The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-06-14
NEBRASKA AS IT
SHOULD BE KNOWN

TINS paper was read before the Ne
In Omaha. June 5-6-1, by VIII N. Maupin
| OF Lincoln, Nebr.1
| We of Nebraska should know, and
knowing tell the world, what Nebras
ka is and is to be; what Nebraska
offers to the homeseeker. the invest
ment seeker and the health seeker;
what hidden potentialities for human
happiness lie dormant in her fertile
soil, and what she is annually con
tributing to the sum total of the
worlds created wealth.
In the beginning of this necessari.
ly brief paper l want to say, and say
emphatically, that the last session of
the Nebraska legislature. which per.
formed many good deeds, neglected
the ripest opportunity ever offered q
legislature to confer a lasting benefit
upon the state. l refer to its failure
and neglect to make the initial ap-
preparation for a Bureau of Publicity
and immigration. There was no
reasonable ground for opposition to
the measure; no reasonable objection
in economy. In fact there was no
opposition to the bill. But, unfOr-
tunately, it did not offer opportuni-
ties for log-rolling and trading. 1t
had behind it the solid backing of
every enterprising organization in
the state, of every wide-awake man
who is anxious to see Nebraska take
her rightful place among the states
of the republic. But because legisla-
ton today has become largely a mat
ter of You tickle me and I'll tickle
YOU" SO largely a matter of trade
and barter, this splendid measure
calculated to give us a start in the
great work of making the truth about
Nebraska known to the world. was
allowed to die of inanition. of NAL
nutrition. of sheer neglect. And in
doing SO the legislature worked a
grave injury to the commonwealth.
States. like corporations and part
nership and firms must advertise in
these strenuous days or fall to the
rear. Constant, persistent, insistent,
intelligent advertising is the keynote
of success in any business. and there
is no greater or more important bust
ness than the building of a state.
But there is condition precedent
to intelligent advertising. The con
structOr of the advertising mus:
know what he is advertising. No
mon oDy,uod in advertisement 1,,,;l6-
ing can hope ever to know too much
about the business or the goods he
is exploiting. 1t is all we'll enough
for the newspaper men of Nebraska
to claim that they are constantly ad-
vertising Nebraska. but the plain.
unvarnished truth is that they are
not doing it as it should be done, and
for the very simple reason that they
do not know all they should know
about Nebraska. l have lived in this
state for a quarter of a century
longer by several years than the
average Nebraska editor. have
tried in my weak way to advertise
Nebraska to the world, and I thought
for years l knew Nebraska pretty
Something like six years
ago ! began studying Nebraska from
a different angle. Formerly l had
it from a car window or in
political conventions or by converse
with friends in my Office. Now. af
ter studying Nebraska for six years
as any merchant studies his stock
any successful merchant. I mean
I have just begun to realize that
what l knew of Nebraska up until
six years ago was as nothing, and
that if keep on acquiring knowledge
have during the past six or eight, at |
the end of that time my knowledge
Of this great state may qualify me to |
emerge from the kindergarten class
and enter the first primary. The
longest span of human life in this
age would not suffice to enable one
to graduate from the great school |
knowledge of Nebraska is
impaired.
Merely as a basis upon which to |
work intelligently while you study, !
purpose giving you some concrete |
facts about our beloved state. l will |
not waste your time in detailing bald |
statistics. The average human mind l
AN not think in millions. Statistical /
.ableS appeal only to sta:isticians. |
Columns of figures brighten and repel
he average man. Because OF this |
undertook, while serving as chief of |
he statistical bureau OF the state. to 4
present the statistics about Nebras-
IA in a more attractive form than the
Usual table of figures. ] hope l may
De pardoned if l lay claim to having |
achieved some measure of success in
Nebraska abroad. I am
If the opinion that the crop statis-
les of Nebraska. and all other Stats
les. received a wider range of pub
lefty under the plan ! adopted than
hey had achieved before. One bull
etin of comparative statistics
cached a circulation of 10000 with
equests for upwards of 100000 more.
md such great journals as Golfers.
-eslie's Weekly. Munsey's Magazine
md the Cosmopolitan, to say nothing
# the great daily newspapers. gave
rec to Nebraska a measure of pub
icity that could not have been pur-
hased with money.
Now. here are some facts about Ne
,raska. tersely told, that will serve
Is the basis of many good adver-
isement of Nebraska:
Nebraska was admitted to the
Inion in March. 1867, and is there ]