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A weekly symposium upon inter
esting questions, of representative
opinions held within the communi
ty of our readers. These opinions
are selected solely upon the basis
of their general value or special
interest, without reference to the
editorial views or policy of this
newspaper,
But His Reasons Are Numerous,
Sound and Pleasant
to Hear.
s
BY ST. ELMO MASSENGALE.
If T am hesitant about unswcring(
the question you have asked me, here
are just a few of the reasons: ‘
In the first place, we have the most
2 |
wonderful climate in the world, |
Second, we are the geratest railroad
center in the South.
Third, our geographical location for
distribution of goods, mail, etc., is
unexcelled.
Fourth, we are not dependent on
any one industry or one line, of busi
ness., We do not depend, for instance,
on a cotton market, as many other
Southern cities do. We do not de
pend on a river, and whether it is
flooded or not. We do not depend
on steel or coal or any other one
thing, therefore we have no great de
pression or great boom.
Fifth, we have great office buildings
packed and filled with men brought
here from every section of the United
States, We have workers here—men
of the brainy character, men of abil
ity from the North, South, East and
West, having headquarters for the
Southeast, covering a great many
States—insurance, machinery, films,
clectric apparatus. We are leaders in
so many of these lines and have the
control for the entire Southeast. This
malkes our population one of a very
high class, generally speaking. We
have a cosmopolitan class of business
men, not only those wheg have come
here from every little Southern town,
but those from the large Eastern and
Western cities, making our social as
well as busines affairs very far above
the average.
Sixth, we are the distribution cen
ter for the entire Southeast, having
warehouses of every description here
for the storage of all classes of goods
t? be distributed, particulariy auto
mobiles,
Seventh, the wonderful co-opera
tion of our citizens toward anything
that builds up the city. We may
have factional politics; we may not
agree on the school system; we may
differ between ourselves about ‘how
rotten the streets arc or whether we
ought to own the street car company
or electric lighting plant and various
otrer differences. We can squabble
among ourselves in a friendly way,
but let a_ Federal Reserve Bank, a
I"ederal penitentiary, a Government
warehouse, a military camp; in fact,
any big thing look anywhere towards
the South and we go after it and get
together and we land it.
[2ighth, we have built a recal city.
The men of this town are not stingy.
We have a class of men who are will
ing tc go into their pockets and put
up something for Atlanta’s good.
L.ook at our Auditorium and other
public buildings—Dbig things that we
have lin Atlanta that other cities
haven’t, because the people are will
ing to give,
Ninth, look at our newspapers! We
have thre or the greatest newspapers
without a question in the country.
They pull together on everything for
the good of the. town.
Tenth, our men are boosters, in
stead of knockers. If anybody out
side of town starts to knock this town
he is in trouble right away if there
is an Atlanta man anywhere near him,
We never knock-—we always boost,
To sum it all up, I want to say
that, of course, the greatest civic as
set is the Atlanta spirit, which is
indomitable, unquenchable and will
last forever. When Sherman burned
the city during the Civil War and left
nothing, the Atlanta spirit began re
building and nothing has stopped it
so far and nothing ever will,
9! 7
MACON’S MAYOR
MACON, May 20.—“The greatest
civie asset any city can have is its
schools and churches,” declared
Mayor G. Glen Toole, of Macon, when
asked what he thought was Atlanta’s
greatest civic asset.
“In the case of Atlanta this surely
must be true. It is certainly so in
Macon, where there are no finer
schools anywhere and where are
always largely attended. Newspapers
are a great civic asset, but, I believe,
are not as important to any com
mynity as a church or school.
“I have mever. heard of a com
munity of 300 or more in the United
States that did not have a school or
a church, It seems that these insti
tutions are absolutely necessary, for
the uplift of a community, and, there
fore, are the indisputable chief civic
sssets. Newspapers contribute their
share to a large extent in building up
a 4 community because they keep the
inhabitants informed and interested.
