Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-06-16

depositors to become richerf If non-depositors
see us doing this they have the best argument
In the world for bringing their accounts to u.s."
Inc farmers of the community were hard work.
ers' and intelligent. But they had no leader.
Wlthout single 'by your leave" the bank as.
sumed the leadership. 1t organized Farmers
forum. On the banks recommendation the farm.
ers employed field demonstrator," thoroughly
grounded in the theory and practice of scientific
farming. The federal government paid half the
expenses of this "soil DOCTOR" He spent his time
travelling from farm to farm making soil tests
and advising the farmers regarding the products
best adapted to their acres. The bank purchased
carload of purebred CATTLE selected by gov
ernment dairy expert. These were sold to the
farmers at cost
That was three years ago. Today that COM
munity 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 '1ive" bank
The young man is president of the enlarged
bank. He has been offered vice presidency in
a large city bank, with salary double that which
he now receives. He prefers to remain in the
bushes" He, too, would rather be first in a
little Iberian village than second in Rome.",
On trip last year through one of the richest
agricultural sections of the Middle West 1 was
continually hearing the name of one man. l call
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
editorship in about ten years.
When his twO-weekS' 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 he found the subject of many day.
dreamsTa rundown country newspaper for sale.
And into it he put every cent that he had managed
to ScraDe together his civ iOh
Not very promising baby" you say But
Jim ingalls, had vision of possibilities. The
town in the heart of a prosperous farming
region that was well populated. Most of the
farmers had a big city daily delivered at their
gates. There a growing community spirit
among the county dwellers. Jim saw the need
for real community newspaper.
The first thing that he did was to improve the
appearance OF the paper. Then he toured the
county, and created a chain of correspondents.
Railroad agents, school teachers, doctors, lodge
secretaries, justices of the peace-everyone in a
position to gather news was supplied with sta
tionery and given free subscriptions. There were
few who did not consider it a privilege to send
in news items.
He gave up foreign news entirely leaving this
to the city dailes 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 pie social she
knows where she will find a full account of it,
and her guests know where they can 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
Jim's paper for them. He keeps close tabs the
developments at the county experimental farm
and nothing gets by him at the meetings of the
county agricultural societies.
The papers circulation is now nearly four times
what it was when he took it over, and it is recog
nized as a valuable advertising medium. Jim nc
longer has to worry over his income. But he has
made more of his paper than a mere chatterboz
Of the county's gossip He realizes that, in his
little newspaper, he has a powerful tool. And
he uses it to encourage the dwelers of the county
to carry out the improvements which will add tc
the comfort of all, and make every town better
place in which to live and bring up children.
There are openings for a great many more "Jin
Ingalls," In the United States there are about
ten thousand centers of population where news
papers are published. There are about twenty
five hundred daily newspapers and nearly siz
times as many country weeklies.
Our smaller communities beginning tt
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 politica
career can do no better than to begin at the bot
tom in his own village, township or county. BY
mixing in local affairs he will learn how to handle
human nature And he will learn to be practi
cal.
Let not the young man think that participation
in small-town affairs will stunt his growth. If he
is destined for larger things few years will fine
him. as a matter of course, functioning on larger
scale And record of things done-that new
school for Beaver Hollow, the park at Foul
Corners the new municipal lighting plant, or the
new railroad branch-all will serve as recommen
dations when he goes before the voters