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A weekly symposium upon inter
esting questions, of representative
opinions held within the communi
ty of bur 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.
DIFFICULT ONE
|
.»4 . ” :
But His Reasons Are Numerous,
Sound and Pleasant
to Hear.
.+ BY ST. ELMO MASSENGALE.
If 1 am hesitant about answering
the question you have asked me, here
are just a few of the reasons:
. In the first place, we have the most
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
outhern cities do. We do not de
end on a river, and whether it is
ooded or not. We do not depend
n steel or coal or any other one
hing, therefore we have no great de
'o¥ession 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
f 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,
electric apparatus. We are leaders in
so many of these lines and have the
control for the entire Southeast. This
makes our population one of a very
high class, generally speaking. We
have a cosmopolitan class of business
men, not only those who have come
here from ewery little Southern town,
.t those from the large Eastern and
Western ecities, making oar social as
well as busines affairs very far above
the average. &
Pigth, we' are the distribution cen-
Lér for the entire ‘Southeast, having
warehouses of every description here
for the storage of all classes of goods
to be distributed, particularty auto
mobiles,
Seventh, the wonderful eco-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 are or whether we
~ought to own the street car company
"or electric lighting plant and various
_ otrer differences. Wegpcan squabble
'mong ourselves in a'friendly, way,
" but let a Federal Reserve Bank, a
. Federal penitentiary, a Government
" warehouse, a military camp; in fact,
_ any big thing look anywhere towards
Ftq South and we go after it and get
"together and we land it.
. Bighth, we have built a real city.
" The men of this town are not stingy.
. We have a class of men who are will
' ing to go into their pockets and put
up something for Atlanta’s good.
ook at our Auditorium and other
public buildings—big things that we
have in 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
i ?idg‘ 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
s #ndomitable, unquenchable and will
lagt 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,
»
MACON’S MAYOR
MACON, May 20.—“The greatest
civic 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
+ afways largely attended. Newspapers
are a great civic asset, but, 1 believe,
are not as important to any com
munity as a church or school.
“] have never heard of a com
munity of 300 or more in the United
States that aid 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 civie
agsets. Newspapers contribute their
share to a large extent in building up
a community because they keep the
inhabitants informed and interested.
“] am not as ‘well mp’ on Atlanta
as [ am on Macon, which 1 think is
the greatest place in the South and
will be one of its leading cities. Its
progress has been marked auring the
last few years. It will continue to
sRw and prosper. ‘Atlanta should
Go the same thing. At all times both
cities may bear this in mind, that
without good churches and good
_ schools progress would be impos
-‘«,;stblg"
TR e Fun
What Is Atlanta’s Greatest Civic Asset?
“GO-GETTER!"
By HARRY L. SCHLESINGER.
You ask me, “What is Atlanta's
greatest asset?”
If I were an author, instead of a
'plain business man, I could write a
book upon the merits a.nd achieve
ments of Atlanta, and yet not have
enough pages. Still, in the end, 1
wodld have to answer your question
as | shall here:
It is the enterprise and civie
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, cocal, 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 1 am 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 Lerself,
This town is the original “go-get
ter!”
Atlanta business has always sought
the widest pessible territory for its
field. Within her borders, not only a
policy of live and let live, but help
the other fellow to live, prevails
Always striving to better the city
within herself, her people are still so
thoroughly 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
lanta Spirit!”
BIRMINGHAM'S
- NAMES SPIRIT
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 which has come to be famous
throughout the South as ‘the Atlanta
spirit.’
i “Wherewer you find a citizen of At-
Jania you find a man loyal to the com~
munity in whieh 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,
~tltanta 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
it.hey 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. y )
. “It would be a wise thing if every
community ambitious of success
would follow the example set by At
lanta’s residents, for wundoubtedly
their pride in their city and #s 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.””
é THE NEXT QUESTIONi:”“”"
' SHOULD THERE
' BE GREATER
' STANDARDIZATION
| OF DRESS FOR
WOMEN?
{ 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
S’ seem.
