The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-10-10
Country Editor
Brings Business
To Home Town
BY JOHN E. STEMPEL
Professor of journalism Indiana
University.


University.
Sure" said Ed Thrasher, the
druggist in Jonesville, population
1900, "this is a live town-nice
back, nice stores"
II suppose the bank held up pretty
well during the DEPRESSION" I asked
as selected the cigar I had dropped
In to buy.
"We almost lost it." replied Ed.
would have, too, if Bill jerks
hadn't got out and raised the money
to open it again."
Bill jerks was my reason for COM
ing to Jonesville. I didn't know
him, but I wanted to meet this edi-
tor whose paper recently had won
an award for public service. I re-
called as / drove into Jonesville over
fine highway that the highway was
there because he had assailed the
old road with its dangerous turn
into town repeatedly until the local
folks massed before the state high
way commission and demanded &C
ton.
Business been pretty good here?"
/ asked Ed.
1--WE used to complain some," Ed
replied, until one day Bill asked a
bunch of us what kind of drummer
we liked to buy from. We got to
thinking about it, and agreed he had
to have what we wanted, he ought
to smile little and he ought to be
neat, even if his clothes wasn't ex-
actly for afternoon tea. Bill just
asked us how some of the women
folk liked buying from us when we
looked so sour and didn't have pep
enough to keep our stores clean.
Merchants Club Next.
"We took the hint. Then some
one mentioned a merchants club,
and Bill printed piece about what
a club like that could mean. Next
week we had a set of officers from
him to print, and we've been work
ing together since. Next week is our
Fall Prevue. All the farm folks
will be in town. We fixed up to park
the cars-yes, that's Bills idea, too
and to entertain 'em with music
in the park"
"How long have you had the
park?"
"Oh, couple of years. Bill told
in the paper one day about the new
park at Midwife and another time
he mentioned how unsightly the
creek was. We got the land donated
and got it fixed up, and now the
farmers like to rest there when
they're in town shopping and a lot
of them come in for the band con-
certS." W15E
Town band?"
''Not exactly. Mostly it's a high
school band. We've got a nice
school. too. We used to hear the
principal talk about how crowded
the old school was, but we didn't
pay much attention to him until Bill
started writing pieces about it.
Then we got a new building, and
Bill showed us how we could use it
not only to educate kids but for all
kinds of meetings. It's brought us
a lot closer. together, and it's
brought lot of our neighbors from
the country into town for basketball
games and school plays and farm
meetings. They kinda feel as though
they belong here now. Sure, they
read about these things in The Cou-
rier and come to town."
And the Farmers.
"How are the farmers doing?"
"Pretty good. They were kinda
stand-ofish toward the county agent
for long time, but Bill kept tell
ing about how nice it would be to
spend less time raising what they
were and raising it better. Then
these All clubs he helped organize
sort of taught the dads and MONS
something, too"
GLOW are taxes?"
''Kinda high, but nothing to what
they were for a spell. We weren't
paying much attention to the town
reports printed regular in the Cou-
rier until Bill asked one day why
it ought to take $3.50 worth of coal
to heat the town hall. Then Bill
asked some more questions. Now
we're getting our moneys worth for
our taxes, and the town hall itself is
all cleaned up, just like our stores. +"
Just then a lad came in, and Ed
looked as though he would like to
go. I said good-by, and he re-
marked:
81 generally amt in hurry to 60
to lunch when George gets back, but
I read in the Courier this morning
that old Aunt Liz is pretty sick-no,
she amt my aunt, but she has been
good to a lot of us for 70 years and
I thought would drop by to see if
I could help her out any,"
Meeting Bill jerks.
And went on down the street to
meet Bill jerks, who for Is years
has been chronicling the births and
deaths, the comings and goings, the
good fortune and i'll of Jonesville,
and who has helped the farmers
have more leisure and made them
better acquainted with town folks,
brought good highways, and encour-
aged safe use of those highways,
and now is working on a program
to guard the health and keeping his
eye on the light rate and govern
ment expenditures.
Show me live town, and I'll find
a live newspaper and a live editor.
Jonesville is one of them, and Bill
jerks is on his toes. He's but one OF
10000 whose weekly newspapers are
helping make their towns better