The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-06-18

"
oeposftors TO become rcher7 II non-depositors
see us doing this they have the best argument
IN the world for bringing their accounts 10 us
The farmers Of the community were hard work.
ere ana Intelligent. But they had no leader.
"it'out single Thy your leave" the bank rs.
sunled the leadership. 1t organized Farmers
ferum On the banks recommendation the farm.
ers employed field demoustrator" thoroughly
sfouhoed IN the theory and practice of scientific
turning The federal government paid half the
expenses OF this soil doctor. He spent his time
travelling from farm to farm milking soil tests
ana advising the farmers regarding the proeluct i
pest adapted 10 their acres The bank purchased
carload of purebred cattle selected by gov
eminent dairy expert These were sold TO the
farmers at cost
mat was three years ago Today. that com
lnun'ty Is one of the most prosperous agricultural
districts In the country There Is only one bank.
The business Of the competing bank has been
taken over by the live" bank
Inc young man is president of the enlarged
baDk He has been offered a vice presidency 10
large city bank with salary double that which
!. ne now receives. He prefers to remain In the
pushes lie, too. would rather be first In y
little Iberan village than second in Rome
On trip last year through one Of the richest
agricultural sections of the Middle West ] was
continually hearing the name of one man. coll
him Jim ingalls, because that is not his name.
Five years ago he was an overworked reporter on
big city daily His work did not seem to be
getting him anywhere There were half dozen
men ahead Of him In the line for promotion, and
the best that he could hope for was an assistant
edtorshp In about ten years.
When his twoweeks vacation period rolled
around. he made trip through the rural districts
of his state. He did not return to the city For
In little town be found the subject of many day
dreams-a rundown country newspaper for sale.
And into II he put every cent that he had managed
to scrape together on bis city job.
Not a very promising baby" you say But
Jim ingalls, had vision of possibilities. The
town was In the heart Of prosperous farming
region that well populated. Most of the
farmers had big city daily delivered at their
gates. There was a growing community spirit
among the county dwellers. Jim saw the need
for q real community newspaper.
The first thing that he did was to improve the
appearance Of the paper Then he toured the
county, and created chain of correspondents.
Railroad agents, school teachers doctors lodge
secretaries, justices Of the peace--everyone In
position to gather news supplied with sta.
tionery, and given free subscriptions There were
few who did not consider II a privilege to send
in news items.
He gave up foreign news entirely, leaving this
to the city dailies. His news policy has always
been one of intensive reporting of the affairs of
town and county. His correspondents pour In to
him every week steady stream of the gossip and
chitchat Of every hamlet and crossroads village
If Farmer Porter's wife holds a pie social she
knows where she will find full account of IT,
and her guests know where they find their
names In all the glory of print. Farmer Lawier
and his neighbors are interested in the hay grain
and forage reports from up state. They look in
Jims paper for them. He keeps close tabs on the
developments at the county experimental farm
and nothing gets by him at the meetings of the
county agricultural societies.
The paperg circulation is nearly four times
what 1t was when he took 1t over. and II Is recog
nized as valuable advertising medium. Jim no
longer has to worry over his income But he has
fade more of his paper than mere chatterbox
Of the couptys gossip. He realizes that In his
little newspaper, he has powerful tool. And
he uses 1t to encourage the dwellers Of the county
to carry out the improvements which will add to
the comfort Of all, and make every town a better
place in which to live and bring up children.
There are openings for a great many more "Jim
Ingalls," In the United States there are about
ten thousand centers Of population where news
papers are published. There are about twenty
ave hundred daily newspapers. ano nearly sis
times as many country weekles
Our smaller communities are beginning to
awaken. There is increased political activity with
in their boundaries. And they need fearless, in
dependent local papers
Which brings us to the question Of the small
town boy and politics.
The young man who plans to follow political
career can do no better than to begin at the bot
tom In his own village, township or county. BY
mixinp In local affairs he will learn how to handle
human nature And he will learn to be pract
cal
Let not the young man think that participation
in small-town affairs win stunt his growth. II he
,s destined for larger things, few years will And
him. ms matter of course, functioning on larger
s.o,e And n record of things done-that new
SCHOOL for Beaver Hollow, the park at Four
Corners. the new municipal lighting plant, or the
new railroad branch-ali Will serve as recommen
dations when he goes before the voters.