“] am not as ‘well up’ on Atlanta
as I am on Macon, which I think is
the greatest place in the South and
will be one of its leading cities. Its
progress has been marked during the
last few years. It will continue to
arow and prosper. Atlanta should
4o the same thing. At all times both
cities may bear this in mind, that
without good churches and good
schnnls progress would be impos
sible.”
afel2 N RNEN T R
N EENT Ry
What Is Atlanta’s Greatest Civic Asset?
THIS TOWN IS |
“GO-GETTER!"
> '
You ask me, “What is Atlanta's
greatest asset?”
If 1 were an author, instead of a
plain business man, I could write a
book upon the merits and achieve
ments of Atlanta, and yet not have
enough pages. Still, in the end, I
would have to answer your guestion
as I shall here:
It is the enterprise and civic
patriotism of her people.
I am not forgetting Atlanta’s
splendid climate. I am not forgetting
that Atlanta has made herself the
acknowledged center of one of the
most productive iron, coal, agricul
tural and manufacturing regions of
the country. lam not forgetting that
her railroad facilities exceed those of
any city south of the Mason and
Dixon line; that the Southern head
quarters of more national corpora
‘tions are in Atlanta than anywhere
else; that her bank clearings top, from
time to time, even those of New Or
leans; that even Eastern newspapers
are forming the habit of referring to
Atlanta as “The New York of the
South.” The point I agm making is
that we must look behind achieve
ments for the thing that brought
them.
With the exception of the climate
and geographical position God gave
her, everything Atlanta has she has
gone out and won for herself.
This town is the original ‘“go-get
ter!”™
Atlanta business has always sought
the widest possible territory for its
field. Within her bo\rders, not only a
policy of live and lét live, but help
the other fellow to live, prevails
Always striving to better the city
within herself, her people are still so
lthomughly loyal and proud of her
good points that their boosting spirit
has become proverbial from one ocean
to the other. The result is that At
lanta is always advancing, both with
in herself and before the world.
Atlanta’s greatest asset is “The At
llama Spirit!” .
BIRMINGHAM'S
AN INTERVIEW BY TOM AKERS
WITH DR. N. A, BARRETT,
President of the Birmingham City
Commission.
Atlanta's chief civic asset is her
citizenship, whose loyalty in boosting
their community and supporting home
industries is proverbial, in the opin
ion of Dr. N. A. Barrett. ’
“Perhaps I should have said that
Atlanta’s chief civic asset is that
thing whiah has come to be famous
throughout the South as ‘the Atlanta
spiriti®
“Wherever you find a citizen of At
lanta you find a man loyal to the com
munity in which he lives: forever and
eternally boosting Atlanta as the
finest place in the world. This boost
ing spirit is not fictitious, either, but
genuine in its whole-souled belief in
itself, It is from ‘the Atlanta spirit’
that the Georgia capital has deriveg
results of incalculable benefit.
“In patronizing home industries,
~tlanta teaches a lesson which it
would be well for every city in the
South to learn. There you will find
home enterprises given immediate and
lasting preference from the largest to
the smallest.
“We hear a lot about Atlanta being
a bragging center and we #re prone to
joke about the “hot air™* that is sup
posed to be peddled by Atlanta citi
zens regarding their home town, but
we can not get away from the fact
that Atlanta citizens believe the thing
they say and that this supreme con
fidence in the excellence of their own
home institutions has been of more
benefit than any other one thing we
know of.
“It would be a wise thing if every
community ambitious of success
would follow the example set by At
lanta's residents, for undoubtedly
their pride in their city and its in
stitutions has done more to make
Georgia’s capital a great business and
financial center than anything else
upon which one may put his finger.
“Atlanta has won because of the
‘Atlanta spirit."”
THE NEXT QUESTION:
SHOULD THERE
BE GREATER |
STANDARBDIZATION |
' OF DRESS FOR ‘
' WOMEN? j
Uniforms, wild styles, the or
ganization of business and proses
sional women, the high cost of
clothing, and other factors have
brought attention to this query.
which is not as new as it may
g seem.
