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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1921)
RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF " . . g M .. .. II! 1 9, uur Chance foMe Homfffi !OWR jdUEWm:. .:S ft1.::: ;!:J3JI1I T5Ae AMERICAN LEGION (Copv for Thla Department Supplied by " American Lor Ion News Service ) 3 CONGRESSMEN FORM BODY By JOHN F. THORNTON, JR. (From the American Doy, Detroit). 1M:mi:.UM:K distinctly tho porting words of my old schoolmaster that Juno morning my class graduated. "Wliut nro you fellows going to do now''' he nskod. "I suppose every one here has several Ideas of what he would like to he Hut torlng nrouud In his head. lt'rf pretty hard to decide between them on a day like this when the llsh nre biting up In 'Old Sandy.' ".My advice to each one of you Is to get your ilshlng pole and entry tlie question along with you. Near the shores of 'Old Sandy' you will Had schools of polllwogs. Learn a lesson from them. "These pollluogs nre on their way to froghood. You fellows nre on your way to manhood, ltut the jiolllwogs arc not In any particular hurry. 1 don't think you'll Mud them trying to leap around mid lift their voices like frogs. As n matter of fact they fe going to assume several different bhnpos he fore they settle down into froghood. For tlio present-, however, they nre content to go right on feeing polllwogs. "You fellows are In the polllwog stage. Your powers and nullities nre only half revealed. Look around before you decide what you want to ho or lo. In a few years you may become aware of qual ities In your mnkeup whose existence you never suspected. At the same time, abilities that you think you now possess may fade uway. Take your time, lou may save yourself from the fate of n .xulsllt. You've heard of them the doctors nre un Iinppy because they nre not lawyers, thechemlsts who would be of more service to the world as newspaper men." , I have passed on these wise words to mnny boys. An1 J pass them on now with n new application to the sniull-town boy who dreams of achiev ing success In the city. Ills jnlnd Is crammed with Ilorntlo Alger, Jr., etuff. lie bns read the picturesque life stories of some of our big men who left the farm for the city. The whistles of a locomotive among the hills makes him yearn for the city, bristling with op portunities. He looks upon the glistening rails as the one nvenuo to his opportunity. Ho Is short-sighted. A few years ago, a big city was tlio plnco for u up-and-coming young mnn. It needed him, nnd It was prepared to reward him with money and po sition. Today, however, the story Is reversed. "America has grown too fast," say our deep think ing economists nnd publicists. "She has spread lierself thinly over, a lnrge nren. The futuro of the country He3 In Its undeveloped small cities 4ind towns." Are you looking for opportunity? Examine thnt JIttle old "one-boss" town of yours, before you tlilnl; of buying n one-wny ticket from it. There nre many ambitious, nnd very wise, young men who nre deliberately leaving the larger cities and moving Into towns such as yours. A few months ngo I visited a country store In a typical small town of the West. The owner Is n 3'oung man. Ten years ag tie left the town and went to Chlcngo for a "real Job." But he had not worked long before he realized that It would bo manyyears before he could get tho kind of Job I10 wanted. There were opportunities for fore men, managers, superintendents and other "bosses." Hut they vere purely administrative Jobs, lie wanted to create and build up a busi ness of his own Tho death of his father called him home to care (or ids mother, nnd lie got n Job in a general store of the town. It wns n terrible grind. The work Itself wns wot back breaking. But the dally round of little things to do the same dull routine, hour ofter hour, day nfter day, week nttcr week, got on lus nerves. Weighing out a bngful of this, wrapping up n handful of that it wns hard work simply because it was not interesting. Did tills young fellow settle down nnd wenr him self deeper nnd deeper Into the rut? Ho did not. Ile-simply begnn to look around to see if he could liven things up. He suggested to the owner thnt he advertise. "Advertlsel" snorted the owner. "What for7 Why p'tu I--cveryono 'round here knows we'ro Iiere. And open for business nil tho time., P'tu I 'And'cnrrylng almost anything In stock thnt they'll 'ever wnnt. Advertlsel What for? Ho suggested specializing. "Why not throw out some of these slow-moving articles and put in goods thnt sell more quickly?" "No," snld tho merchant. "Wo depend on tho farmers for tho bulk of our trade, nnd we've got to carry a general line a little bit of everything. INo p'tu I we'll go right on with our lino of staples." The next year the young mnn bought out tho old mnn and. started In to