The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1920-01-01
It's Time to Wake Up

Another year has gone, and Punts
Gorda people 1--WE refer to the male
population) have done little if any,
thing to make tho town a bigger
there is no use to deny it.
But because they have done moth
ing is not because there is not will
| lingness on the part of many citizens
to do their utmost to promote the
| interests of the community. Practi-
cally all are willing-anxious-to do
something. They want to see the
town grow-they want to see it
beautifed-but apparently they do
not know how to go about it. They
talk, wait and HOPE-5ut recently
have ACCOMPLISHED little.
INTELLIGENT COOPERATION
| is the answer!
We must shelve petty jealousics,
prepare ourselves to make some
sacrifices, and GET TOGETHER and
| WORK.
The day we do this we will begin
to see things COMING OUR WAY
instead of GOING THE OTHER
| WAY.
There are many, many things we
need to make our town more attrac-
tive to tourists and prospective set
| tiers but we will get but FEW Of
them until we GO AFTER THEM.
GOD WILL HELP THOSE WHO
HELP THEMSELVES, and The
town or individual that sits idle
waiting for HANDOUT FROM
HEAVEN usually has long wait.
We wondered why we did not get
the aviation field after the govern
ments agent was here, pronounced
this the best location for the pur-
pose he had seen and said that in
his report he was going to recon-
mend that the camp be located here.
We do not know what influence was
brought to bear TO have it located
near Arcadia, but venture to say
that Arcadia MADE AN ORGANI-
ZED EFFORT to get it-WHILE
tPUNTA GO3DA SLEPT. We
wonder why other towns with not
half our advantages get this or that.
OTHER towns are ORGANIZED.
THERE IS SOMEONE TO OPEN
THE DOOR when opportunity
knocks, and they GO AFTER
THINGS.
1--WE did have a board of trade
once, but it didn't last long and
didn't do much good" someone will
rise to say. That may be true, but
because one effort was more or less
a failure is 40 reason to lay down
and quit forever. Had Columbus
been weakened and faint-hearted
he would never have discovered AM
erica. Day after day, with NUT
nous crew threatening him with
death, he wrote in his log This day
we sailed west BECAUSE THAT
WAS OUR COURSE" We must
work for all things worth having,
Ind we cannCt expect to performl
overnight.
Other Florida towns with not half !
'ur natural advantages have doub- |
cd their populations during the past |
i've years. They were dead" until |
heir citizens began to work together.
The day they started to cooperate
nd work for the common good in
tead Of sacrificing the community
or personal gain in thirty-cent deals
hey began to grow, and those who
made the sacrifices, if any were made,
lave been more than repaid.
No other Florida town of euua,
population has so many improve
nents as Punta Gorda and no other
section has been more richly endow- !
ID with the beauties and advantages
IF nature, but other towns arc maxi
ng the most OF their ADVANTAGES
Ind are growing far faster than we.
Punta Gorda has grown from the
lay it became a settlement and it is /
going to keep on growing whether
is citizens do anything or not. but
t is not going to grow half as fast
is other towns that have the help Of
| united citizenry.
The future is before us. It is for
is TO decide whether we win con-
inue TO sleep while other towns
bout us are progressing or whether
We shall wake up and join the pro-
ession. We hope-we believe
hat we are going to choose the lat
er course, and the sooner we decide
he better. Any time in the future
will be too late, for NOW is tho