The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1921-02-16
Main Street.

Someone at the dinner table had
used the expression "small town"
common term in New York as in
other large cities. 1t was received
with the usual circle of grins and a
litter of laughter or two. But one
woman in the party was silent. The
comedy did not seem to appeal to her.
ct WONDER" she said finally, as eyes
turned in her direction, chow many of
us here tonight did not come from
some small town-some village that
is still home to u.s."
''There is something in that" said
the lawyer out of the thoughtful ST
lence that followed ut is my expert
ence in the courts that few of those
we have an opportunity to examine in
personal way-to ask rather impu-
dent, personal questions of, | mean
seems to have been born in New York.
Of course, a great many of them were
not even born in America, but Of those
who were large number come from
the most unheard of little places. One
wonders almost how they ever found
the big CITY,"
CHATS simple" said the woman
;; who had spoken first. ''The big city
is easy enough to find. 1t is in the
mind of almost every boy and girl
from the day they are first able to
read a newspaper, magazine or a no.
vel. They slip into it easily and ma
turally. Fifth avenue is as familiar
to them as a street as Main street is
in their home town. They may never
have seen it, but they know all about
it.
"They may not even know the name
of the mayor of their own county seat
or be able to call the names of the.
four richest men in their state, but
they know all about Morgan, Wander
bilt, Carnegie, Aston and the rest of
the nabobs Of New York. tits shame.
Too much attention is paid to our big
communities and not half enough to
our little ones"
81 think I catch your idea," said the
merchant, "but please go on"
81 mean, where would we be with
out our villages and our small towns 2"
the woman replied with little gesture
of distaste for speech-making. "Most
of us come from them. We sap the
best there is in them and bring it here
to throw into this huge hopper and
then we pretend to be ashamed of
them We should be proud of them
proud to acknowledge tlfem as our
birthplaces and proud to go back to
them and to help them"
Help them, yes, but never change
them," said a quiet-voiced man at the
end Of the table. "That is the worst
thing you can do to the old town-give
it city ways. How many Of them are
spoiled because too many of their boys
went to the big city and came back
as failures or half successes? You
can't make Main street into Fifth
avenue with all the money in the world
and yet that is what so many of them
try to do.
"Please let Main street alone. It is
the bulwark of our civilization. would
not have my own particular Main
street changed for all the gold in Wall
street. 1t is as God intended it and
it is doing the work God intended it
for. Dusty in summer, muddy in win
ter, lined with shabby stores and queer
characters that the stage and the COM
ic papers poke fun at, it is still to me
the one natural, honest, sincere street
in the world If I did not feel / could
go back and walk down my Main street
with my chin in the air and a dog at
my heels, would feel that the world
had, indeed, cast me out as worthless.
'sYou can walk down Fifth avenue
or Wall street without anybody par
ticularly noticing or caring. But you
can't do that on Main street. They
know there and they care, too. It is
the judge Of our success and the bull
wark of our civilization. The people
along it may be little bit narrow,
but they are honest and you won't fin
ed either Bolsheviki or profiteers
among them-at least not as rule,
you won't.
Then, why do these people come to
the city," asked the young girl.
Because, my DEAR" replied the old
er woman. "Main street wouldn't be
Main street if we always lived on it.
Your mothers lap grows prosy and
tiresome day by day when there is
dance music playing, and young men,
and flowers, and lights. But it is
very tender spot, when your heart is
beating hard and the world looks very
dark and dreary."
Il guess that's about the way it is
with Main street." said the merchant.
Anyway, it's very good place to
learn business Pittsburg Press.
The best crop any man can raise ON
farm is just plain kids. What would
be the use of working hard to develop
fine farm unless there were Soma