St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1912-07-27

clLGQ Al6AdnQF1a as an example
of what hustling will do. "0pe-
lousas was a town long before
Alexandria was thought of. But
boosting made Alexandria the
pride of the State. The country
surrounding Alexandria is popu-
lated with model farms and in
dustrious farmers. How did they
get them? Why, they went to
Iowa, got a few farmers and paid
their way to Alexandria, put them
on farms and showed them what
could be done, and then sent
those farmers back to Iowa to
tell their neighbors about it.
And a flood of immigration fol
lowed. We can fight as well as
they can. y
Mr.. Null spoke Of the wonder
.Iful developernent of the Dakotas
land Montana, where it is neces-
sary to spend millions of dollars
ito irrigate the lands before they
ware cultivable. The Hartman
interests did it did it by send
ling literature, accompanied by
boosters into that country. Lit
erature alone will do no good. It
is thrown in the waste basket. "
Mr.. Null spoke of the SchelI
Canal. the largest Of the kind in
the South. This will show you
what energy and boosting will
do. Mr.. Schell came here, prac-
tically a stranger. He saw al
magnificent opening. He raised
here by the sale of stock $1180. He
used this money to bring Penn
sylvania capitalists, to show
the feasibility of his plans. He
raised there, in Pennsylvania,
$125, 900 by the sale of stock.
He brought more capitalists, and
started on his gigantic project.
And now you have before you a |
canal which insures a crop every
year regardless of weather con-
ditions. This country il on the
brink of marvellous prosperity.
BUT WE MUST TELL THEl
PEOPLE AWAY FROM HERE
ABOUT IT. We must show
them.
Mr.. w. B Burlington, General
Agent Of the New iberia Port
Barre railroad, here represent
ing New Iberia, followed Mr..
Null. Mr.. Burlington is d livel
one, and the applause given
him showed how interested and
pleased the Boosters were with
his talk.
Southwest Louisiana needs, t
primarily. a first-class bunch
Of boosters, 2 he started out
Without that, it will only move
BY slow process. It will move
all right because it just cam
help moving some. Il is tool
great to stand still.
I came from the North twol
years ago from a town that was
made by boosting. When I was
first offered the position here, / II
turned it down, because / believ- .
ed would return home a corpse. !
That impression is now in the
minds of the entire people of !
that section. Louisiana is syn
onymous with disease and death.
You can send them literature ;
Until they are blue in the face.
They won't believe you. You
must show them; and the only
way to do that is by personal
contact; by inducing some of
hem to come here, and then
rave them tell their skeptical
oeople about this Garden Spot of
he Union, where Plenty is King
md Health is Queen.
i was a party on an inspection
rip with men who had never
,een here, some months ago,
continued the bright young man,
and their impressions, as the
rain sped over plantations and
owns and cities, would have
made the heart of any resident
f this section glad. The party
vas made up chiefly Of bankers.
hey seemed to look for alligators
nd other voracious things sneak
ng about the fields and farm
ouses, and mosquitoes carrying
IF their hats. This impression
oon took wings, and they were s
onyerts to the great opportun- =
les offered here. :,
You may not have so many :,
nockers, but you have not (
nough boosters. : :
And may say that the sensa- 3 5,
ional newspapers are greatly re- :
Donsible for many false impress =
ms as to this country. They 4;
lake headlines of everything bad :, :
bout this country, and never say i y
about what is good and 81 81
reat in it. They don't want i,
leir people to come here don't 3 $
ant to lose them. + +.
My friends, the railroads are !;
Continued on page S hi