The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-15

Communities, as well as firms and in- dVlduais can reap legitimate profits through advertising. Ill her day Rome
 was big advertiser and kept at it so persistentiy that eventually all reads led
 to that metropolis From the standpoint
 Of legitimate municipal publicity, America
 has several Romes But this sort of CO.,
 operative advertising is not monopolized
 by these big centers Indeed, there are
 scores of communities-rural and semi
 iural-that have put themselves cn the
 map in big red letters. Their fame has
 not been restricted by their small size.
 The secret lies in their emphasizing some
 local product which the community is
 well suited to produce, and getting all
 interested persons to do their very best in
 that line.
 A purse is trash compared with a good name, according to Shakespeare and
 many towns. recognizing the inestinable. value of a good name. have built up repu- tations that have lined the purses of those forming the community. For ex- ample, Monroe county, in southern Wis consin, has built up national reputa- tion for the fine quality of it's cheese. Not the least factor in winning and keep ing leadership in this line has been the annual cheese day, a splendid commun- ity event at which quantities of the de- licious product of the region are given away in sandwiches and in other forms to thousands who share in the occasion. What Monroe county has done with cheese, Carrizo Springs, Ten, has done with strawberries. The whole country 1 side in the vicinity of this village joints l in honoring it's favorite product G,s-Si season. Distinguished citizens come from ] miles around to take part in the festivi- ties. The governor of the state counts it privilege to be present.
 1 That the humblest of farm tasks can ! be honored and exalted by community eff | fort and the community in turn greatly profit thereby is shown by the record of | the Wheatland blowing match in north ern Illinois. This annual event, insti- tuted something like half century ago along lines followed by the founders
 ancestors in Scotlond attracts ,annuaF- 1 10,000 to 15000 people Here plowmen of 1 all ages are divided into classes, the members of which compete for prizes of 1 fered for the best work done with riding, 1 walking and tractor blows. The reputa- 1 ton for skill in agriculture created by 1 this annual event has been worth an in l ca1cuiable amount to the farmers of this 1 region, and partly because of it Wheat 1 land farms and Wheatland products are considered among the best in the whole l Mississippi valley.
 The orange growers of California have Ilearned a similar lesson. Each year they i hold a magnificent orange festival which | is one of the big events of the Pacific coast, attracting as many as 25,000 people some of them from distant states The rivalry for honors has done much to I raise and maintain high standards among the orange growers of the region.
 A community celebration of a somewhat different character, but equally effec- ] tive in it's advertising power, is the ground hog day picnic at Punxsutawney l Pa. At this novel annual event farmers politicians and former residents, to tho number of many thousands, gather tt share in eating a splendid repast, the principal feature of which is ground hos meat. The meat is cooked in barbecue fashion and invariably wins the praise Of the celebrants. Speeches and informa hearty greetings of old friends occupy the afternoon. While this event is not dz