¢ Both men and women of promi
s nence, whose opinions are of es
i) pecial interest through their voca
? tions, will discuss it in the next
§ American Forum,
HEARST'S SUNDAY AMERICAN __ A Newspaper for People Who Think — SUNDAY MAY 25, 1919,
LET US HEAR MORE OF THE
GOOD OLD ATLANTA SPIRIT
By MELL R. WILKINSON,
President of the President’s Club.
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 businessg 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 months. Atlanta's
greatest asset is “THE ATLANTA
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 nos
be forgotten if she is to continue
1 er glorious progress.
The Atlanta spirit is the faculty
and the willingness of her citizens
and her newspapers to “pull together”
always for Atiunta, regardless of pri
vate interests they may have to sac
rifice upon the altar of civic loyvaliy.
Some time ago there appeared in
all the newspapers a series of bulie
tins which many considered harmful
\ r . IT’S THE ATLANTA SPIRIT!
i : ; Upon a time, in a southern clime,
i -\) // There ruled a marvel queen,
i ' / With beaming grace upon her face,
‘ ; //é And fair and regal mien.
With loyal zest, tradition-blest,
\\ A For the noble things of old,
‘ Her youthful heart still ruled the mart,
=§"Gi “ /& And filled her land with gold.
P ’ \ The muses shone about her throne,
: 4 \ / The workman built and thrived,
“ : ] And in her court, through trade and sport,
s / — V' ¥ T Sweet courtesy survived.
(/ 4 j Some lords, one day, and guests, they say,
S / k Were met in praise to state
3 ) X The single thing above all things
g ’ ity That made the queen so great.
L fl ’Ifi::: A:._ : ‘“Her beauty? No, for others show
Lt As fair a face as she! .
T () £ : Her riches? Aye, but pass them by—
w ‘W 4 ':'l_.':_ She shares them lavishly!
o & 7% o\ o ; ;.
w 2 ""/ ; : ‘“Her conquests past aside we cast,
AL _ A '{v_ And each material thing;
\ ' .; We seek the source that rears the force
R ) o A A bring!
oo ““The thing alone that serves alone
To win her every goal—
- The gift of fate that makes her great—
/,./\'/////‘ 'l Ah! 'Tis Milady's soul!”’ ;
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AND DON’T FORGET OUR SENSE OF HUMORK!
By JESSE M. LITTLETON, I
Mayor of Chattanooga.
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-|
man or in the day coach on the W. &
A, the Southern, the Central of Geor
gia, or any other railroad system, and
in five minutes after you get on
speaking terms with him he is boom
inz Atlanta, booming its hotels, prais
ing its newspapers, 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
proud of every citizen in the city: in
love with its institutions and wonders
why any real man can live farther
away from the wonderful place than
Marietta.
The women are the same. An .\t-l
lanta woman, if she posscgses aver
age loyalty andlpatriousm, does nné|
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 to the papers,
purely upon the ground of civic
patriotism, to stop the publication of
these advertisements. And thougn
the ban they imposed may have cost
much money, the newspapers did
cease their publication at once.
That illustrates the Atlanta spirit.
It is easier to lean than to work, to
tear down than build up,
Izt 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. W% are will
ing to continue to work for her up
building. >
Then let us get together and quit
knocking everything and everybody.
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. e
pretend to believe that grand opera is
put en anywhere except in Atlanta.
She believes that the actors and ac
tresses who spend months rehearsing
fin a language that no one of their
many auditors understands, do it all
for the special and exclusive enter-|
tainment of Atlanta people; and she
praizes 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|
1 their constant loyalty, their feverish,
| enthusiasm for their gity. Recently I
read in an Atlanta paper a ten-line|
| press. dispatch from a Texas 10OWnN,|
telling of the shooting in that \\‘(~,~'!<’
{ern burg of a negro. The negro was|
|a laborer without a family. and, of|
course, without friends. ,Ordinarily |
{ the inci‘nt would not have been;
| mention® or piblished outside of the|
county in which it happened. But in |
this _eace the necgro was a ,‘urrn"r!
