Pocahontas star herald., 1923-08-03
The Citizen and the Town

A good town has community of
good citizens, 1t matters not whether
they number hundreds or hundreds Of
thousands.
The citizen who is willing for his
town to do everything for him, and
is unwilling to do anything for his
town, isn't an asset He's liability.
winona, Miss, about 100 miles south
of Memphis, is a good town, with
population OF more than $500.
We mention Winona because Of an
item In the winona Times that at
tracted our attention. The editor of
the Times selected several citizens at
random and asked this question:
"why do you like this town."
One good woman promptly replied:
Because ii represents much that is
good and but little that is bad in com
munity life"
A gentleman answered: Because
the people are honest, industrious, and
not inclined toward snobbishness
Snobbishness causes factional feeling
in country towns"
Another citizen said: Because of
its progressive spirit. Everybody
seems to want to push the town
along"
And still another: Because the
people are sociable, but have minds of
their own and are not afraid to say
what they think"
Now all of these are good reasons
for liking a town, things that are at
tractive and conducive to the best
there is in community life. But par
ticularly impressive is the following
reply of Winona citizen:
"Why do l like Winona? Because
it is my home town. It is where
was born, where have grown to ma
turity, where l have been clothed and
fed and initiated into the ways of the
business world. Why shouldn't l like
town that has done so much for
me?"
He doesn't merely like the town. He
loves it.
Suppose you ask yourself why you
like Memphis-that is, if you call
Memphis home?
It matters not whether you were
born and reared here. You are being
fed and clothed here; you are making
your living here; your job is here;
your children, if you have any, are
being educated here.
II follows, then, that the town is
doing something, great deal for
you.
What are you doing for the town?
Is It any better because you are living
in It? Would the town miss you If
you should leave itg Are you will
ing that the town should do every
thing for you and you do nothing for
the town.
Towns do not grow by chance, any
more than its streets are laid out by
chance or its homes and public build
ings and industrial plants are erected
by chance.
Towns grow and prosper only when
the people living in them will that
they shall do so and cooperate for
that purpose. The burden of every
Stacker must be distributed among
those who are already doing their
part.
! II you don't like town, you owe it
TO yourself and to the town to get
out and locate in one that you do
like. Don't disparage the town in
which you earn your livlihood by GO
ing about comparing 1t with some town
that you claim is superior. BE good
to the town that is good to you.
II it's your home town. either by
birth or adoption. like it, love it, work
for 1t, shout about it,
The more you do for your town the
more your town win do for you.-
Commercial Appeal.
What would apply to Winona. Miss.
Memphis, Tenn, or any other town
would apply equally as well with Po-
cahontas. The foregoing is sound and
sensible Let's stand closer by the
old home town.