The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1911-07-20
A Reply to the Bands Thanks.

T.
Ik@It would seem from an article signed
Williamson Band" in your paper Of
last week that street carnival is
the best thing that could be secur-
ed for city and that the council ac-
ted with Solomon like wisdom in sign
ing a petition to bring this great bene-
factor to our city after they had voted
against it in open meeting.
If this contentioni is correct and carni-
walls are such good thing for town we
are in favor Of having one permanently
installed here and perhaps then it
will only be few months before our
citizens will have more money than the
banks and everybody will be happy,
except the carnival people, who of
course will necessarily be dead broke.
According to to the referred to arti-
Gle they have actually left more money
Company sold 1000 buns 500 loves of
bread, didn't mention any fishes. J
John Cline did land Office business
and several other business men had an
abnormal trade, all due to this great
benefactor, the carnival.
Now, let us get down to facts and
figures. The only strangers that were
in our city during carnival week came
on the 4th. It cannot be presumed that
these people came here solely to see the
carnival, for last year there was fully
as many people in town as this 4th,
neither would it be reasonable that
these people simply ate buns and
bread because the carnival was here
they ate last year at least. Had the
carnival not been here the merchants
would have done just as much business
and people would have had more time
to go about over and business would
have been better distributed.
For the sake of argument, however,
we will take it that a larger volume Of
business was transacted during that
week than usual, but what of the
weeks following? Ask the merchants
and saloon men how busy they are.
Ask number of boys who donated 80,
IS and as high as AZ dollars to this set
of thieves. Then ask why it is that
90 per cent. of up-to-date and on to
their job towns in Ohio and other
States absolutely refuse to consider the
claims of carnival. If it's a good
thing these towns would likely have
discovered it before now.
So far as the Band is concerned it
should have support, but never, never,
to the detriment of all Of the citizens Of
town and local enterprises. We are
advised that the Mayor offered to rec
ommend to Council to donate $500 to
the band in lieu of the carnival, which
sum alone is more than the band real
lied out of it. No carnival was eve.
known to benefit any band. church or
any other organization or anybody
else except their own people.
Now. concluding, what of your local
enterprises, such as the Park, ball
game park, picture theatres, etc. The
park manager advises us that he lost
$500 by reason of this outrage. To-
cal man who spends every dollar here
among US, who expended $4,000 to
give us one of the most beautiful spots
on thegmap, a place that is worthy OF
our patronage, cool and shady, with
flowers, devices for exercise, fresh
spring water, etc. This man had to
pay Sis to an aeronaut from Michigan,
who never even inflated his balloon be-
cause no people were present. Is it
right to treat your local people in this
manner.
We have made a mistake. Let us
not repeat it, and keep this money at
home. Let us be thankful, thankful
that they are gone, and thanks to the
Mayor and Recorder Keyser for OPP
posing it.. Merchants.