Both men and women of promi
' nence. whose opinions are of e
{ pecial interest through their voca
g:im\,\, will discuss it in the next
? American Forum.
e AAAAN AAP IIP
HEARST'S SUNDAT AMERICAN — A Newspaper for People Who Think — “UNDAY, MAY =3, 1919
LET- US HEAR MORE OF THE i
l GOOD OLD ATLANTA SPIRIT
By MELL R. WILKINSON
President of the President’s Ciub.
What is Atlanta’s greatest civic
asset?
A difficult question to answer of a
city which possesses so many mate
rial advantages peculiar to herself—
climate, geographical location, rail
road facilities, acknowledged financial
and business leadership, etc.
| The answer, however, lies not in
these things. The answer is a phrase
which has fallen much into disuse
within the past few mbnths. Atlanta’s
greatest asset is “THE ATLAITA
SPIRIT.”
That is not merely a slogan. That
is the name of a definite thing—the
name of a quality of citizenship
which has brought to Atlanta most of
her advantages, and which must not
Le forgotten if she is to continue
l er glorious progress.
The Atlanta spirit is the faculty
and the willingness of her citizens
and her newspaper to “pull together™
always for Atlanta, regardless of pri
vate interests they may have to sac
rifice upon the altar of civic loyalty.
Some time ago there appeared in
all the newspapers a series of bulie-,
tins which many considered harmful
‘ i //’ L
3 R TR el te S VRGN RN R
‘ 4 “IT'S THE ATLANTA SPIRIT!' By
Upon a time, in a southern clime,
§\) % There ruled a marvel queen,
: / i With beaming grace upon her face,
‘ %/4‘ And fair and regal mien.
\d With loyal zest, tradition-blest,
\ A : For the noble things of old,
\ ' : ’ Her youthful heart still ruled the mart,
N§‘@ ¢ v And filled her land with gold.
'’‘ «[ ’ The muses shone about her throne, ;
._ \ / > The workman built and thrived,
5 ‘ I\ B And in her court, through trade and sport, ’
;3 i < A ".:-; | 9 Sweet courtesy survived.
f} "/ Some lords, one day, and guests, they say,
2 )\ ( / X Were met in praise to state
—""'"“"‘"""""""'"'“ ! The single thing above all things
4 , JRTARSLARAY , ; That made the queen so great.
g fl '-"""."::: A: “ ‘‘Her beauty? No, for others show |
i / “ As fair a face as she!
( N 1 B Her riches? Aye, but pass them by—
“z{l, e hi She shares them lavishly!
TR 0 0 A ey 2
“Q" i'_"'.',_li..-.."", T ‘“‘Her conquests past aside we cast,
T'l S - '-,'-_. 4 | And each material thing;
B ‘.-',2'l3.,":_‘;;‘s‘ o """' N B We seek the source that rears the force
.';f} - R , ; Of love her people bring
SNt ““The thing alone that serves alone
3 i To win her every goal—
-1 B The gift of fate that makes her great—
-7z 7 Ah! ’'Tis Milady’s soul!"’
AN na— V. V.
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e NI e W ¢ awe. i TS &S
AND DON’T FORGET OUR SENSE OF HUMOR!
By JESSE M. LITTLETON,
Atlanta’s chief civic asset is faith—
the faith of the Atlanta men and
women in the future of their city.
Meet an Atlanta man on the Pull-j
man or in the day coach on the W. &
A., the Southern, the Central of Geor
gia, or 2ny other railroad syvstem, and
in five minutes after you get on
speaking terms with him he is boom
ing Atlanta, booming its hotels, prais
ing its newspapeMs, giving a glowing!
description of its hospitals, telling
what wonderful eating houses and de
partment stores it has and regaling
the innocent bystanders with the
high character of its citizenship gen- |
erally. No matter the importance, or
lack of importance, of the average
man you meet from Atlanta, he is a
booster for the Gate City. He is}
prond of ¢ \sl y ‘citizen in the city; in}
love with it® institutions and \\'undflrs‘
why any real man can ve Mx'morf
sway from the wonderfu! place thani
Maiarietta. '
The women are the same. An Al
lanta woman, if she posscssces .'»n’nr-’
age loyalty and patriotjsm, does no:l
to the city, They were printed in
the form of advertisements and
brought much revenue to the news
papers.
