Arizona state miner., 1924-07-19

CHInSS III II WHICH are Qln0rent from
the things in other communities. 1t
is not the volume of daily business
in town but the individuality and
unusual character of a place, espec-
tally in an undeveloped district, which
cause people to wish to visit it. Once
visitors come to place the business
possibilities may cause them to re-
main.
The more any small town can be
different from other small towns the
more visitors it will attra act-and the
more pride it's own people will come
to feel in it. Such a difference in
character must be developed by the
people themSelves-it cannot be given
to them by any person or town on the
outside.
Now let me explain this little
more clearly as relates to Wicken-
burg. Wickenburg has three things
which, if played up constantly and
bntelligently, would make her unique
among the towns of Arizona and place
her permanently upon the tourist
map, for Arizonans as we'll as stran-
gers.
These three things are the old
graveyard up on the hill above the
railroad station, the grave and house
Of Uncle Henry Wickenburg, and
the old ruins of the mills that worked
the Vulture ore in early days. The
story of these three could be made
golden romance to all visitors.
Your own idea of moving Bob
Groom's grave is kindly one-and
about the most short-sighted thing in
a business way that could be thought
of.
There would never in this world be
passer-by who would go out to the
new graveyard to see the graves or
even think about it. What Wicken-
burg needs-and needs mighty bad
is to make every person on every
train and auto that goes by, to think
about her long enough to know that
Wickenburg is on their road. Not
merely as a place to get gas and wa
ter and go On-but as a place with a
history and spirit.
Wickenburg has a gold mine in
that old graveyard exactly where it
is located only hope she has sense
enough to open her eyes and see it in
time. That tiny piece of land lies
exactly where every train-load of peO-
pie are compelled to see it. 1t is
worth big money as the very best
lam-yOu-in-the-face" advertisement
to be had. Any California town would
be shouting it to the top of the sky
and handing out booklets about it on
every incoming train.
1t should be cleaned UP and fenced
xxyifh Oft of fnl
include every grave. Then right on
the outward edge facing the track
should stand tall monument of wa
ter smoothed boulders from the Has
sayampa, laid up roughly in cement
such a monument as marks the
grave of Edward Scheiffelin near
Tombstone-and has brought the city
of Tombstone constant advertising on
postcards, booklets, and newspaper
and magazine articles.
Your own citizens could build such
a monument with their own labor
at cost of probably less than a hun
dred dollars. Any of our big copper
companies would give a big copper
plate to be inset on the side facing
the railroad track and to contain the
name of every person buried there.
Never visitor to Wickenburg
would fail to see that monument and
visit the little park. 1t would pay
for itself in advertising as we'll as
local pride.
The grave and home of Uncle Hen
ry Wickenburg should become a pub
lie charge of the town-not merely
for the fine spirit of remembrance
but for the good advertising in it.
Properly played up every visitor
who has an hour to spare in the
town would pay a taxi fare to see
that historic bit of ground. 1t is a
true center of romance.
AS for those old Vulture mills and
other early mills-well, if I ever get
my novel written-or even their
shorter story could be told-every
auto of tourists would be hating to
see where all this romance took
place.
[ know that to you who see these
things every day they seem nothing
but ruins-just as the remaining pio-
neers of Wickenburg seem to you
only old men broken with years. But
those old men are really your most
interesting citizens because they are
different from just everybody every
where else.
1t is said that only one man in
ten thousand makes himself known
outside of his own neighborhood or
business circle-and that is because
most men are as much alike in mind
and character as a flock of sheep.
1t is the man who is different who
is noticed-just as town is noted
for it's differences, not it's similarity