The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1920-09-11
Manager Pierson confers With
= I5.eal% o6icials Conserving
e New Scenic Route
SCOUT. .cAR=LEAVEs :
=. + TO-DAY FOR wlNN E. I
Bemidji Appears Promine, z
On All Highway circularA
T. and Route Maps \

Slpp1 HlVer@ oCeuAC I116A"0J oo,~~As~
ton, who il making 1000 mile
round trip of the highway between
Louisiana and Manitoba, as related
to president George of y the local
Scenic Highway unit and President
Barker Of the Civic and Commerce
association in conference yesterday
thaf Mr.. Pierson has been requested
to attend a large meeting; of those
! who believe in this city which will
be arranged on his return! from Be
midi. AZ J.. : - = = :
T-s The city of Bemidji and Beltrami
;Ssppunty have been put on the map OF
the great Mississippi Scenic highway,
to even q greater extent than Be-
midi realizes. Various Maps, cir
culars. pamphlets, route books, let
e ter-heads, membership application
blanks, envelopes, etc, all carry Be-
midii prominently and all summer
Mr.. Pierson has been busy answering
questions like these:
'.Bemidji?> where, is Bemidji?"
..,What kind of a place is it," SIS it
an Interesting place to drive to and
to pisit?" Are tourists welcome?'
+ sInasmuch as .Pierson expects all
winter to campaign for the Scenic
Highway below the Mason and Dix
son line he feels as he should rbe
provided. with :ad ditionals dat on Be-
midi which will be circulated by
the Scenic, highday:a,. Although his;
time is well taken up and his sched-
sule crowded, Mr.. @Pierson agreed to
come back to Bemidji to meet as many
OF her citizens as possible, to tell them
what hassbeen done and what it, is
proposed to do for BemidU and other
Scenic highway towns:
|. y..sPierson is a publicity expert, town
developer and organizer or no mean
ability. For years heF4was engaged
! in newspaper work in New York and
Philadelphia on such papers as the
New York Times, New York Herald,
New York Press. Philadelphia North
American, Philadelphia Public Led
ger. Later he took up commercial
organization work and town develop
ment work. 1t is fair sample OF
his ability to note that while engag-
: ed as secretary Of the chamber OF
commerce in Illinois he conducted
campaign to organize the Illinois
State chamber of commerce and did
successfully organize this well known
institution in June, 1919, at Quincy
! Illinois. 49,.
\, While Mr.. Pierson gives credit for
Fganizing the Mississippi River Seen
<\hfghway to others, he was its first
active presluent and prior to his TAX
ing Ahe presidency there was no
scenic highway on paper ana then 1t
only extended from McGregor, Iowa,
to Keokuk, Iowa, under the name OF
East Iowa Scenic Pike. AS president,
Pierson visioned a route following
the mississippi river from its mouth
to Bemidji. He conducted the pro-
motion work solely at his own ex-
pense and in fact until this year all
funds for: the work came out of his
pocket and from a few friends who
believed in him and his idea. Last
winter the officials and directors of
the highway prevailed upon n.m to
actively take up the management,
6evoting full time to organizing the
line aiQ he came to Bemidji in Feb
:ruary to begin the work. Bemidji
was one of the first towns to Or
ganize under the new plan and not
Withstanding the fact that certain
elements in the twin cities rather
resented Bemidji becoming more
important point than either of the
big cities which of necessity are now
mere way stations on this big line,
Pierson says Semidji deserves recog-
milton and will keep the prestige
that has come to her and make fur
ther progress in the development ac-
eording to her own wishes in tie
ma tier.
e Scout car No. l left Bemidji to-
day for "innipeg. Mr.. Picrson is
accompanied on the trip by Mrs.
Pierson and daughter Twice the
scout car has been 1itched, the last
time at Rollingstone, Mimi. 1t was
demolished in this accident so new
car haEto be procured.
r. A/hap showing the roo'te covered
by<khe highway may be seen on page
free of this issue and On this map
Iemidji's name is prominently dis
played.
f. WEATHER REPORT