Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-11-08
HOW TO KEEP a TOWN ALIVE

20 day Prepare for an awakening
HOW TO KEEP A TOWN ALIVE
A business man Of this city was
asked how to make town grow. lis
reply was; Put money in it." How
will you get the money! From
men who are interested" Where
will you get the menu Anywhere"
How will you get them?" 'By show.
ing them you have something to
sell"
There is the story in a nut shell
Show them you have something to
sell Show them But one question
remains. How can they be shown"
A correct answer to that question
solves the problem 1t is said a car
ter was one time stuck in the mud
He prayed for Hercules to come and
help him out OF his predicament
Hercules came. The carter was over
joyed. After nquiring the cause for
the call. The God of Strength ad
ylsod the supplicant to put his own
shoulder to the wheel He did SO and
the donkey pulled the cart out. Now
see the point? put your shoulder
to the wheel"
town in this State was in the
dumps a few years ago. Numerous
business rooms on the main street
were vacant with sign For Rent
in tho windows. The people decided
to do something, to put their shout
ders to the Wheel They took coun-
sci together and decided to reorgan
ize their Chamber of Commerce or
Board of Trade, whichever it was.
But the name does not matter. What
they did is the point
They recognized on broad lines.
Everybody was asked to join. 1t was
shown that the people were ready to
join the procession large number,
two or three hundred joined. The
town took on new life. A new and
more liberal charter was secured
Politics was largely banished, not Sc
fully as it should have been, but an
advance was made. Then they got
busy
An improved water supply was nee.
essary, The people had said, we
will fight it, because the grafters will
steal the money! The grafters did
try to get their claws on it, but the
Chamber of Commerce came to the
front. They were too strong to be
successfully resisted and the grating
gang dropped to the rear, licking their
chops. That was all they got The
water project went through. Some
money was wasted, but not enough TO
cripple the project.
The plan had worked well. The
Chamber OF Commerce was increased
to 600. Then it was a power. A live
man was secured as secretary. That
town is today the most prosperous in
this State. Why? Because there
was a united effort by the best men
n the town. Graft dares not shows
its hideous face OF course it is
ready to step in any time an pppor-
tunity is presented but with 500 men
on guard. there is slight opportunity
for It.
Other towns might be cited. Just
one more. Up in Maine, years ago
there was town which was the most
prosperous of any inland town in the
State. 1t was on the stage route
from Portland to the White Noun
tains. A railroad was projected. The
town did not want It. They had
good thing and were satisfied The
railroad found another route and the
erstwhile prosperous town died. To
day. it is deserted village, the SAL
dest sight one can see.
The right spirit was evinced by a
woman at the market. She had some
fine watermelons for sale. An Eng
lishman came along and, pointing to
the melons, asked: Are those the
largest apples you 'ave?" Quick as
fash came the reply. Huh, them's
not apples, they are huckleberries."
That is the proper spirit