The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-08-11
COURTESY.
BY H. l. Way.

By II. /. Way.
Courtesy-that's a little word!
/ never appreciated fully what it
means to a community until the
other day.
A prominenet state official tells
the story. He was coming from
Duluth to st. Paul over Highway
No. l.
Half way down he came upon a
motorist who was having trouble
with a tire. He stopped to see if
he could give the stranger lift.
The first thing the stranger said
was this:
"Say don't go near that next
town down there, B. Stay
away from it like pestilence. And
if you have to go through, don't
stop. You will get robbed if You
"Think of it, had to pay a dol
lar for a little article that sells
everywhere for rs cents, just be-
cause l happened to be tourist.
No place to camp, no information,
nothing!
Actually I felt like an intruder.
And when / tried to get out of it
perhaps was a little anxious to
be rid of the place and stepped on
her a bit got pinched by mar,
shall who hasn't any other way to
earn a living.
twenty-five dollars, because ]
can't afford to come back and fight
the case"
He stopped to get his breath.
Do you know what / am
doing" he went on. 81 am telling
every tourist l meet to stay away
from that town. / am going tt
keep on doing it, too.
"Now, / stopped at another town
down the line last night. 1t was 3
little town, but believe me, it was
and told US he was glad to have u:
where we could get water and &
too, with maps and information.
Everybody seemed to be clad t.
see US. l tell you, / went ava,
from that town feeling good, and
am telling everybody about it,"
The state official pondered Bit
as he drove on to st. Paul. From
Duluth to St. Paul, he met exactly
one hundred automobiles from
other states. One hundred, by act
ual count.
Now, suppose this tourist carried
out his intention. There would b
one hundred automobile parties
warned to avoid the town of B
as pestilence. Can't you begin tt
see the advantage of taking care Of
the tourist right?
On the other hand, one hundred
automobiles, perhaps 500 persons
would be thinking of the wide
awake town and mentally resolvin.
to spend the night there when occa
sion permitted.
What about your town? Ar.
you on the job? Or is your town
another place like B?
Don't ever fool yourself abou+
tourists passing on the information
about the way they have beer
treated in your town. If they arr
mistreated, they tell the others. il
they find town that is wide awake
and courteous, the word is passed
on.
All down the line of tourina
automobiles, the word goes. Ii
your town has bad name, it is or
the lip miles before your TALES;
buildings can be seen. The systen
by which the hoboes and tramp:
pass along information of the pro
per back doors to approach, neve,
equalled the speed with which the
tourists pass along word of the
towns to stop in and the towns &c
avoid, and automobiles go faster.
We are spending large sums fol-
fine highways and paying out $40.
O0O a year to advertise Minnesota
lakes and attractions. Unless you
town treats the visitor right, this
. becomes a dead waste so far as
you are concerned.
Every town should provide free
camping sites and comforts and
conveniences for the travellers ana
information booths. Austin, Man
kato, Park Rapids, Bemidji. YES and
the little town of Biwabik have
provided excellent service bureaus
So have many other towns.
Resorts and towns should see
That tourists are not overcharged
for accommodations Nothing hurts
a town in the eye of the tourist so
quickly as that. The fee system
Tor arrests, which has been abused
IN some communities, should be
abolished. Some of the more pro-
gresslve towns have raised money
and put these officers on a SALARY
basis.
All these things help. But above
all, get your town to realizing that
the tourist doesn't come to Mime
sofa just once. He is a perpetual
visitor. He will be back next year
in increasing numbers and spend
$l20,0O0,OO0 or $25,000,000.
Will he pass by your town, or
stop?