The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-09-13

Actually / felt like an intruder.
And when I tried to get out Of it per
haps / was little anxious to be rid
II got pinched by a marshall who
hasn't any other way to earn living.
Twenty dollars because / can't
afford to come back and fight the
case"
He stopped to get his breath.
EDO you know what / am doing q
he went on. 81 am telling every tour
list I meet to stay away from that
town. l am going to keep on doing
it, too.
"Now. I stopped at another town
down the line last night. 1t was a
little town, but believe me, it was on
the job. The mayor came out and
told us he was glad to have us visit
the town. He showed us where we
could get water and a camping place.
There was a booth, too, with maps and
information.
Everybody seemed to be glad to
see us. l tell you, went away from
that town feeling good, and am tell
ing everybody about it,
The state official pondered a bit as
he drove on to st. Paul. From Duluth
to st. Paul, he met exactly one hum
dred automobiles from other states.
'One hundred, by actual count.
Now, suppose this tourist carried
out his intention. There would be one
hundred automobile parties, warned
to avoid the town of B as pesti-
lence. Can't you begin to see the
advantage of taking care of the tour
list right?
On the other hand, one hundred
automobiles, perhaps 500 persons,
would be thinking Of the wide-awake
town and mentally resolving to spend
the night there when occasion per-
mitted.>
What about your town? Are you
on the job? Or is your town another
place like B? IA
Don't ever fool yourself about tour
lists passing on the information about
the way they have been treated in
your town. If they are mistreated,
they tell the others. If they find a
town that is wide awake and courteous
the word is passed on.
All down the line of touring auto
mobiles, the word goes. If your town
has bad name, it is on every lip miles
before your tallest buildings can be
seen. The system by which the ho-
boes and tramps pass along informa-
ton of the proper back doors to ap-
proach, never equalled the speed with
which the tourists pass along word of
the towns to stop in and the towns to
avoid, and automobiles go faster.
We are spending large sums for fine
highways and paying out $4,000 a
year to advertise Minnesota's lakes
and attractions. Unless your town
treats the visitor right, this becomes
dead waste so far as you are con-
cerned.
Every town should provide free
camping sites and comforts and con-
veniences for the travellers and infor-
nation booths. Austin, Mankato, Park
Rapids, Bemidji, yes and the little
town of Biwabik have provided ex-
cellent service bureaus. So have many
other towns.
Resorts and towns should see that
tourists are not overcharged for &C.
commodations. Nothing hurts town
in the eye of the tourist so quickly as
that. The fee system for arrests,
which has been abused in some com
munities, should be abolished. Some
of the more progressive towns have
raised money and put these officers
on salary basis.
All these things help. But above all,
get your town to realizing that the
tourist doesn't come to Minnesota
Just once. He is a perpetual visitor.
He will be back next year in increas-
ing numbers and spend S2O,OOO,O00 or
S25, 100000.
Will he pass by your town, or stop
Ten Thousand Lakes Association