, 1879-07-05

tbrou phout this section Of the country should
iust now be greatly elated with the prospect
of railroads aud the communications thereby
secured with the other parts OF the nioii'
SO essential to our prosperity as q people 80
long have We hoped for the construction OF
railroads connecting this great gram yieid-
ing region. with the seaboard either or both
Fast aud West, that it seems an age OF no
inconsidersbIe length. Now hope seems
alno, It ready to end in frui.ion, and SO cer-
tam ,r seems. that we are inclined to rejoice
at a venture. It NAV be, We are too ssngurne,
and more calmness in Judgment should pre-
vail That capital sufficient can be had to
complete all the projected lines OF railroads.
we do not for a moment doubt. but that II
will be SO employed is what We fear. SIN
cerely We hope that it NAV, and feei an ahid,
ing assurance, that thus invested, 1t would
bring to its owners better return than II
has for years in other fields. lt Is well,
however to look well before setting down
upon any strong or fixed conclusion upon
this subject, for in such cases failure to
realize brings with it great and lasting bitter
ness. For this reason We publish an article
which appeared in this paper. May %, 1873,
written by cool head, after mature refiec-
tion. and one who had seen much OF the
world for a yonng man. The article shows
much research, careful thought, and facile
pen:
"An prudent men, before embarking in
business enterprises, requiring the outlay OF
money, generally give the subject much
thought. and are always guided by their cool
Judgment. They never so of "half-cocked,
as the saving is neither do they let their
svmpsthis and preljudices obtain control
Il their better judgments. Business Is
business" and all propositions should be
treated in business like manner. A great
deal OF valuable time is wasted in pursuit
Of the unatainable men imagine that cer
tain state Of .aings ought to exist. and being
finally convinced that they do, start OH with
a conviction that all that is necessary IS they
shoul put he;I- shoulders to the wheel, aud
the object will be obtained. Certain things
can be done. and there are others that can
not not, at least, without great deaf OF
labor and the expenditure of an immense
| amount OF capital There are, on the other
| hand. some that can be accomplished with
! the nse of but little of either. Enterprises,
,reeuant with great results, are often brought
| forward, and all men admit that il they can
! he carried ont to successful end, much good
! would follow. A railroad from here to tie
! Sound is universally admitted as au under
taking that would do much to promote our
! welfare. The construction of a line connect
! ing the Columbia river with Salt Lake IS a
| project :hat bears the approval OF all. A
competing line Oh the Columbia river Is
| something that we ell pray for; and most Of
/ us are of the opinion that onr future pros
pe.ity is inseparably connected with the free
and unobstructcd navigation of that great
highway of nature. Here We are, therefore,
divided upon three propositions, VIZ the
! Seattle road. the Salt Lake enterprise, and
! the opening of the Columbia river. In all
things, aud every man who has seen anything
! of life, knows that success must have for its
. ,.s;s concr. rs:!r.. !: rrion there Is
strength without it, failure - tie Te5a.,.
As with individuals, so with communities
A shiftless man, first In this business and
! then in that, building an air castle here and
another there, sooner or later, comes to fnan-
cial ruin, loses respect, ant, 10 matter no v
high his intellectual attainments may be,
little or no attention is paid to him or his
enterprises; he Is looked upon As a dreamer.
whose ideas and schemes are visionary.
! Years ago. when some of our citizens were
stark mad about another enterprise, We called
a halt and directed their attention to the
Importance of securing congressional AID for
| the opening of the Columbia river. A little
| work and without the expenditure of a dol
lar sees tha. undertaking already inaugu-
rated /: and each succeeding year viii bring
an increased appropriation. That great de-
sideratum is now almos. an assured fact.
And again, at time When large number
of our people thought that the salvation of
this section was wrapped up in the conSt-uc-
ton of the Seattle road, We aduised the
building of railroad from this toxin to tine
Columbia rives as a project that could be ac-
complished, and as something that would
prove of immediate benefit. After great
difficulty, and mainly through the instrument
tality of one of our own citizens, that road
vas built, and the results we predicted have
all been realized. "Go SLOW" and the other,
tirst be snre you are right, then 60 ahead,
substance upon idle projects projects that
have their origin IN the minds of scheming
men, who desire to hold the purse. The
STATESMAN, in all the long years gone by,
has stood between this people and oppression,
whether at home or abroad it has always
been the friend of tine farmer and business
man, and, at times too, when its friendship
was misunderstood, and when men, whose
thoughts are always bounded by the narrow
Confines of the present, sought 10 make cap
tai out of our course, simply because we
looked far into the future, and saw that GER
tain projects could not be carried out, or. if
successful, would result dsastrously. The
same policy that governed our course in the
past governs US now and. therefore, We
SAY to our citizens to "go slow, " embark III
no enterprise unless you have the evidence
that they are substantial, and never 20 into
anv business scheme where some one will get