The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-20

Willingness to check on the same. the
committee while at WASHINGTON would
nave gone broke and been compelled
70 return home before the bill grant
ing the franchise had been passed.
W. II. G. Kendrick, secretary of the
commercial club, has held that posi-, !
ton for the past five years. He is a
prominent young attorney of Keokuk
ana has made an efficient officer. He
IS also prominently identified with
the Upper Mississippi River Improve
ment association.
Inc other members of the managing
BOARD OF the club are equally we'll
known and equally devoted to the vel
rare Oh heokuk and Keokukians. The
hst includes contractors and clothiers.
pankers and jewelers., insurance men
ana hardware men: men of all the
walks OF life. who have gone together
arm IN arm to make an old Indian
chie1 dream come true and build on
me hlgh bluffs Of the Mississippi,
overlooking the mighty river, and at
Tue conveyance of three great states
iowa, Missouri and Illinois) the new
industrial capital of the middle west.
heokuk has dreamed for long time.
put 1t is very much awake now and
Win the completion of the immense
Dam and the opening of the big now
er plant on June /, 1918. Keokuk will
become the only rival to Niagara
Fails as manufacturing center and
a distributing point for electrical
power.
But the fruition of the water power
hopes has not been the only achi e.
ment of the Keokuk Commercial club.
1t has brought several large manu-.
featuring establishments to the city:
1t has labored faithfully for the ma
lerlals and industrial welfare OF the
city; it has kept alive the spirit OF
progress among the citizens and has
peen a strong supporter of the deep
waterways movement and of the Up
per Mississippi River Improvement,
association. 1t has put keokuk OH
the map in many ways. not the least
important being in inducing the GOV.
eminent to include keokuk in the
cities listed in the daily weather re
ports, sent broadcast and published il,
the newspapers of the leading cities
OF the country each day 1t has kept
up a steady fight for better trans
portation facilities, freight rates and
railroad mail service. 1t has fought
the passage of innumerable laws.
both in congress and in the Iowa
legislature, the passage OF which
would have been detrimental to the
business interests not only of Keo-
kuk, but of the entire state. 1t rails
ed more money for the Italian earth.
| quake sufferers than was raised in
any other city OF Iowa for the same
cause. 1t saved the baseball situa.
tion when the Keokuk baseball asso
citation was about to surrender it's
franchise in the Central Association,
in 1910, and raised $1,000, thus saving
the day Always, with never
thought Of personal reward but ever
with civic advancement uppermost in
their thoughts, these members and
managers of the Keokuk Commercial
club have proved themselves tireless
and faithful servants of the city.
Their hard work is nearly at an
end. The dream has been realized and
the dreamers are about to turn the
work over to newer men During the
past week Keokuk has reaped the
visible evidences Of TIE progressive
spirit fostered by the Commercial
club. The city needed money with
which to advertise itself as the power
city of the west. 1t needed money
with which to send emissaries out TO
secure the factories with which to
make it's half century dream come
true. 1t had the water power, the
transportation facilities, the progress
sive spirit, but it needed money with
which to advise the rest of the world
Of these things. A bill was introduced
in the legislature establishing new
municipal department, that of pub
lefty and promotion. But legislature
action is slow and keokuk has learn
ed that 1t must move quickly SO a
new civic organization was formed,
the Keokuk Industrial association
dozen or so business men started out
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