The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-05-04
SANTE FE new MEXICAN
GIVES GOOD STORY ABOUT
CANON As TOURIST TOWN


New Mexico, of April 9Th:
{ One Guy U. Hardy. of Canon City,
Colorado, strolled into the New Mexi-
can Office yesterday. with some mild
remarks about the weather. the war,
the newspaper Business, etc.
The gentlem- n had something about
him that ia ntly suggested he was a
live one. He was gently en- aged in
conversation. and by judicious ques-
tioning some facts about Mr.. Hardy
we're ELECTED which proved interest
ing; likewise some facts about Canon
City which should be perused by
Santa Fe boosters and near Zoo ters
| MIR. Hardy is publisher of the Canon
City Record. That isn't all. hov ever,
by a jugfull. He. is pres mt of the
Canon City Chamber of Commerce.
While he modestly disclaimed ny pre-
ponderant participation in the acti-
vities OF that organization we have
a suspicion that he is a considerable
part of it.
I'VE do believe that our town has
demonstrated the money value of in
tellig mt publicity" said Mr.. Hardy.
I'VE got the idea some time ago that
; it ought to be a tourist point. Preyi-
ously the travelling public fnew little
about Canon City. Now pretty near
ly everyone who tours nows that Can
on City is the proprietor of the Royal
Gorge, one of tie Wonders OF the
world; thousands ccme ann alfy TO
visit our Royal Gorge Park, an eight
mile square area given the city hy
bill which we got throul II con r 81.
and which has saved wonderland
TO the public which would otherwise
have been settled up by private par
ties. Cars come in processi MS every
summer to ride to the top Of the dizey
rye over cur ss0.000 convict-buit
highway and to make the astonishing
trip over the skyline Drive; also CON
Wet built. scaling the crest of long
dixie hundreds of feet above the city,
which cost us only SI.5po fer powder
and shovels. Me nwh le. | may in
Il ItGl AEEts WY VI ~ W hpta ia y
Springs has 20 pay so cents to see the
wonderful Cheyenne Canyon. which
instead of icing freed as IL ought TO
be to the American pdblic. is blocked
by homesteaders. We lelieve in capt
talizing Natures wonde ~ ieei ing
them free to the pu lc: and the policy
has made Canon CITY famous.
( My experience" said Mr Harry.
''is that you can 90 in. what y u make
up your mind to do in boosting a city
1t took some time for US to assimilate
the idea A number cf those who "a.
vored putting Canon City on the tour
list map were staggered when 1t was
put to them to start the gf me melnt
digging up 500 eaah After they get
the idea 1t was easy, and we started
by raising $4,000 by popular sub
scription. Now we have f25 members
in a town of 5000. paying dues of
si2 year-and they ray.
Moreover. when any money is to
be raised We raise II and decide sf-
terwards whether We can AFFORD II.
We had a chan,e to get herd OF
fourteen elk for $500, cost of trans
portat,on. We passed the hat. got
that $500 In no time. and now our elk
herd in the city park is one OF the
sights OF the state. Fo1r thousand
of our own people went down to look
at them last Sunday.
Mr.. Hardy says one of the biggest
assets OF his home town Is the 10000
acres of fine orchards surrounding H.
Mot of this land Is owned and rmed
| in hve-acre tracts. These farmers
we consider part Of our city: and they
are its real backbone" said Mr.. Ha -dy
Mr.. Hardy is a newspaper man of
parts. He has rarely mis- ed an an
nual convention of tie National Edi-
torial Association, and even went TO
Alaska with them. Every year he
takes a trip arcrnd and gets a bunch
of new ide TO take hcme anl a. II
to local civic problems This year he
Mexican war on the border. In-!dea-
tally-as he is a coed RepIbli, an he
took look at the state convention "A
Albuquerque. and then cane up to
spend two days looking at the most n
teresting state capital IN the un.o-.
He was in the first party hat went
over the completed sca-rail-oal %
Key West. and visited Cuba with w.
G.. Shepherd. the famous United Pres
war CORRESPONDENT. brin ing home
with him some shells from the hrIk