A committec of citizens got to
gether and appealed tn the papers,
purely upon the ground of civic
‘patriotism, to stop the publication of
these advertiséments. And thougn
the ban they imposed may hove cost
‘much money, the newspapers did
cease their publication at once,
That iliustrates the Atlanta spirit.
‘ It is easier to lean than to work, to
‘tear down than build up.
~ Let us not take the easy way, but
put our shoulders to the wheel in an
effort to reunite the citizens of At
lanta, so that with united front we
can go forward and maintain our
position as the financial and commer
cial center of the Southeast,
We all love Atlanta, We are proud
of what she has done. We are will
ing to continue to work for her up
building.
Then let us get together and quit
knocking everything and everyboay.
We have not lost the Atlanta spirit
—we just forgot it for awhile. We
will see more of it if we hear more
of it.
nretend to believe that grand opera is
put c¢n anywhere except in Atlanta.
She believes that the actors and ac
tresses who spend months rvhenraiingi
in a language that no one of their|
many auditors understands, do it all}
for the special and exclusive emer-g
tainment of Atlanta people: and she
praises the spirit of hospitality of the
Atlanta people in allowing the rural
vokels, people from Macon, Jackson
ville and Savannah, to enjoy the soul
stirring gibberish.
Atlanta newspapers are the same in!
‘their constant loyalty, their feverisht
enthusiasm for their city. Recently I,
read in an Atlanta paper 4 wn-lme;
press dispatch from a Texas town, |
telling of the shooting in that \\’pflb{
ern purg of a negro. The negro was
a laborer ‘without a family. and, ur;
course, without friends Ordinarily
the incident would not have been;
mentioned or published outside of the!
eounty in which it happened But ini
this case the negro was a former
residen: of At'anta, unknown rn'
more than a half a hundred people
anywhere, but he had lived in At-|
LET PEOPLE DO JUST HALF
OF WHAT GOD DID FOR HER
By CLARK HOWELL,
Lditor-in-Chief of The Atlanta Con
stitution,
You ask my opinion as to Atlanta’s
greatest civic asset,
My reply is-—her climate and Its
health-giving attributes, growing out
of the city's superb location, and mak
ing it a pleasant place in which to live
the vear round.
If the people had done half as much
for their city as God Almighty has
done in the bestowal of His bounte
ous blessings, Atlanta would today be
a city of more than a half million—
and as it is, the city is on the road to
that figure and will reach it in another
census after next year's,
The trouble {s that we have been
content to accept what God so boun
tifully gave us as being sufficient, and
we have not done our part in supple
menting His benefactions,
Situated *in the heart of the South,
more than a thousand feet above sea
level—with the waters falling on her
streets runnimg on one side into the
Gulf of Mexico and on the other into
the Atlantic Ocean-—at the highest al
titude of any city of her size in Amer
ica, this side of the Rockies—the
meeting place of the winds that come
from phe Blue Ridge and the Cumber
lands, with those that blow from the
lanta, and tha Atlanta newspapers
carried the item under heavy black
headlines, as follows:
| “ATLANTA NEGRO SHOT IN
I TEXAS."” i
{ See the force and tact of the adver
| tisement? There is not much sensa
{mm in the publication that a negro
{ has been shot, for, unfortunately, wo‘
i many of them are needlessly made
the targets of the ever-ready pistol ufl
the bad man, from Sandy FFord or
Hicks Creek; there is not much to
stir the blood in the announcement
I that “An Atlanta Negro sias Been
1 Shot,” for that city has suffered with‘
| its sister cities in the South in fur
;ni.-:hina. now and then, a victim for
! the ignorant and vicious who so
{lizhily value the life of a negro: but
the headline, “Atlanta Negro Shot in
;Texas” “mplio-s that the negzro was
perhaps Ywisting the tail of a buffalo |
i and was probably shot by “Comman- |
{ che Bill' or “Terrible Tim;"” and it iß]
inm every colored miin who can die|
with two such glorious things to his
'n-rmlit-mli\'infl in Atlanta and heing
shot by a desperado in the Golden‘
| West!
