroused to the import
ance of the tourist business and are
inaugurating a plan for attracting
it by systematically exploiting our un-
rivaled attraction, Is very gratifying
to every progressive spirit In this
community. Great credit is due the
Record for its splendid agitation of
this matter. Your series of articles
on the tourist question, published af-
ter your return from Alaska last sum-
mer, presented the matter in force
full, convincing manner and were in
every way calculated TO arouse inter-
est and enthusiasm Your campaign
for the tourist business and the road
to the top of the Royal Gorge are
without qualification the aolest and
best l have witnessed In my twenty
four years experience In the newspa-
per business, and l have seen some
pretty well engineered promotion work
done during that period.
/ fully endorse every detail of the
plan as outlined at the recent banquet
OF the Business Mems Association.
They are all good and am convinced
that they will prove effective II in
telligently executed. In addition,
would suggest that they be supple
mented by advertising in one or more
magazines of national circulation. and
by individual efforts by Canon City
people. Our own people could bring
many tourists here by writing and
sending advertising literature TO their
friends back east" and the main pur-
pose Of this communication is to tell
OF my individual accomplishments
along this line during the past two
summers.
During the summer OF 1908 twelve
people came to Canon City as direct
result of my personal efforts. and the
number was increased to fifteen per-
sons last summer. I expect quite a
number during 1910.
In every community there are a
number OF people who make a practice
OF taking a trip each year. l knew
who these people were in my home
town and l wrote them. telling OF the
glories of Colorado. In addition TO
my personal letter. procured from
Maj. s. X. Hooper. general passen-
ger agent OF the Denver & Rio Grande.
supply of literature and mailed a
large package OF It to each of my
friends.
The summer trip fad has taken a
firm hold upon the American people
Everybody who is anybody" now
spends n few weeks or n few months
In the mountains or at the seashore
every summer. After one has taken
number OF such outings. II becomes
next place 10 visit and II you succeed
in getting n bunch of Canon City lit
erasure into the hands of such per
sons Just at the time this question is
in process of settlement, you are more
than likely TO attract them to Canon
City. To illustrate this point will
give an actual experience OF my own.
Last summer Mr.. and Mrs. ]. K
Cole. of Memphis. Tenn. had picked
up and put everything in readiness
for a trip to Canada The day before
they bought their tickets they receiv-
ed my package OF Colorado literature.
and. after reading II over. decided TO
take the western trip instead Of going
TO Canada. They spent ten days in
Canon City and were so well pleased
that they declared they would return
again. Had Il not been for my pack
age OF literature. they would have
gone elsewhere.
Last July sent a similar package
to Hon John r. Jobe. auditor OF the
state OF Arkansas. at Little Rock 1t
seemed TO have reached him Just at
The psychological moment Judging
from the following excerpt from a let
ter he wrote me at the time:
Little Rock. Ark. July 6. 1909
Dear Spencer.-The fine batch OF
Colorado literature you sent was re-
ceived today. and l am very glad to
get II. The stun came just at a time
when I was most susceptible to the
lure of the mountains, and II has only
served to make more intense my
yearnings for a glimpse OF that glor-
ious country.
The 'yearnings" got in their work
and Mr.. lobe came out and spent a
part OF one week in August with me.
From here he went TO other parts OF
the state, and after his return home