The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1919-12-18
SOME TOWNS ARE
ASLEEP INSTEAD
OF WIDE-AWAkE

time we can recall the names of sew
eral merchants in this town who have
had the nerve to buy few gallons of
paint to freshen up their stores bit,
even since white lead went soaring
So there now.
Perhaps your town is like the one
that is told about in last weeks Coun-
try Gentleman-IdaG Grove, Iowa. Ida
Grove has less than 1000 population
and more than sixty blocks of as
phalt paving. It's citizens boast of
having town without mud hole.
Even the alleys are paved. It has a
fOrty-acre park. a natatorium. 48-
room hotel that is the finest in west
ern Iowa; and small. one-floor one
floor department store that sells 5000,
600 worth goods year, to the pros
porous farmers within trading dis
tance of the town. Keep in mind that
Ida Grove is town not quite as large
as Julesburg.
Yes. Ida Grove has an organized
spirit of civic pride and progress in
its Community club. and it has at
least one merchant who is personal
factor in the towns business develop
4 l.
have caught the infection from him,
for no one man could bring about all
that has happened to that town.
A representative Of the Country.
Gentleman interviewed this man, John
Lindsey. on the subject of towns in
general, opportunities for young men.
mail order houses and other things of
equal interest.
! Some people say there is no chance
in a country town. no opportunities
for young men in such towns. John
Lindsey says: "There never was in all
history such day of opportunity as
this day, this year, next year and the
next. Opportunities are everywhere.
| A young man needn't have dollar,
nor anything but good health. a clear
head, energy, ambition and gumption
that was my mothers name for self
| confidence-to get on in this good old
world"
Speaking about the farmers and the
towns near them, Lindsey said:
Farmers are prosperous these days.
any they've gone ahead Of the little
country store. which has stood still,
not seeing what is going on" Then
he took his interviewer out into the
country and showed him what he
meant-first to a prosperous farmers
home, up-to date in all its appoint
ments; then to a typical village store
carrying the same kind of goods it
carried twenty five years ago, and the
| storekeep doing in his chair waiting
for customers to come in, grumbling
! between maps of the aggressiveness of
| the mail order houses. and at John
Lindsey, too. for stealing away his
trade.
| Lindsey told how Ida Grove hap
pened to wake up: "a few years ago
| Ida Grove was in almost as bad
condition as that village we just left.
| A few of US saw the changes that
were taking place; the motor car and
| the motor truck and the farm tractor
bigger crops with less hard work, and
be more prosperous. We saw him
building new homes and furnishing
them like city houses of the best class.
| We saw him hiking in his motor car
across cou ~ to bigger towns than
ours because they were cleaner towns
with better stores. We saw that
farmers were living better. dressing
better, reading and thinking, and that
rotten town couldn't get their bust
| ness for long"
! Ida Grove woke up. put its foot on
| the accellerator and caught UP with
| the farming community.
How that town is managing to
keep up with the procession is indi-
Gated by what John Lindsey said at
| the close of the interview: 81 give
| about as much time to working for the
community outside my store as ! do
to business inside" he said. "A mer-
chant can't build up busi: -ss just
within four walls. A man in business
making money, most Of it from farm
ers. has got to give back some. He
has cot to help make his town the
best town it can be for farmers to
come to- There is no other way A
selfish man or selfish town cannot
expect big business and growth
Is your town in the same class with
Ida Grove, Iowa. and are you. Mr..
Merchant. emulatinC the examples of
John Lindsey. or are you watching the
farmers automobiles whizZ by your
| store. going to other towns that are
reaching out after trade? Are you
wearing out the seat of your office
| chair and cussing mail order houses?
Then read this article over again. and
do little wholesome figuring on
your job.