Pueblo chieftain. (Pueblo, Colo.) 1889-current, 1921-08-04

| Iits CITY, Iul5it III sunny
quarters be construed as a criticism
Of the eNtraor dinarily brave, generous
and efficient work that has already
been done. I wish the people of the
United States could realize as I do,
from personal observation, with what
speed and really brilliant uncomplain-
| ing efficiency Pueblo EMERGED from its
terrifying experience. II the publicity
department of the Committee of One
Hundred will be as diligent in filling
the metropolitan press with an &C;
count of Its recovery, as hysterical
newspaper cores pondents were in
giving to the United States the i'm
preston that the disaster had dug
Pueblos grave, the people of this
country will realize as l do that
make itself an exception in the list OF
American cities who have suffered
similar misfortunes and who have
capitalized their misfortunes into
community progress.
A great start has been made in the
semi official appointment! of a really
remarkable Committee Of One Hun.
dred. and, apa"t fom my own personal
knowledge of the men who compose
this COMMITTEES, everybody have talk
ed to dwells on its impartial, city-~ide
character. The striking red poster
goes at once to the heart of the mat
ter in appealing for generous city-wide
patient. uncritical and unselfish back:
ing up" ! have no doubt in tho world
that this committee will take its next
step with wisdom. viz the selection
of an engineer 10 survey and report on
conditions, and one who is ofs such
commanding position and experience
that the entire community, including.
especially the railroad officers and
engineers. will feel satisfied that they
are being guided by and cooperating
with wise and impartial advice. The
Committee viii get no where with the
railroads unless the engineer selected
by the committee is a man whom they
know so thoroughly understands the
needs and problems OF transportation
as to be worthy of cooperation on
experts. Too much stress cannot
be laid on this fact in view of the
relations of the transportation com
panies to the solution OF the problems
presented.
In other words I can best show my
own spirit of cooperation which this
committee has invited. by saying, as r
feel. that such a body of men need no
advice from me nor anybody else and
that they deserve and will. l believe,
receive the enthusiastic support OF
every man. woman and child in
Pueblo.
As you know. 1 was one OF the NUM-
cipal Committee OF Nine which was
appointed by Mayor McLane to take
charge OF the rehabilitation of Balu-
more after the great fire OF 1904. L
happened to be called upon to sp"al: at
a public meeting held few days AZ.
ter the catastrophe. and while the
ruins Of our banks, office builo1nsr
ard business -sta blishments were sun
smoking. the rote that I struck in my
speech, which was the note which the
Baltimore community itself responded
to, was that our children and child
lrens children would hold us RESPONSE
bic for the way we met the situation
know from the expressions / have
heard from a large nuniher Of the
members Of the COMMITTEES of one
Hundred, that he coi,i- generation ard
children unborn will have no cause TO
criticize the men who havt the dss-
tinies OF Pueblo in their hands today.
True sportsmanship and what Ma
poleon clled Two O'clock Courage"
are no more .lcking in Pueblo than
there are in any other American city. |
Our Baltimore Committee was fully |
sustained by an overwhelming PUBIC 1
opinion. and especially by the younger
members OF L in running a steam
roller" over the pessimist, obstruction-
list and weaAling who Immediately
sought TO capitalize sne threatening
outlook by urging permits for disfis-
Lring buildings. compromise solutions.
hpl1lllesst lsdE-lthpltsu. HhlLNtS rnthe-
ures and all the other children OF dis
lcourseemcnt and surrender. And now
the Committee Of one Hundred might
as well make VI its mind now that 1t
VIII have a lot OF steam -rollering 20 DO
and public opinion might as well
make up its Irind that II will help the
committee in every way to push the
steam roller.
| But what is most on my mind is a
public oatalos OF the advantages OF
{ Pueblo which were untouched by the
I flood. and less talk ABOUT the things
that were washed away. got into
Pueblo on the Thursday after the flood
and went that evening to New York.
II spent my time among banking
friends in New York combating the
idea, which was fixed in their minds
4 by newspaper reports, that Pueblo
had been put in n coffin and the lid
nailed down. and the Pueblo people
only have Themselves to blame II their
really great advertisement has not
been properly utilized. l have yet to
Z hope from the Pueblo people them
selves. We would infer from the
newspaper reports tina. the beautiful
residence sections on both SIDES OF the
river were untouched; that the Won
Gerful county building hardly knew
there wss flood: that tho great man
ufacturins districts, including the
+ Colorado Fuel & Iron company and
b the beautiful MinneaIa district were
untouched, AMI that scarcely a single
house was washed away which wsa
built on foundation What effort
has been made to remind the world,
while II had Pueblo before IL. that
four great railroads really conferred at
Pueblo: that more freight was dis
trinuted thru Pueblo han thru Dem
ver that Pueblo wac still the gateway
70 the Great southwest. with an ahun-
dance Of cheap coal low in ash and
/ high in thermal units. that the elm
ate wac sttll IDEAL. that its people
we're united and that the flood only
BEGAN a prosperity which was worthy
n tho community nd It's unusual ad-
lvantasesl Nobody seems 10 have
snid that this wns a good time TO get
/ the Rock Island railroad back 10
! I.iehle.- 70 rrnale IL. rcnr-a nj "a