ocean—Atlanta ought teo be the
healthiest city in the world, and its
health record is really phenomenal
It is this record, this locatjon, this
condition that makes the city com
fortable for living the year round that
kos made Atlanta the great industrial
capital of the South and that is bring
ing here the general Southern head
quarters of almost every great Amer
jcan business institution,
And it ig these things combined that
will give the city a population of a
half million within the next ten years
—if Atlanta will only do her part,
There is much to be done, but the
way is easy. Courage is the only
thing that is lacking—the courage
that will enable the city to grasp and
wrestle with her problems, and settle
them like other cities, similarly situ
ated, have done.
It will take money to do it, but no
American city of Atlanta's size is in
anything like ag good a financial con
dition as Atlanta.
We have played the part of the
municipal miser long enough.
It is time to turn loose.
We owe it not only to this, but to
following generations.
If we will just halfway back na
ture up in what she has done for At
lanta, it won't be long before Atlanta's
million mark is in sight.
Yes, it is faith, honest faith; and
loyalty, which is born of faith. That
is Atlanta’s chief civic asset, and it is
wortih more to a ecity than all the
boards of trade or chambers of com
merce,
This spirit. of Atlanta loyalty is
80 marked and remarkable that the
gign posts on the highways leading to
'lhv Gate City do not read 3 miles %r 4
miles to Atlanta, but 3 miles and 4
miles from Atlanta!
It is said that a loyal Atlanta wom
an whose attention had never heen
directed to the mile posts in the
country adjacent to the Eternal City.
drove out a year ago to see where the
Dixie Highway honored itself hy en
tering the corporate limits, Getting a
mile out, she observed a mile post
marked “1 M FROM ATLANTA
| Mistaking the “1'" for an “1,” and sup
ivnsin:: it was a monument to some
' humble citizen who had heen buried
there, she enthusiastically exciaimed:
. “What a glorions sentiment on that
' good man’s tomb; I'm from Adianta!”
' It is the Atlanta way--it is fafth:
and with such faith Atlanta, in the
SUBSTANTIAL
. \
BY FORREST ADAIR.
I am asked to say what 1 consider
to be Atlanta's best asset and natu
rally you imagine 1 am going imme
diately to answer “her climate,” be
cause we have never had an epidemic
and, while about 165 miles from the
sen, we are about 1,200 feet above it,
The air is rarified and nights in sum
mer cool, making it absolutely unnec
essary to take a summer vacation.
W hile | admit all that may be said
about our wonderful climatic condi
tions, 1 would not select them for first
place.
~ Your guess may be our splendid
railroad facilities,and you, of course,
think of the fact that a business man
may leave Atlanta at night and
preakfast next morning either in
Charleston, Savananh, Brunswick,
Jacksonville, Mobile, New Orleans,
Memphis, Louisville, Cincinanti, Ashe
ville or in Virginia, thereby making
us the very eenter of the railroad sys
tems of the Southeast, and that this
fact is the cause of Atlanta's selec
tion as headquarters for nearly every
out-of-town concern doing business
in this section. But you are wrong
again, as 1 would not award to the
railroads first place.
Some of you may suppose
that I would select the pub
lic utilities and mention the
fact that there are only two places
in America where you can ride fur
ther for 6 cents and ride, too, on cars
that are manned by the most cour
teous and efficient motormen and
conductors to be found anywhere,
You would also mention the fact that
electrical current for manufacturers
can-be secured here at a cheaper rate
than in any city in the United States,
save one or two. My failure to award
the public utirities first place is not
because 1 am influenced by the fact
that it seems to be popular to jump
on them, but because I happen to
have in mind another asset which is
greater. 1
Now you think you have got me,
and your guess is that time-worn ex
pression, “Atlanta Spirit.” This is,
indeed, a most wonderful asset—the
spirit which is one of co-operation
and service. Our people may differ
on subjects of national or local poli
tics; they may differ on religion; they
may be of many minds on prohibi
tion, beer and wine or woman suf
frage, bus when some leader blows
the horn and asks leading citizens to
meet on a matter of service, the re
sponse is spontaneous and her citi
zens give liberally of their time and
means in service, not only of the city,
but of the State, of the South and the
nation.