be n business-builder. His first reform was to get rid of half tho stock. Yon know what a collection of Junk the average 'country general store Is, with Us haunting odor of harness grease, calico, soda crackers, horse liniment nnd cheese. He had observed thnt tho women did most of the buying. So ho molded his store's service to meet their needs. He Investigated their buying hnblts. He learned thnt those who could afford to buy finery patronized tho largo city stores, or sent away to tho mall order houses. Tho young mnn visited the Jobbers and manu facturers In the city, no brought back a large consignment of lints, suits, dresses nnd other etyllsh things thnt women wear. Then ho fitted op a special department In the spaco from which be had thrown the gun oil and ten-penny nails nnd skunk traps nnd a lot of Other odds nnd ends. The other merchants of the town predicted ruin for the youngster. So did the banker of the com munity. "He'll never be able to compete with the city stores," he said. hut the young merchant surprised them. He pent letters to a list of prospective customers. The women's wear was sold in two weeks. I'rom that time on he gradually turned the old general store Into a women's and children's store. Ho did not specialize on clothing. But lie limited ills stock to those things in which a woman Is naturally Interested clothing and house furnish ings and groceries. And he advertises. That is one of the main rea sons for his success. The town alone could not support his store. One new business Idea he uses Is very effective, lie has appointed "agents" In the surrounding small towns. Their work is to report to him weekly, on printed forms, any In formation thnt will put him In touch with new customers. If a girl becomes engaged, or a couplo Is man-led, he knows ubout It, and Is ufter tho business that usually results from such events. Ho knows also whenever u new house Is built, or an old liouse Is remodeled, or u new family moves into his territory. In seven years this young mnn has built up a business that Is known for miles around. Seventy-live per cent of his business Is done with farmers and their families, who drive or motor In from points fifty miles away. Thnt Is the ren sou why, during the pnst year, he lins been uble to do a business of more than $780,000 In a town whose population does not run much over 2,000. Hundreds of small towns hold similar oppor tunities for young men. If ever there were "goldeu opportunities," small-town merchandising holds them today. For American farming Is fast becom ing a mighty fine paying business. Wealth Is ac tually Increasing fnster In the rural districts than in the cities. And the American farmer nnd his family nre no longer satisfied to exist on the very barest necessities of life. They nre buying lux uries and conveniences In large quantities. The introduction of electricity alone Into farming com munities is creating a tremendous demand for electric churns, washers, Irons, fans and vacuum cleaners. Water system, porcelain sinks, wall paper, paint and varnish, better house furnish ings these are only a few of the things that are selling heavily In the rural districts. An expert has figured that the American farm mnrket lias n weultli of SSO.000,000,000. Part of that market is nrouud you. The chain stores nro spreading out from the cities. The mall order houses have secured quite n hold on the farmer's trade. But if you decide to build up n business in your community you need not worry over their competition. The mull order houses give no bet ter values than it Is possible for n local merchant to give. And a man or womnn always prefers to trade with a friend whenever that Is possible. Tho young man with a capacity for friendship and a goodly share of brains nnd energy has every as surance of success In small town merchandising. But merchandising Is only one of several fields In which the Email town offers excellent oppor tunities. The president of ono of our big Pacific const banks devotes nn unusual amount of time to the development of his employees. One day he called 'two clerks into his private office. "I believe," he snld, "that you two young, men are going to make good nt banking. But you need n little broader experience with banking problems than your work here affords you. In a big plnco like tills, you know, you are liable to lose your senso of perspective. "I have mnde nrrangements with two of our cor respondents. There is a Job nwntting ench of you in n country bnnk. On these Jobs you will be called upon 'to do a little of everything. You will become banking factotums. When your edu cation Is completed there Is an executive position here for each of you. You have a week to think It over." The young men thought well of tho proposi tion, and dlsuppenred into the "bushes." But tho president's plans went