Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-03-07
From Harper's Week.,

Boosting" has been called the re-
llsion OF the west. At amy rate. the
true-blue westerner is AN evangelist.
believes thai he has crossed into the
promised land. and his soul finds
peace only in shouting the gospel to
the unenliglltcned.
The unique and the spectacular are
not barred. Imagine d bright spring
day in a large city on the Pacific
coast. where life is quiet and peace
ful. Suddenly pandemonium charges
the air. Whistles pierce and screech;
bells jar and clang; hoarse fog horns
belch Il mournful volumes. The
confusing noises minsle and grow.
penotrata and continue. For fully 10
minutes the city holds its breath. as it
We're, checks and almost %suspends it's
activities. The stranger stops. looks
about. and wonders.
But the city resident only pauses.
turns his face eastward. and smiles an
inviting "come-to-God's-land" smile.
Then he fumbles in his pockets, un-
sheaths Il fountain pen. and begins to
S'rite addresses on orchard scene or
irrigated land postal cards.
1t is Colonist day.
The whistles and the bells are only
to REMIND him-at the suggestion of
the mayor-that he hasn't yet mailed
those come-west pleadings. The pos
tai cards We're sold to him-or given
W Mn II ne was UOMtltlSEU sunny
by "a bubbling crowd of young women
missionaries. The ladies We're repre-
sentatives of the "Women's CONNER
clal club and the exact day for the
blowing of the whistles was fixed by
the governor of the state.
Some of the citizens of Oakland, Cal,
decided a few years ago. that they
needed a revival. The city was COM
placently self satisfied; the census per
centages We're growing too slowly. The
first thing ordered by the self created
committee of progress and prosperity
was u funeral-a grand KNOCKERS -
funeral. The affair was advertised and
doomed, n all of the city was out
to see. The solemn procession was led
by a band that played unera dirges:
then came the committee, CARRIED in
sheets and carrying torches. The
hearses We're not one. but many, and
the funeral of each of the deceased was
placarded. One was the 'mossback.'
another the man who opposed the an
neXation of additional suburbs. Then
there was the man who said: whats
the use??" n the man who thought
the town would never amount to any
thing. anyway. The most pompous
Siurian," who. by Interpretation. was
It dead one, a fossil from the Paleozoic
age. His body was burned on a high
funeral pyre.
Inen tine Committee proved that they
were live Ones" The annexation
scheme. previously defeated by the peo-
pie, was carried by a 20 to l vote; a
great auditorium was dreamed out.
and in a month a 10, OO0-name petition
was presented to the council and a res
olution that provided for bonds was
passed.
One of the first big moves in playing
the booster game" in the west is to
select a town or a community slogan.
The ancient Horace Greeley preach
nent: Go West. Young Man, go West,
mas been Worn to frazzles, but it's paro-
lies are still popular. A favorite way
20 begin a nice boosty community. for
example, is: "If Horace Greeley were
alive he would fit himself with a pack
horse and start for Curry county," An
other patriotic western phrase relates
10 joining the landless man and the
nanless land"
1t is the hope of every city and COM
munity of the west to annex some spe-
eialty to it's name. One is the Rose
City another the and that produces
Apples You Can Eat IL the Dark"
Rose" and Cherry" and "stra wberry'
festivals are held at opportune times.
Nothing so fuses the olive wires,
and stirs the red blood and like col
ored fire as the booster banquet"