However, you are wrong again, and
I am inclined to think I would give
the Atlanta spirit not higher than
second place.
The first place, I think beyond ques
tion, belongs to the confidence that
Atlantans have in Atlanta. In other
cities, even in the South, the business
and the buildings that can be pointed
to with pride, have, in a large meas
ure, been built by outside people, but
such is not the case here. |
Every office building in Atlanta has
been erected by Atlanta citizens and
is now owned by them. Every hotel
and every theater in Atlanta was built
and is now owned by an Atlanta man
I can not think of a single maufac
turig or industrial enterprise that was
not built by Atlanta people, and I
think it is true that the majority
holding in every enterprise of that
kind is now in the hands of Atlanta
people, and right here it might be well
to note that no city of our size that
I have any knowledge of, has a great
er diversity in manufacturing. |
Fortunately our people have never
been strong on bonds or fluctuating
stock as an investment. Their belief
being in Atlanta, they know their
faith is well founded and make their
investments accordingly. |
Certain it is to my mind that this
CONFIDENCE should be regarded
as Asset No. 1!
HER REPUTATION;
J
WE SHOULD LIVE
\
UP TO IT BETTER
By WALTER C. HILL,
President of the Ad Men's Club.
The favorable regard with which
Atlanta is held both at home and
abroad is one of its great civic as
sets. *I like to live in Atlanta” or
“l would like to live in Atlanta” are
familiar expressions to all Atlantans.
Atlanta has been well advertised, and
the attitude of favor with which the
city is regarded far and near is an
asset which we should build on, and
guard properly, lest its home-building
and population-increasing power be
lost to us.
That there is danger that this great
asset might be quickly lost is felt by
many who read daily the stories that
go out about our schools, our streets,
our garbage dumps and the policy of
our city government to retrench in
stead of expand with the growing
needs of the city.
A recent visitor, a gentleman of
wide travel and experience, said to
me: “I expected to like your city, for
I bad always heard such good reports
of Atlanta.” Later he commented on
the brisk and busy manner of the
people, the many signs of prosperity
and the great number of people and
automobiles on the strects. He drew
a sharp and favorable contrast to
some other Southern cities, and asked
me to tell him the cause for this
very apparent difference. I spoke of
the happy combination of latitude and
altitude that gave us a perfect cli
mate; then of our splendid citizenry
and of the Atlanta spirit Which does
things.
' This was interesting, but did mot
satisfy. He asked me some questions
]:ih(;ut our park system, playgrounds
and civie eenters, He wanted to know
abcut our street-cleaning svstem, the
'pullic comforts and rest rooms--he
finally wanted to know in what way
next twenty vears, will be referred t-vi
throughout the country as the largest |
and most progressive city south of
the north line of Dixie—except, ut’l
course, CHATTANOOGA,
Today, the views of:
FORREST ADAIR.,
WALTER C, HILL.
CLARK HOWELL.
ST. ELMO MASSENGALE,
MRS. WM. LAWSON PEEL.,
HARRY L. SCHLESINGER,
MELL R, WILKINSON.
Also the president of the Bir
mingham City Commission and the
Mayors of Chattancoga and Macon.
CLIMATE, SAYS
’ MRS. PEEL, AND
; aolbe,
. . . .
City Beautifui Committee Presi
\ .
~ dent Gets in Some Tell
| ing Blows, )
By MRS. WILLIAM LAWSON PEEL,
President of the City Beautiful Com
mittee,
When asked what is the chief asset
of Atlanta, I believe the reply would
be in nine cases out of ten, “Her
clirate.”
Situated on the piedmont esecarp
ment, among the foothills of the Blue
Ridge, Atlanta has a greater altitude
than any city in the United States of
more than 100,000 inhabitants, with
the single exception of Denver,
As a rule, we have nine full months
of life in the open, and people from
all parts of the country find here a lo
cation removed from the blighting
cold of winter as well as the tropic
heat of cities less fortunately situated.