awry. Neither man re turned to him. . One wrote bltn a long letter In which ho listed some of the advantages of a small-town 'Job over a city Job the cheaper living cost, the more healthful surroundings, and the chance to make more Intimate friends. The other man, In n telegram, quoted Cuesnr, according to Longfellow: "Better Jjo first In a little Iberian village than second In Borne." Tliere are something like thirty thousand banks In the United Stntcs. More than three-fourths of theso are situated In towns of less than ten thou sand population. It Is In these' small-town banks that mnny of our future banking leaders nre being formed, for hero a new Idea in bnnklng Is being developed. As ono banker hns said, It has been found good business to take interest In people as well as from them. In other words, tho bankers of the country nro going out of their ways to help their clients to grow richer. I could mention many Instnnccs of the rise of young men in the bnnklng world becnuso of their ability In this direction. But space permits of only one. In n certain Eastern farming community thcro were, n few years ngo, two banks. They were very strong competitors. A young man In ono of the banks said to the cashier: "There Is Just so much money In this community. Both banks here nre falling over ench other, try. Ing to lnduco"fnrmcrs to bring their business to them. Wo hnve a great, mnny good accounts al ready. Why not roll up our sleeves aud help our tl .V. ?, '!CC0I,le rIcllcr7 If noiwlcposltowL In t. f ,JP '? ,t,,,s ,ht'y ,mvu tUti ' argument in t he world for hrlnglng their accounts to us." erv Tn.S ,,C,ramf ,1,e co,"'"Itr Here hard work Wllhn r ,n,Icn,w,V "" tin.; had no leader. ?onI m W,.l,or,,h,,)- II opSnlol 11 "Fanners' J' 0l,.l,,e hnn' reeomnien-iatlon the farm. Br?,,, le Mn " .?M w"nT." thoroughly far r ,',,ll0,t",(,ry nnd practice of scientific ovr ,.' ?,,?1ft,,l,'rI fiovernn.e.if paid half tho trlvluu J ,,lIS "M" ,1,,ctor-" t "' tlmb traveling from farm to farm, niaTVng soli tests 1.11 . "f tIle f"r,,1L'rs roKardUij the product J mrt 1U'1 t0 ,llL'lr ncrcs' The ,mHk Purchased d,f VurvhTva cattle, selects by gov ernment dairy expert. These were' sold to tho runners at cost. ,?l'u l . wns u'reo-ycnrs Ko. Today, that com Ui!li. . "? f the most nrosPerouH rgrlcultural districts In the country. There in only ono bank. Juo business of the competing bank has been taken over by the "live" bank. TbO YOU II IT tniin In tirnaliliui n !. 1 1 onnK. no hns been offered a vice presidency In a largo city bnnk, with a salary doublo Uint which he now receives. He prefera to remnln In the bushes." He, too, would "rather bo first in a little Iberinu village than second In Row." On a trip Inst year through one of the richest agricultural sections of the Middle West, I was continually hearing the name of ono man. I call him Jim Ingalls because that Is not his name. Five yenrs ago he was nn overworked reporter on n big city dally. His work did not seem to bo getting him anywhere. There were half a dozen men ahead of him In the line for promotion, and the best that ho could hope for wus an assistant editorship In about ten years. When ids two-weeks vacation period rolled around, he made a trip through tho rural districts of his state. He did not return to the city. For In a little town he-found the subject of muny day dreams a run-down country newspaper for sale. And Into it he put every cent thnt ho had mnnnged to scrape together on Ills city Job. Not a very promising "baby," you Kay. But Jim Ingnlls had n vision of possibilities. The town wns In the henrt of n prosperous funning region that was well populated. Most of the farmers had n big city dally delivered at their gntes. There wns a growing community spirit among the county dwellers. Jim saw the need for u real community newspaper. The first thing thut lie did wns to Improve the appearance of the paper. Then he toured the county, und created a chnin of correspondents. Itullroud ngents, school teachers, doctors, lodge secretaries, Justices of the peace everyone In n positlou to gather news was supplied with sta tionery, and given free subscriptions. There were few who did not consider It a privilege to send In news Items. lie gave up foreign news entirely, lenvlng this to the city dallies. Ills news policy hns always been one of intensive reporting of the affairs of town nnd county. Ills correspondents pour In to him every week n steady stream of the gossip and vuiicnni 01 every namiet and crossronds village. If Farmer Porter's wife holds u pie social, she knows where she will find a full account of it, and her guests know where they can find their nnmes In ull the glory of print. Farmer Lnwler nnd his neighbors are Interested In the liny, grain and forage reports from up state. They look In Jim's paper for them. Ho keeps close