Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-07-26
MEWSP APER MEN
INVADE NORTHERN
MICHIGAN IN BODY
EDITORS OF WESTERN MICHI-
GAN MAKE WHIRLWIND TRIP
TO TRAVERSE CITY
SPECIAL G. R. & |. TRAIN
CONVEY PENCIL PUSHERS
Stops Enroute and Many Side Trips
to Places of Interest Made by the
Big Delegation

The invasion of northern Michigan
by the West Michigan Press Associa-
ton last week terminated last week
at Traverse City Saturday morning at
$50 o'clock when with a hearty
sswhat's the matter with Traverse
CITY; she's all right" came from the
voices of more than $50 people as the
special train pulled out of the station
for home. 1t was the greatest whirl-
wind editorial tour ever propagated
and pulled off on schedule time IN
Michigan and it is doubtful if any one
but Il. B .Blett of Grand Rapids, who
is president of the association, could
have accomplished the task and had
everything coming his way right up to
the minute in every particular. Ihere
wasn't thing for the editors and
their wives to do but to eat, drink,
ride and fall in line at the word OF
command, even the baggage was look
ed after.
Editorially the Record Eagle of
Traverse City said on the day before
their arrival:
"By properly entertaining the West
Michigan Press association that holds
its annual convention here on Thurs
day and Friday and by giving them
trips into the fruit, agricultural and
scenic sections of the neighborhood,
Traverse City and the Grand Irav-
erse region can be given the widest
and most effective publicity they have
ever had an opportunity of obtaining.
The newspapermen go on trip every
year, sometimes to Michigan cities
and often to other states. 1t is al
ways the custom for the places visited
to take care of them royalty and the
scribes, upon returning home give a
detailed description of their jaunt In
their home papers. With probably
100 papers represented here this
week, the value of this advertising
can be readily seen.
"By most people living south OF
Lansing this part of the state is re-
garded as backwoods country where
nobody lives except those who can
not raise the price to move. That
Traverse City is the largest city
north of Grand Rapids in the south
ern peninsula, the trade center of
northwestern Michigan, the center of
the finest fruit and agricultural re-
gion of the state will be news to most
of the visitors and equally so to their
readers at home. That this city has
the best year round climate, with few
er extremes of heat and cold than any
other city; that no city of its size in
southern Michigan has as much paw
ing or as good streets; that its water
supply would be envied by any city
In the southern counties; the posses
sion of these and other essentials to
real living will prove a surprise to the
down state folks. Traverse City fac
tories turn out goods that can COM
pete with the world, and this week
will be a splendid opportunity to drive
this fact home to the newspaper frat
ernity, and they will spread the news
in their publications. However, the
big thing after all is to show them :
good time and give them hospitabie
reception"
The glad hand was certainly most
cordially extended and a more OPEN
hearted hospitality than was accorded
the association by this business or
ganization of one of the most beau
tiful and prosperous cities In Michf-
gan would be hard to find.
The band, one of the finest in the
state. met the train and q. A.
Charles, secretary of the board, left
no stone unturned to provide for the
comfort of the party. After a re-
freshing nights sleep and visit TO
the stores of the city, the asylum and
other places of interest the visitors
assembled at the Chamber of Com
merce at 1:30. They were then taken
on a pleasing boat ride on Grand
Traverse Bay, going to Bowers Har-
Dor and Old Mission, where nearly
forty automobiles awaited them. Be-
fore boarding the boat each guest
was given a box of the famous cher
4 Continued on Page Six)