The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1914-07-24
NOT DEAD, But MERELY SICK

Man Made Country Towns; God to Be-
Thanked For Them-Ten Men En-
gagged In Rural Life Succeed Where
There 10 but One Succeeds In the
City.
Copyrighted, 1914. by Thomas J. sullivan.I
II you would be known and not
know, vegetate in village. II you
would know and not be known, live in
the city.
God made the country, and man
made the town. What wonder that
health and virtue should abound and
least be threatened in field and grove!
But, while man made the country
towns, God is to be thanked for them.
They have been as lamps Of life along
the pathway of humanity and religion.
Within them great men have been
born and great minds conceived and
developed. Behind their walls freedom
has fought her noblest battles. They
have stood on the surface Of the earth
like great breakwaters, rolling back or
turning aside the swelling tide Of op-
preston. Country towns have been the
cradles of human liberty. They have
been the active sentries Of almost all
church and state reformation.
Towns Not Dsad-only Sick.
We refer, of course, to live, prosper
GUS towns, not places that are dead
and ready for the last sad rites. OF
course there are many towns which
are not dead, only sick. They need a
tonic to quicken their pulse; they need
general treatment by community
specialist, or, better still, they should
consult their pride and their conscience
and awaken to full realization OF
their position and condition.
The wise farmer is looking for the
best market possible for his products.
He will naturally End 1t In live
town where there are live, up to date
merchants and business men. These
men are not only making good mar
kets for the farmer, but are vitality in
terested in the welfare Of the entire
town and surrounding community.
For Universal Good. ,is
They see beyond the results Of one
days trade and realize that there Is
something more In life than mere
money making They are actively in
terested In bettering community con-
ditions from an educational, social.
moral as well as financial standpoint.
Effort In this line is not confined to
the town alone, as. the magnificent
benefits extend beyond the corporation
limits. The town Is made community
and trade center for farmers as well
rs townspeople, where there Is lively
cooperation which makes for univer-
sal good.
1t was a beautiful truth which our
forefathers symbolized when In the
old market towns they erected mar
ket cross, as IL to teach both buyers
and sellers to rule their actions and
sanctify their gains by the remem-
brance of the cross.
Standard Goods Bear Trade Mark.
The live town furnishes market
for all kinds Of farm produce. 1t also
becomes a center of exchange which
supplies every human requirement
from a needle to steam thrasher or
the luxurious automobile. Modern
merchants pride themselves on their
ability to serve the buying public
They fill their stores with merchandise
Of standard quality which should
make and keep customers
In previous articles we have shown
how good town contributes to higher
farm values and how farm prosperity
may be directly and greatly influenced
by the presence Of a good town. This
being the case, there Is natural rela-
tion between country and townspeople
which many perhaps have not thor
oughly considered.
Same Goods, Same Price.
A live town with live merchants
who are broad minded enough to look
beyond present day profits invariably
affects land values and the desirability
OF the countryside as a place to live.
Let IL be remembered that standard
made goods bearing registered trade
mark sell for the same price the world
over, and the manufacturers guaran-
tee Of quality stands behind them In
the village store as well as In the large
city mercantile emporium.
ANY manufacturing concern which
will permit itself to be tempted into
turning out goods which do not bear
its name or trademark is mighty un-
reliable institution. II Its dealings
with the mail order house are fair and
honest, why does 1t try TO shield itself
from public discovery?
Price and Quality.
The lower grade goods and SEC
onds'' never carry the makers name
and are sold almost exclusively by the
retail catalogue houses or ten cent
stores to consumers who have not an
opportunity to inspect the goods or
who consider the price rather than
quality.
Buying your necessaries at home and
selling your produce at home Is what