tnbs on the developments nt tho couuty experimental fnrni, nnd nothing gets by him nt the meetings of the county agricultural societies. Tlio paper's circulation Is now nearly four times what It wns when he took It over, nnd it Is recog nlzed ns n valuable advertising medium. Jim no longer hns to worry over his Income. But ho has made more of his paper than n mere chatterbox of the county's gossip. He realizes that, In ills llttio newspaper, lie has u powerful tool. And ho uses It to encourage the dwellers of the county to carry out the Improvements which will add to tho comfort of nil, und make every town a better placo in which to live and bring up children. There tire openings for n great many more "Jim Ingnlls'." In tho United -States there nro nbout ten thousand centers of population whero news papers nre 'published. There nro nbout twenty flvo hundred dally newspapers, und nearly six times as mnny country weeklies. Our smnller communities are beginning to awaken. There Is Increased political nctlvlty with in their boundaries. And they need fearless, In dependent local papers. Which brings us to tho question of the small town boy and politics. Tho young man who plans to follow a political career enn do no better than to begin nt tho bot tom In his own village, township or county. 'By mixing In local nilnlrs ho will lenrn how to handle human nature. And ho will lenrn to bo practi cal. ' Let not the young man think thnt participation In smnll-town affairs will stunt his growth. If ho Is destined for larger things, a few years will find him, as a matter of course, functioning on a larger scale. And a record of things done tliat new school for Benver nollow, the park nt Four Corners, tho new municipal lighting plnnt, or the new railroad branch all will servo as recommen dations when he goes before the voters. Vetorans' Association Is Launched by Men Who Served In Va- rloug Wars. The old spirit of the A. 13. F. ond of America's wnr-tlmo nrniy, navy nnd marine corps broke out In the hnlls of the nation's congress In Washing- um me ouier day, when veterans of the World war who tire members of congress, Joined by members who served in the Civil nnd Spanlsh-Amer-Ican wars, held a big meeting and a regular feed at the University club and formed "Tho Veterans' nwn. tlon of the Sixty-seventh Congress." Two members of the United States sennte and IV members of tlio houso of representatives attended the dinner gathering which resulted In the orgun izntlon of tho congressional veterans Into a body. Twenty-six of the mem bers of the house of representatives In attendance were veterans of the World war and members of the American Le gion. Representative Henry Z. Os borne of the Tenth California district. a veteran of tho Civil war, acted ns toastmaster. Ho felicitated tho coun try uiMM the formntlon of flic Ameri can Legion, saying thnt ttm "vdts of '01" were wllllnjr and nrotid to turn tho rein of patriotic endenvor over to tho "boys of '17." In addition to choosing Congress man Boy O. Fitzgerald of Ohio, pres ident of tlio association, and Congress man John H. Rnnkin of Mississippi as secretary, nnd getting nwny with an elaborate course dinner billed In tho still fnmlllar doughboy French of "over there," the congressional vet erans listened to a careful explanation of the legislative nrocrnm of tho Amor- Icnn Legion la congress mado by John Thomas Taylor, vice chnlnnnn of the national legislative committee of the Legion, who was a special guest of honor nnd the only person present not a member of congress. Mr. Tnylor went Into detailed advocacy of tho consolidation, vocational training, hos pitalization nnd emergency officer re tirement bills proposed by the Legion. WAR ON LEGION BACHELORS Women's Auxiliary of 8unflower State Issues Ultimatum to Unmarried Ex.Servlce Fellows. War on bachelors hns been decinred In Kansas. Women of the Sunflower State contend that unattached men can't get along without them. In furtherance of the fight, Miss McCoy of Topekn, Department sec rotnry of the Women's Auxil iary of the American Legion Is spreading bron dcast tho battle cry: "No bachelor posts In Kansas." Every group of Leglonnnlres Is to have on Auxiliary, according to Auxiliary officials. "Who else can give you line homo cooking (with your banquets? Who else can straighten up the club liouse and give It a homelike appearance? Who knows more about service than the women?" tho propaganda rends. Legion prisoners captured In the Cam paign nro being treated to fried chicken, pies, cakes nnd darnings and patchings. Miss McCoy entered tho business world ns nn assistant In a Kansas bnnk. During the wnr sho Btepped Into a position vacated by a soldier, held It throughout hostilities and gnve It bnck to the doughboy when he came home. RAPID RISE FOR LEGION MAN Colonel 8haughnesss Careor Haa Been