Within the past few years Iowa has awakended as never before to a realization that it is one of the best states in the union and that it has a thousand substantial inducements to offer men seeking business locations, professional openings and a place to live where the average intelligence is remarkably high and the people broad-minded, progressive and kindly.

The campaign for a "Greater Iowa," to keep the population the state has and to add to it pointing out its incomparable excellencies, is already bearing fruit and a continuence of the efforts made in the past will take away the shame of being the one state in the middle west that has lost in population during the past decade.

Coincident with the organization of the "Greater Iowa" committee and feeding its purposes as the creeks and brooks feed the great rivers, there began the work of organizing commercial bodies of various kinds in the towns and cities of the state, and this work has gone on until it is safe to say, that never before in the history of Iowa have there been so many, or so active commercial organizations in the state, all busily engaged in pushing their own towns and cities up the hill of progress, and incidentally contributing each its full part toward the great work of state building.

Atlantic has not been behind its sister towns and cities in organizing for progressive work. In fact, it is within the bounds of truth to say that no town of 5,000 people in this or any other state has a stronger commercial organization than The Atlantic Commercial Club. This club is the outgrowth of the various organizations of the past, all of which accomplished much good for Atlantic, but all of which lacked something that has not been overlooked in this latest organization. The old commercial organization was created for the purpose of attempting to secure a state normal school here. With the failure of the attempt it went out of business as an active force. Then came the Business Men's Association, which flourished for a few months and gradually passed away. Following the Business Men's Association came the Boosters' Club, with a large membership at a ridiculously low figure, but this organization through its board of directors, accomplished a great deal of good for the city, getting back of the paving proposition, the electrollers on Chestnut street and the amalgamation of the electric light and power and water plants.

Last December the board of directors of the Booster Club concluded that a more perfect business body was needed to handle public affairs, one with a membership fee large enough to compel an interest which had never been manifest by the body of the Booster Club membership. It was finally concluded to fix the membership fee at $25, which included the dues for the year in which the membership was taken out, and after than an annual dues of $10. President McWaid of the Booster Club appointed a committee to perfect a working plan for an organization composed of the following gentlemen: Dr. F. W. Porterfield, B. R. Wasson, W. H. Wiseman, C. T. Campbell and E. P. Chase. This committee finally reported a working plan and a constitution and by-laws to govern the club and those who at that time had manifested a desire to become members of the Atlantic Commercial Club, which the organization was named, met at the Pullman Hotel one night on invitation of President McWaid and perfected an organization. Later a public banquet was held at the Masonic Hall, to which more than two hundred invitations were sent out. About seventy-five gentlemen attended and the club membership that night was boosted to fifty-five. At that meeting, also, the constitution and by-laws were adopted and it was voted to incorporate the organization, which was afterward done. Since that date the membership has been added to until it has reached ninety-four and without doubt from twenty-five to fifty additional members will be added within the next sixty days.

J. A. McWaid

President of the Atlantic Commercial Club--
Atlantic's Leading Citizen--Donor of the
Electrollers on Chestnut Street to the
City Of Atlantic.

It was also voted to rent and furnish rooms for the housing of the club and quarters were finally secured from the Downs estate over Oransky's store. These club rooms are ideally located, are spacious and consist of a room for the secretary and board of directors meetings, another room for a billiard table and a large room for assembly purposes and a banquet hall and when not thus in use as a lounging room for the club membership. At the west end of the assembly room is a kitchenette where coffee and light luncheons can be prepared. The rooms have been painted, papered and furnished at an expense of about a thousand dollars and are the coziest club rooms to be found anywhere in the state.

The club comprises in its membership a large majority of the wide-awake business and professional men of the city and it is hoped to have the name of every man who is willing to boost for Atlantic on its club rolls. The club will take the lead on all civic matters and will back everything that promises moral or material good for the city. Every club member is given a working place on some important committee and those who become members hereafter will be added to the old or placed on new committees.

Officers.

Membership Roster.

The club membership at this time is composed of the following named gentlemen:

John W. Blake, F. E. Goodell, C. T. Campbell, M. B. Nelson, T. C. Whitmore, Joseph Burnea, J. A. McWaid, G. G. Jeck, F. M. Nebe, Dr. C. D. Finley, T. E. Nichols, J. G. Herring, D. E. Shrauger, C. B. Clovis, S. R. Nelson, B. R. Wasson, W. A. Follett, H. S. Rattenborg, Ike Block, Jas. G. Whitney, Walter Hoegh, C. W. Bruce, Abe Oransky, Guy Curtis, John Daley, C. P. Meredith, H. M. Finkbine, E. E. Marquis, C. E. Bradley, W. B. Elliott, R. M. Westphalen, W. L. Overman, J. B. Rockafellow, Dr E. T. Hupp, Purl Brandt, Harry Purcell, Dr. W. F. Graham, R. Lorenzen, Nels P. Brown, R. H. Moore, J. L. Winne, B. R. Plotts, Wm. M. Smiley, C. E. Cole, John F. O'Connell, Geo. Highley, M. C. Cardio, H. H. Egbert, J. A. Giffen, W. S. Day, H. W. Fulton, L. W. Caughey, F. G. Taylor, Jacob Christensen, W. M. Nichols, Chas. F. Chase, Dr. F. W. Porterfield, J. S. Harlan, H. C. Conrad, W. J. Deering, Dr. H. K. Williams, E. P. Chase, E. S. Harlan, P. A. Johansen, H. A. Marshall, Albert Bojens, Sam Berry, Thos. H. Whitney, Dr. W. C. Heers, W. J. Pellett, Jap Pierce, W. N. Franks, Geo. R. Boggess, L. W. Niles, E. Crawford, (Continued on Page 55.)