resident of Ai'anta, unknown to!
more than a half a hundred l""“l""‘l
anywhere, but he had lived in An-’
LET PEOPLE DO JUST HALF
OF WHAT GOD DID. FOR HER
By CLARK HOWELL,
Editor-in-Chief of The Atlanta Con
stitution. ] ‘
You ask my opinion as to Atlanta’'s
greatest civic asset, ‘
My reply is—her climate and gts
health-giving attributes, growing¥out
of the city's superb location, and mak
ing it a pleasant place in which to live
the year 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 is that we have been
content to acecept 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 running 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 the Blue Ridge and the Cumber
lands, with those that blow frem the
lanta, and tha Atlanta newspapers
carried the item under heavy black
headlines, as follows:
YATLANTA' NEGRO SHOT IN
TEXAS.”
See the force and tact of the adver
tisement? There is not much sensa
tion in the publication that a negro
has been shot, for, unfortunately, too
many of them are needlessly made
the targets of the ever-ready pistol of
the bad man from Sandy Ford or
Hicks Creek; there is not much to
stir the blood in the announcement
that “An Atlanta Negro Has Been
, Shot,” for that city has suffered with
its sister cities in the South in fur
| nishing, now and then, a victim for
11ht~ ignorant and vicious who so
|iighny value the life of a negro; but
the headline, "Atlanta Negro Shot in
| Texas” implies that the negro was
| perhaps twisting the tail of a buffalo
. and was probably shot by "Comman
i:-hp Bill” or “Terrible Tim:"” and it is
not every colored man who can die
lwnh two such glorious things to his
| credit—=living in Atlanta and being
lsh()l by a desperado in the Golden
. West! i
ocean—Atlanta ought to be the
healthiest city in the .world. and its
health record is really “phenomenal.
It is this record, this location, this
condition that makes the city com
fortable for living the year round that
has 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 mu:h 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.
1t 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
imumcipnl miser long enough.
| It is time to turn loose.
. We owe it not only 1) this, but to
following generations.
If we will just halfway back na
ture up .a 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
Joyalty, which is born of faith. That
is Atlanta’'s chief civic asset, and it is
worth more to a city than all the
boards of trade or chambers of com
merce,
This spirit of Atlanta loyalty is
so marked and remarkable that the
sign posts on the highways leading to
| the Gate City do not read 3 miles or 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 been
directed to the mile posts in the
country adjacent to the KEternal City,
drove out a year ago to see where the
Dixie Highway honored itself by en
tering the corporate limits. Getting a
mile out, she observed a mile post
marked “1 M FRONM ATLANTA.”
Mistaking the “1” for an “L"” and sup
posing it was a monument to some
humble citizen who had been buried
there, she enthusiastically exclaimed:
“What a glorious sentiment on that
good man’s tomb; I'm from Atlanta'!”
I It is the Atlanta way it is faith;
and wity such faith Atlanta, in the
A THING MORE
SUBSTANTIAL
THAN SPIRIT
BY FORREST ADAIR
I am asked to say what I consider
to be Atlanta’s best asset and natu
rally you imagine I am going imme
diately to answer ‘her climate,” be
cause we have never had an epidemic
and, while about 165 miles from the
sea, 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.
While I admit all that may be said
about our wonderful climatic condi
tions, I*would not sglect 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
breakfast next morning either in
Charleston, Savananh, Brunswick,
Jacksonville, Mobile, New Orleans,
Memphis, Louisville, Cincinanti, Ashe
ville or in Virginia, thereby making
us the very center 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 sSuppose
that 1 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 utilities first place is not
because I am influenced by the fact
that it seems to be popular to jump
on them, but because T happen to
have in mind another asget which is
greater.
Now you think you have gol me,
and, you;;gg\ess 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, but 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 1 would give
the Atlanta spirit not higher than
second place, %
The first place, I think beyond ques
tion, belongs to the confidence that
Atlnnla.ns have in Atlanta, In other
cities, even in the South, the business
and the buildings that can be pointed
o with pride, have, in a large meas
ure, been built by outside people, but
such ig 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
1 can not think of a single maufac-'
turig or industrial enterprise that was
not built by Atlanta people, and 1
think it is true that the majority
hplding 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
T have any knowledge of, has a great
er diversgity in manufacturing.