on the Upgrade Since H Was a Boy. When he wns In tho army, Cblonel Edward 11. Shaughnessy's carcr was on the uncrade. Now that he has relumed to civil life and Joined Fidelity post of tho American Legion In New York city, he hns voluntarily de moted himself from a $25,000 Jolt to one which pays $r,000 a year. Colonel Shnugh ncssy wns Induced by Postmaster Gen oral Will Hnys to aaerlfle hie posi tion ns nsslstiint director of the Amer ican Petroleum lnrnitaat, New Yoric city, to heconio second assistant post master general. "I understand yen've taken a ?5,000 n year Job," snld a correspondent who Interviewed him. "Does It nnv Mint?" ha nakw1 HIM forgotten to ask nbout tho salnry." The salnry is n minor consideration now, but It would hnve been different In the dnys when Colonel Shnughnossy worked ns a messenger boy In Chi cago. When ho wns 15 yenrs old he became ticket ngent nnd n yenr inter telegraph operator for the Chlcngo & Northwestern railroad. Successively he was chief operator, nsslstnnt train dispatcher, assistant trnlninnstcr nnd trainmaster. When tho superintend ent of the rond wns 111 ho took charge. Colonel Shnughnessy Joined the Thirteenth engineers ns first lleutcnnnt when the wnr br&ke out. Ho studied French until ho spoko It fluently, nnd worked up a book of rules ndnptln American methods to French practice. He wns promoted fast Pralso cam to him from Brig. Gen. George Van Horn Moseley, nsslstant chief of staff, for his work as superintendent of the transportation corps In the Chateau Thierry region, nnd ns general nuper Intcndent nt Is-sur-Tllle during tho St. Mlhlel and Mouse-Argonne offensive and as general manager In the zone of advance. General Pershing gave him tho Dis tinguished Service mednl "for cxcep tlonnlly meritorious nnd distinguished services." LEGION FLAG ADDS HISTORY Ex-Servlc Men's Emblem Now Proud ly Floats Where Five o'thera Held Sway. ' Tho American Legion flag will fly In n part of New Orleans that has been under flvo flags, for tlio city administration has turned, over a building in tlie heart of the ofd French quarter to posts of tho Legion for four years. Not far from tho Legion building Is tho Spanish Cablldo where the Spanish colors flew In the breezes from tlie Gulf of Mexco until they were re placed by tho French. Tho Louisiana Purchase In 1804 resulted In tho np pearunco of tho Sturs nnd Stripes on tho ramparts. In 1S12, tho British flag flow also In thnt vicinity for n few days. During the Civil war the Con federate colors waved proudly over tho southern city. When tho wounds of civil strlfo were healed the Stars and Stripes again reappeared. Tho Legion building will hnve an auditorium, offices nnd clubrooms. It will also house Louisiana department headquarters, the Legion employment and scrvlco bureau, local posts, the Women's Auxiliary headquarters and the Pellcannlre, official organ of tho Louisiana department. MADE LEGION DRIVE SUCCESS Dare Devil Louisiana Man Put Real Thrills Into Campaign for New Members. When Anthony Kelley was dis charged from the navy in New Or- leans, Ln., he found the life of a land lubber terribly devoid of thrill and peril. He had been going to sea since tho ago of fifteen and ho missed tho excitement of stormy nights In the dizzy heights of the crow's nest nnd hair-raising trips on tho ropes far above tho deck. With the start of a membership campaign of Hollln post of the Ameri can Legion In New Orleans, Kelley blossomed out ns a professional dare devil to assist his fellow Legionnaires In attracting attention. He climbed a flag polo atop the city hall, several hundred feet ubovo the pavement and rocked back and forth trying to break the pole. A net stretched below was all thnt was between the dnrlug Lo glonnnlro and Borne exceedingly hard terrain. Kelley was unable to break the flag pole, however. So ho sculcd nu eighteen-story building nnd hung from the coping by his toes. Film companies rushed camera men to take motlod pictures of tho feat and the Legion membership drive was a success. "None of it was as thrilling as tho four years and four months I wns In the war zone."v Kolley declares. He r ....... . , j yr Kelley Atop City Hall Fla Pole. wns plying between American and European ports when war was de clared, no entered the nfy as as ensign nnd was discharged te April, 101O. Ho continued ln service as an officer of tho Merchant Marine util December, 1020. Do Not Have to Pay Poll Tax. Backed by tho American Legion, a law providing for the registration of all ex-scrvlce men of all wars In the Btato of Montana was passed by the legislature. Tho new act exempts all ex-service men from payment of the poll tax and requires each county as sessor to keep a record of the name and organizations of all veterans with in his county. It Is expected that oth er states will take similar action aooa.