The Ordway new era., 1910-08-05

nOunccS plans Tor inc crcCIh'h VI
big hotel, and sells all the lots sur
rounding it. Everywhere there is
hustle and enthusiasm and n noise rs
Of much money changing hands. by
and by the manager OF the t0wnsite
company takes another look at the
blue print map OF the town and sees
by the chalked or squares that few
lots remain to be sold.
I'VE may as well let up here" he
tells the sales manager, and one by
unc 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 increasing. The town
is as lifeless as u department store
without an advertising manager. or n
circus parade without steam cali
Opc. Down the road Newest Town is
selling lots like bankrupt clothing
sale.
The bankers and the leading mer.
chants and the editor issue Il call
for mass meeting. Everyone comes
out, and there are several speeches
by the towns expert orators. They
point with pride to the towns advan-
tagcous location; they dcplorc the
stagnatiOn which seems about to
begin. They call on all good citizens
t. put n shoulder to the wheel OF pro-
grcss and help make New Town the
largest In the state. There Is much
enthusiasm.
A commercial club is formed and
everyone joins. Then a commercial
secretary is imported from another
town and the place goes forward, con-
tinues the work of the townsitc com
pany. but his objects arc different.
I 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
arc held and the needs OF the town
are discussed as carefully as II muni.
cipality were business in which the
directors were Stockholders. They
decide what Is needed. A rev hotel
must be built to stop the slandcrous
stories OF travelling men and induce
them to spend Sunday there. A dis
elimination in railway rates must be
looked into. A campaign for paving
streets should be started. There Is
talk OF n railroad extension which the
town must secure.
Tho commercial secretary takes
these tasks in hand. He gets into
with several people
who may be induced to build a hotel
He appeals to the railroad to correct
the unfair rates, and gathers infor-
nation which will enable him to
force u correction. He goes after the
new railroad with figures on possible
tonnage and cost of construction.
Without him all these enterprises
would be talked of but he gets i'm
mediate action on them. Putting his
shoulder to the wheel of progress Is
too slow for him: he bitches an auto
mobile to it and jerks it out of the
mud and down the road.
When the demand for the CONNER
cial secretary first manifested itself
it was necessary to make new pro-
fessiOn out of an old one. So the
ranks of ncwspapcrmcn were drawn
upon and the transition was easy.
The old reporter who had grown too
cynical for enthusiasm over any story
found new interest in town build
ing. 1t is empire building on small
scale and without the disadvantages
Of having to whip couple OF nations
before you get a chance at the job.
Most of the commercial secretaries
have found the work so fascinating
that it is seldom one can be induced
to go into other work.
The profession is scarcely as old as
the X.ray. No one can tell where 1t
started, for the commercial secretary
seems to have been Il result of cOndi-
tions rather than the economic invcn-
tion of some municipal upliftcr. Per
haps some ncwspaperman out OF n
job organized the first commercial
club in order to edge himself onto its
payroll. If so, history has failed to
preserve the name of this pioneer.
At any rate, the profession is here to
stay. The demand for the services of
it's members is so great that it cannot
be filled, and the towns are always
bidding against one another for the
services of experienced men. The
salary in almost every instance is
more than that paid to the mayor