Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-09-10
Successful Commercial Club Banquet

Successful Commercial Club Banquet
| The quarterly meeting of the Cresco
Commercial Club last Thursday even
ing, in spite of the intense heat, was
we'll attended, nearly 100 being present.
r. P. Roedel, of Dubuque, was princi-
pal speaker, and commenced by COM
plimenting us on our beautiful city,
but said we could still improve by in
| stalling boulevard lights and center
| parking of our principal streets with
Towering plants and shrubs. He told of
the need of organized effort by each
and every citizen of the town and mem
ber of the club, and not leaving all the
work to the officers of the club. To
show the efficiency of home organiza-
tion he mentioned the securing by Du-
buque of the Brunswick Bake Col
lender Co. at cost of over $4,000,
but considered the money well spent.
as the concern employs over 400 men
at present and will employ 800 by jan
uary 1st. II e added that factories
were not found in cornfields but were
secured by organized effort of the citi-
zens of town. He urged the mer-
chants to work for better shipping ia
cilities and said that Cresco should
have another railroad, and also spoke
of the great value of advertising. Mr..
Roedel dwelt at some length on work
ing together to accomplish desired re-
suits, and in always speaking we'll of
our neighbor competitors, citing as an
example Sioux City which he placed
as one of the best cities of Iowa in
progress and town-boosting spirit, say
ing that if a stranger enquiries of one
of their dealers or business men con.
corning MIR. So-and-so, his standing or
his credit, will reply, "He is all right
he lives in Sioux City," and will do
so despite that they might be bitter
enemies or competitors. If all would
show this home town spirit. and would
work with organized effort. much
could be accomplished in building up
our town. Reciprocity among our
local business men was touched upon;
he said that they should patronize
home merchants and home factories
exclusively as long as they find prices
and goods fair and right and get what
they need, adding that otherwise we
should co,:le to Dubuque for Cresco is
considered to be in Dubuque territory.
Mr.. Roedell spoke for considerably
over an hour, and as he is one of Du-
buque's Committee, of 1907 and
active in upbullding that city, his talk
was interesting and full of good ideas.
After refreshments and cigars, local
men were called upon. DR.. Kessel
gave very good talk concerning
Cresco's needs, saying that they were
many but that he first wanted to see
new library building and generously Of
fered to donate piece of city proper
ty with present valuation of $4,000
with which to purchase an Elm street
site for a new library building. The
Doctors offer called forth remarks by
D. A. Lyons concerning the generosity
of DR.. Kessel, and Robt. Thomson talk
ing regarding the Carnegie library re-
quirements. Ed. Farnsworth gave
report that the present one-mill Ii
brary tax was yielding revenue Of
$500 per year to the library. Follow
ing the discussion the President of the
Club was authorized to appoint com
mittee of three to look into the re-
quirements and methods of action nee
essary to securing Carnegie library
building, and C. w. Reed was appoint
ed chairman of such committee, he
and the president to select the balance
of the committee.
F. A. Huber, Secretary of the Com
mercial Club, made a report of what
the club is and has been doing and re-
ports 145 members in good standing.
He said that the club had lost all faith
in the promises made by the c. M. &
St. P. Ry. for new depot and better
train service and that the board of d.
rectors had sent in a complaint to the
State Railway Commissioners claiming
that the old depot and surroundings
were inadequate, dangerous and in
sanitary, and the matter is now being
Investigated by the commissioners.
His figures concerning the out put Of
the factories and the wages paid by
them was interesting. Exclusive of
the creameries and cheese factory,
Cresco factories turn out products
amounting to $340,OO0 annually, and
SAP, 500 is paid in wages, exclusive of
that paid statesmen and Office help.
Several new industries are in prospect
and being investigated, with no doubt
that one in particular can be secured
when the proper time comes and re-
quired conditions are met. Attention
was called to the fact that Cresco had
never experienced steadier growth
than at present, with not a building or
residence in town for rent, and that if
Cresco has, as every one conceeds,
been aided and developed by its facto-
ries, and wishes to continue its growth
and improvement, that it was absolute
ly necessary to not only get in new in
dustries but to retain what we already
have; that another outlet for shipping