The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-10-05

EVERYBODY realizes CIat WA, PUBLIC
Works, and other forms of relief,
humane as they may be, do not solve
the problem of making the people of
northern Minnesota economically indie
pendent. We have often been told that
our region is depleted of natural re-
sources, and further, that it can be
rehabilitated only by large expenditures
for reforeStation. Aside from the i'm
mediate employment afforded, the great
benefits of such program of reforest-
alton would not come in our generation.
Besides looking to the future, our prob
lem is to create a better economic con-
dition for the present generation, and
I firmly believe that we have the neces-
sary resources and ingenuity to do it.
While it is true that many of the
natural resources of northern Minnesota
have been depleted, yet it is a region
that is rich in iron ore, has abundant
recreational facilities and considerable
supplies of timber that can be used
for the manufacture of paper, celluloSe,
and other products that do not require
clear logs or large size. This is es-
pecially true of the Arrowhead region.
What we need are more industries
based on local raw materials-small in
dustries-industries indigenous to this
locality created by local capital and
local skill. I cannot go into all the
possibilities here of creating such in
dustrieS; but I should like to speak
of an industry which, although small,
has possibilities with which have been
strongly impressed. I refer to the
souvenir industry.
1t is quite unnecessary to point out
to you gentlemen that the tourist trade
is one of the most important sources
of revenue to Ely and the surrounding
territory, or, for that matter, the entire
Arrowhead region. I simply wish to
reiterate this well-known fact since my
subject deals with one phase of the
tourist trade.
Tourists buy services and goods Of
many kinds-guiding, airplane trans
portation, groceries, fishing tackle,
lodging, etc. One of the classes of
goods that practically all tourists buy,
at least to some extent, is souvenirs.
Now it may seem that this is relatively
unimportant source of revenue to mer-
chants and resort operators, since SOU
venirs are low priced and the profit
on any one sale is apt to be small.
On the other hand, the fact that so
many stores and resorts handle SOU
venirs suggests that the total sales
amount to very respectable figure.
Why do people seek souvenirs? We
all know that the collecting of souvenirs
is characteristic of Americans, where
ever they go. At its worst, souvenir
gathering includes such activities as
tearing buttons from the clothing of
movie actors, stripping the fabric from
famous airplanes, chipping the Wash
ington monument, and, to give local
illustration, cutting pieces of bark from
birch trees. On the other hand, SOU
venirs also include many legitimately
obtained articles having artistic, edu-
cational or sentimental value. To re-
turn to the question of why people
seek souvenirs, there seem to be several
reasons. ID. A souvenir may serve to
recall some incident, place, or person.
(2). 1t may be selected to illustrate
some popularity or characteristic of a
place. 80. 1t may be used as evidence
of what the person has seen or where
he has been.
The point is that souvenirs are gener-
ally thought of as having some signifi-
canoe with respect to a particular place.
This is in agreement with the definition
of the word, which is "a token of re-
membrance."
Unfortunately, the souvenir trade has
not developed in a manner consistent
with our idea of the word. The essen
tial characteristic of souvenirs, which
is best described by the word "local"
has been lost sight of to considerable
degree. Hence we find gadgets made
of black walnut from Ohio offered for
sale in northern Minnesota, Navajo
Indian goods for sale on Chippewa
reservations, and so forth.
The local" characteristic has also
been lost sight of in another way. Very
few souvenirs are of local manufacture,
even though the materials or ideas of
design may be appropriate. The great
ma ority of the souvenirs that are Of
fered for sale here differ from those
in Fort William, Two Harbors, Virginia,
Brainerd, Duluth, and the Twin Cities
only by the post office addresses
stamped upon them.
Many of these articles plainly show
evidence of mass production, and what
is more humiliating, until the last year
the notation made in Japan" could
frequently be found on the reverse
sides. can testify from the comments
lof several acquaintance and my own
Experience as tourist that this type
of article raises sales resistance. When
a tourist sees a stereotyped article of
this kind, he is apt to remember that
he has seen it in a Minneapolis variety
store for ten cents less. On the other
hand, the statement MADE in Ely
printed on the back of an article will
definitely increase its desirability, be
cause this makes it a souvenir" in the
true sense of the word.
| These thoughts are not original.
have heard them said by many people in
various places, and no doubt many of
you gentlemen have thought the same
things. Now why can't souvenirs be
made locally? The answer is that they
can. I believe that you can augment
local income very materially and at
the same time offer tourists more salts
factory souvenir articles by encouraging
local manufacture
I have examined souvenirs in many