Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-28
me PRISONER SHOT IN CHAIN GANG BREAK
The Spot Light

Blessings in disguise are never
pleasurable subjects Of conversation
among the unfortunate hosts of the
aforesaid and alleged blessings The
time may come, far in the future,
when the people Of Pueblo will be
able to discuss the Flood with calm
ness, and tell impartially how me
and Noah built the ark. but for the
present there are many things in this
connection that would be best said at
considerable distance from the
ecene of the event, and in media not
intended for local inspection.
On the other hand, there are some
things In that same general connec-
ton that may be said properly here
and now. For on. thing, the stores
of Pueblo, taken as a whole. are in
better shape right now than they have
ever been before, in spite Of tn. fact
that the period of rehabilitation is
70, from completion.
This ism 7 said With an idea of
making light of the misfortunes of
any one in this city. There we're
business men who thru no fault of
their own were overwhelmed by the
Flood, just as there were men and
women and children who lost their
lives thru no fault of their own. But
there arr bright sides to all these
things, and Just nor ] m looking at
one of those bright sides.
The Pueblo Flood came Just at the
time Of the turning of the tide in
business after the war. 1t found the
average merchant every where
stocked up with var goods, purchased
al war prices, and some of them Of
that particular war quality that is
easier named than described. No
business man could afford TO throw
his stock into the street, or make a
clearance sale that would give room
for an entire new stock Of goods, and
IT vas q very serious business prob
lem to sell the war stocks In ccmpe-
tition With the new goods at the new
prices.
Ard Just then along comes the
Flood. bringing plenty of ner wor-
res, but sweeping ont Of existence
some of the problems that had been
giving the merchants greatest con
c.rn. A big part Of the clearance
VAS done bv the Flood itself. and
then instead Of clearance sales ue
had salvage sales, until now the sv-
.rsge Pueblo merchant not only has
a complete stock cf new goods. but
1921. which is liable to be the low
level priee of the temporary d.pres-
SION following the war.
Then there's another thing. There 3
= bunch Of old-timers in this eitv,
who have been prospenng in bus,nees
for hslf century or less, and who
have been talking for about the same
length of time sbout how they were
going TO get new furniture and f1-
lures and make themselves really
modern and beautiful place Of bust
ness. But of course they couldn I be
expected 20 make the change with war
prices the way they were, and 20
form.
And along comes the old Flood and
the first thing they knew they didn L
have any more place of business than
3 jack rabbit, and that idea of get
ting new outfit. complete. was
changed from delightful fancy to
practical necessity. And in nearly
every case. the new equipment is al
big improvement over the old.
And so, as I go up and down and
Around Pueblo I see new and q
better Pueblo growing up all around
me Old faces. to be sure thank
Heaven for that'-but newly painted
and decorated store rooms, new
furniture and new fixtures, new
stocks of goods, and new after-the-
war prices, and an this ar Of fresh
ness and newness and improvement
is having it's effect upon the morale
and the spirit Of the nty and its
people.
In New York City they have or
rani,ed "Sell Now League. to get
md of old stocks of goods, and thus
clear the shelves for new wares At the |