Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-08-02
BOOSTS COUNTRY TOWNS
TO SAVE CIVILIZATION
Indoor Games Association Says
Village Must Patronize Them.
selves in Business and
Pleasure or Vanish.

MT. WeTClduJ' III UIy uTSU ltJItT
some weeks ago | told you the country
newspapers, properly used, were the
best selling agents in America. Have
you used themY II not, why nOtY
also sent out a sample form Of adver-
tising, taken from one OF the Chicago
dailies, showing how the big stores
In the city get orders from the country
trade. Perhaps you didn't see IL. Per-
haps your local editor was too modest
| TO publish IL lest 1t seem mere bid
for advertising. Or possibly, you may
have been sensitive about receiving
| advice from a stranger.
But. gentlemen, these are all false
| fears. One thing is certain: either
the country town must patrOnize it.
self or Vanish, and ] see no way for
you to meet city competition, except
by the city mans methods. What do
/ care, do you askY Just this: the In.
door Game Association has no pecu-
MARY interest in the matter, it Is true
But we are interested in humanity,
| and the passing OF the country town
would be calamity TO civilization.
For years we have watched with
growing concern the tide of country
youth migrating TO the city. We have
seen The rural communities standing
stationary and in many cases going
back. Our efforts In the city TO weed
out gambling and TO secure better su-
| pervision for dance halls, billiard
rooms, moving picture theatres, ETC.,
for the young people, reveals the fact
that the worst danger arises from the
| ''nninitiated" country boys and girls.
Three-fOurths Of the "sad cases" com
ing under our observation are of this
class.
How to keep country boys and girls
at home during impi reasonable years.
| therefore, has become a vital issue in
the work Of our association. This
means boost the country town, and to
| this end the rural community must be
induced to patronize itself In the two
great spheres of human interest
Business and Pleasure. First, TO Sc
| cure the former, merchants must dis
| play their wares attractively in their
Windows and bill the space of their
local papers with catchy suggestions
The very things that are now drawing
country trade TO the city. Nothing
gives town more thriving appear
ance than attractive windows of busi-
ness display. If you hayen't good
window, tear out the end OF your store
and put ia one. 1t will pay you big In
interest.
Second, provide the young people
with wholesome amusements. Pro-
mote clean, legitimate recreations OF
every kind. Remember there are chill
dren's games, young ladies' games,
young mems games and old peoples
games lAas, for the person who has
grown too old to play) Do not tty TO
make an old lady, however, out Of a
young man. That only disgusts him
and drives him TO the city.
| Young couples want some place 10
go In the evening. III you have no
theatre, why not build one? At least
you could maintain moving picture
show. Young men love to play bill
lizards. See that you have good
clean room for that purpose. Open
up large well ventilated hall. See
that it is properly supervised. Do uoL
become hostile and prohfbitive, But,
appoint sane censor committee To
inspect all public places OF recreal ion,
something like the recently establish
ed commission in Detroit. Michigan.
These two things, gentlemen, adyer-
tise your business and entertain your
peoplel Therein lies the hope OF the
country town.
+, j MILNEs,
Pres, Natl. Indoor Game Ass'o d,
Evanston, LII.