St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-05-31
AWAKENING A CITY.
How Sherbrooke is Building for the
FIXTURE,


Sherbrooke has awakened. The
story of Sherbrooke's awakening,
apart from it's human interest, is one
which can well be read with profit
by residents of numerous other
towns and cities. The details will
bear telling.
Sherbrooke was fortunate in haV-
ing as secretary of her board of trade
man quick to grasp an idea and act
on it, Not very long ago the secre-
tary of the Sherbrooke Board of
Trade read an article dealing with
the civic movement in, the city OF
Rochester, N. Y. The article told
good deal; but the secretary wanted
to know more. On his own initiative
and at his own expense, he got on
the train and went to Rochester, in
tending to spend a day there and look
over the situation. He stayed the
bet er part of the week, and every
where he went he found new ideas
to interest him.
Then he could hardly wait to get
back to SherbrOoke to call meeting
of the Sherbrooke board of trade
and tell them what he had seen. His
enthusiasm was contagious; the Sher-
brooke board of trade, decided on
action, and at once started propa-
ganda to increase the board of trade
membership. The newspapers were
visited and their support enlisted.
The citizens were told about civic
betterment in it's broadesL sense, and
series of mass meetings were held,
at which experts from Rochester,
Montreal and other cities delivered
addresses.
| The problem was not any easy one,
| for Sherbrooke possesses one pecu1i-
arty-Sherbrooke is of a mixed pop
ulationT-but both races entered into
! the spirit of the idea and this very
racial difference engendered a spirit
of friendly rivalry that helped the
cause along. Sherbrooke awakened
to her possibilities and discovered
/ that few outsiders realized the cheap
ness of electric power there and the
thousands of horse power there in
reserve for new industries; she found
| that the average manufacturer did
not realize that four trunk lines pass
ed through Sherbrooke; that Sher-
brooke had an unexcelled labor mar
ket, with strikes practically IN
/ known; that to back up everything
that could be said about Sherbrooke,
I they had a picturesque, healthy, well
built, modern and progressive little
city.
All these facts were pointed out tic
the people of Sherbrooke and they
were shown the necessity for letting
the world know what attractions
they had to offer. Gripped by the
spirit of the idea, Sherbrooke waxed
enthusiastic and engaged an indus
trial commissioner ana started 6
moderate-sized campaign. : he board
of trade announced that they were
ready to meet half way any reliable
industry, and through their adyer
tisement spread this information
broadcast. The results have begun
to show already. A number 81
branch American concerns are nov
located there and others are studying
the possibilities of the city with {
view to establishing industries in it
i From the way Sherbrooke is goins
4 at it, it is safe to assume that tht
, next ten years will find established
there a very large percentage o
Am erican factories that open branch
es in Canada.
Yet, Sherbrooke has done nothing
: phenomenal. All that Sherbrooks
E has accomplished may be accom-
plished by any town or city with
little initiative, energy and common
: sense.