Fortunately our people have never
been strong on bonds or Auctuating
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|
|(‘<)Nl<‘IDEN(‘E should be regarded
as Asset No. 1! ‘
HER REPUTATION;
WE SHOULD LIVE’I
By WALTER C. HILL,
President of the Ad ,Men's Club.
The favorable regurfi with which
Atlanta is held both at home and
abroad is one of its great civic as
sets.. "l like to live in Atlanta” or
“1 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 18 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
£0 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
T Ihad always heard such good reports
of Atlanta.” Later he commented on
the brisk and busy manner of the
people, the many slgns of prosperity
and the great number of people and
automobiles on the streets. 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. [ spoke or
the happy combination of latitude and
altitude that gave us a perfect cli
mzate; then of our splendid citizenry
anl of the Atlanta spirit which does
things.
This was interesting, but did not
satisfy. He asked me some guestions
about our park syvstem, playgrounds
and civie centers, He wanted to know
about our street-cleaning system, the
pul te comforts and rest rooms—he
finally wanted to know in what way
next twenty vears. will be referred to
throughout the country as the largest
and most progressive city south of
the north line of Dixie—except, of
course, CHATTANOOGA,
7E
i
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 !
:
, 1
MRS. PEEL, AND
5
THEN LAMS U¥
. . . .
City Beautiful 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, 1 believe the reply would
be in nine cases out of ten, “Her
climate.” ;
Situated on the piedmont escarp
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 pamofflmmflndhorelb-:
cation remowed 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
zuli, part into the ocean, thus show
ing that this celebrated thoroughfare
is recognized even in cloudland!
In the past we have hanked almost
exciusively 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, withouwt rec
ognizing any expansion exeept that of
values and population. We will be
compelled to realize that “the world
do move.” That is the law of life—
that things must adapt themselwes or
perish.
Many people think it unpatriotic to
call attention to our defects, but that
rather it is best to cover up and hide
the festering sore in the body politic
’until the whole fabric is rotten. I de
not agree with them. Better every .
time the fearless scalpel of the sur
geon, which removes the cause, s
Whibke, as Mrs. Malaprop would say, '
“caparisons 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 !
i'lagler 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 bunsy 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 coun
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 sireets are -
boulevards 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 weil
paved and immaculately clean. I ven
ture the assertion that yvou 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 up and
expand and live up to her poor over
worked climate! g
the Atlanta spirit manifested itself.
He had an afternoon to spare and
asked me what he could see that
would be distinftive of the ecity. I
took him to the Cyclorama, and he
asked again about the “Atlanta spir
it, which does things,” and inquired
why such a eivie 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 wass
impressed that we were destroying aj
natural boulevard of exceptionals
beauty for which we would probably*
be more than willing to pay manvk
millions of dollars to have through¥*
the heart of our city some day. Wes
went through Ansley Park and outs
Ponce DeLeon. He was charmed with}
the beautiful homes and evidences of#
wealth, but more impressed with thej
bad econditions of the streets over®
which we bumped our way. f
Atlanta did not make good with fhis
casual visitor. He came prepared to
he pleased, but suffered the dreadful
pall of reaction. The surface evidence
of a delightful city was missing. He
questioned me about the form and ef
ficiency of our city government, and
asked again how the Atlanta spirit
would stand for these conditions.
The power of Atlanta’s good adver
tising has been lost on this man; He
went away feeling that Atlanta is far
behind, instead of well in the lead. of
progressive cities. When we multipiyv
this effect by the thousands who
come here very month and add to that
the unfavorable impressions carriel
in our daily press, we may well won
der if it is not time for the “Atlant i
spirit” to muster a movement th-t
will not only correct the evils that a*»
here., but do the many thinzs that
need to be done for the neonle who
make up this great and growing cu,):_:fl