When it rains, all the water that
falls in Atlanta is divided by Peach
tree street, part emptying into the
gull, part into the ocean, thus show
ing that this celebrated thoroughfare
is recognized even in cloudland!
In the past we have banked almest
exclusively upon this asset, to the det
riment of many others. We have been
cortent to let nature do it all. Some
of us think the time has come when
we must assit nature by doing a little
for ourselves. We are bound by the
same laws and conditions that pre
vai'ed here 50 years ago, without rec
ognizing any expansion except that of
values and population. We will be
compebed to realize that “the world
do move.” That is the law of life—
that things must adapt themselves or
perish,
Many people think it unpatriotic to
call attention to our defects, but that
\r:nh(-r it is best to cover up and hide
the festering sore in the body politic
until thaw whole fabric is rotten. Ido
not agree with them. Better every
tirme the fearless scalpel of the sur
geon, which removes the cause.
While, as Mrs. Malaprop would say,
\“('nmp;uisons are odorous,” we have
only to look around at the splendid
streets and schools of other cities to
see how far we are behind the pro
cession. Take Florida, for instance,
a State perhaps considered as far
from up to'date as any in the Union,
and where it was considered by many
that with the passing of Plant and
Flagler all progress would receive a
death blow. Not so. To one returning
after absence of a few years, the
changes seem unbelievable. Every
little town and hamlet is blooming
like a rose, radiant with paint and
neatness and nicely paved streets.
And the cities are even more won
derful—thrift is seen everywhere.
Ocala is a great commercial center,
being the market for nearly the whole
citrus production of the State, yet
notwithstanding the bmsy marts of
trade, its residence sections are care
fully preserved and beautified, the
streets as fine and as clean as are
to be found.
In Tampa a few years ago the coan
ty issued $400,000 “good roads bonds.”
In two years they issuel $750,000 of
“prosperity bonds.” This year they
have just floated a million-dollar
“victory bond.” Their streets are
bovlevards for miles and miles and
mi'es. Their public buildings are
splendid and their schools are as fine
and up to date as can be found.
In Jacksonville the streets are well
paved and immaculately clean. I ven
ture the assertion that you find more
waste paper in one block on White
hall or any other street in Atlanta
than in the whole city of Jackson
ville,
All Atlanta needs is to wake op and
expand and live up to her poor owver
worked climate!
'tho Atlanta spirit manifested itself.
He had an afternoon tor spare and
' asl.ed me what he could see that
would be distinctive of the ecity. T
took him to the Cyclorama, and he
asled again about the “Atlanta spir
it, which does things,” and inquired
| why such a civic treasure was allowed
to remain in such a state of dipali
dation.
! took him out Peachtree and he
commented on the losing fight be
tween beautiful avenues of trees and
| the construction of automobile show
rooms and apartment houses. He was
impressed that we were destroying a
natural boulevard of exceptional
beauty for which we would probably
be more than willing to pay many
millions of dollars to have through
the heart of our city some day. We
|wvnt through Ansley Park and out
Ponce Del.eon. He was charmed with
the beautiful homes and evidences of
wealth, but more impressed with the
bad conditions of the streets over
which we bumped our way.
Atlanta did not make good with this
casiial visitor. He came prepared ta
be pleased, but suffered the dreadfuvl
pal. of reaction. The surface evidencad
of a delightful city was missing. HSB
questioned me about the form and ef
ficiency of our city government, and
asked again how the Atlanta spirit
' wonld stand for these conditions.
[ The power of Atlanta's good adver
' tising has been lost on this man. Ha
went away feeling that Atlanta is fa»
hebind, instead of well in the lead. of
progressive efties,. When we multipiv
this effect by the thousands wio
. come here very month and add to that
(the unfavarable impressions carried
in our daily prods, we mav well won
| der if it f 8 not time for the “Atl ntn
spirit” to muster a movement that
will not only correct the evils that ava
| heve, but do. the manv thines that
Inwd to he done far ‘he ncanle who
i make up this great lad erowing eity.
3E