The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1912-01-18
Fight Wakes Warm.

.
up so near to compete with it for
the trade of the surrounding coun-
try was alarming.
''The commercial club set to work,
harder than ever, planning other
ways to further it's fight for the road.
Day after day the situation was can
vassed for every possible opportunity
it afforded. Among other things the
club hit on the idea of obtaining
facts and figures showing the extent
of the freight business at Bemidji.
When this work was finished the
town felt elated anew. The figures
showed the annual business to be
very considerable
Business Statistics Presented.
ITO St. Paul went a committee
bearing to the 500 officials there
thesefgures from which it hoped so
much.
"Nor was the committee disap-
pointed Where general statements
and arguments had failed this def
mite tangible information received
serious consideration. The railroad
receded from it's former unreasoning
position to the extent Of agreeing to
look the town over
when the road finally agreed to
build into the town it was with the
understanding that Bemidji would
furnish free to it a right of way
within the city limits.
This had been Bemidji's PROPOSE
ton. Again the town went to work
raising money to buy the needed
land. The sum of $4,000 was raised
but because of selfish owners having
boosted the prices of their land this
amount fell far short of paying for
all the right of way needed.
'Finding itself unable to raise
more, the commercial club made a
frank statement of the situation to
the railroad people. The result was
the 500 went on and paid for the re-
mainder Of the needed land itself.
The sum thus expended Ey the rail-
road was about equal to that the
town had paid out, yet the circum~
stance engendered no i'll feeling or
dissatisfaction on the part of the
company. The manifest sincerity of
the towns efforts had so favorably
impressed the officials that they stood
ready to forgive the failure to raise
the entire amount.
"These are the two chief instances
showing how Bemidji has profited
through the united cooperative ef-
forts of it's business men.
Other Work of the Club.
There are others.
| For example, the commercial club
played an active part. in putting
through to success a project to es-
tablish a creamery in the town. It
has exceeded all expectations, how
ever rosy-hued they were. Only the
other day the board of directors of
the concern met and voted to keep
it running all winter through in vio-
lation of the custom in vogue at
many points of closing during the
winter months.
"The creamery can not supply it's
trade, though it buys all the cream
offered it, and produces a great quan-
tity of butter.
Cooperating with County in Road
Work.
The commercial club has for a
matter of five years or more follow
ed plan of cooperating with the
county in the road work Cash con-
tributions are made to the fund. That
the club has continued in this prac-
tice year after year shows the mer-
chants are fully alive to the import
ance of good roads.
Let one talk with them about the
matter and they readily declare they
believe they have profited handsome.
ly in added trade for the money
they have spent on the roads.
Market Days Established.
"Bemidji is one of the towns that
has made use of market day in
drawing the farmer trade in.
several market days have beer
held, the last being October 12. They
will be resumed in the spring on ar
even more pretentious SCALE
"The event was advertised in {
most thorough way. The newspa
pers carried special advertising an(
the merchants using automobile
went out through the country dis
tributing bills and posters and talk
ing with the farmers and the farm
ers' wives in person.
"All the merchants made specia
prices for the occasion and system
of prize giving was conducted.
'The farmers were guaranteed .
market for all they might bring in
!, The stuff was sold at auction, tn,
commercial club furnishing auction
eers.
! "That no mans goods might go un