The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-05-21
NA0rIxA nan.
Editor Den,ocraf.

a4Nefof AfNhfttfNt
In former letter on this subject /
suggested few thoughts for the consid-
Grafton Of those to he affected by this
harbor Improvement at Yaquina Bay.
Changes are occurring every day in our
local and commercial interests. Com
munities ARE becoming more deeply in
terested in their own localities, and
more jealous of their commercial rcla-
tions and advantages, as they advance
in trade and traffic. And it is natural
that such bodies should mako decided
efforts to cfIeetually secure what they
have at hand, and open up new and
shorter avenues that lead to rapid de.
velopment, accumulation Of property
and increase Of population. This is the
natural result of lifelong efforts Of men
to build up a business or county.
We find ut this stage Of our prosper
ity that measures are on foot to inn
prove this harbor, to enlarge the busi.
ness area, and cheaper freights to open
trade by sea, and shorten tho route to
the coast. This is not speculative or
visionary. 1t is the result Of expert
once. IL is tho natural and substantial
outgrowth Of tho condition Of business
activities. As with this, so with all
similar improvements. When the wants
of the people require this harbor TO be
improved it viii be put in condition
10 answer The demand ms soon as the
wealth Of tho country will warrant it.
We use the word wealth for the reason
that no enterprise can be successfully
entertained until the wealth OF the
country to be benefited is promising
enough to induce the improvement and
sustain it.
The principal towns in the counties Of
Benton, Lane, Linn Marion and Pollars
thriving and established. They are
surrounded by an extensive domain, in
which agricultural pursuits and facto
ries could bc made TO flourish with un.
surpassed profit. Tho great interest
now is agriculture. The wealth and
population arc here to justify the open.
ing Of this harbor, and when the people
can fully understand its importance tc
themselves, under their present CONNER
cial greatness,it will follow asasequencC
to this condition, to which We have al
ready referred Tho present export,
and imports Of these counties combined
amount TO millions. Tho property, roa
and personal, as shown by Themselves
amounts to quite sls,0O0,O0O. This i,
regarded as onc-third Of the whole
amount But we will place it at $50,
100000. The property cannot *
bought for that money. When we saI
that the territory we refer 10 is larger
than Massachusetts and Rhode Island
taken together, and under prosperou,
cultivation and we'll stocked, the sum
Of s5O,000,0 coo seems very small fol
ouch properly. Iatrge citira throw q
the aggregate of wealth the larger pro
portion Notwithstanding our towns
are small, comparatively speaking, there
is upon the scale we present over one
hundred dollars per capita TO this popu-
lation. This estimate Is small, and we
desire to make it SO, lest we lie charged
with inaccuracy And it is small when
we consider that Oregon is put down in
comparative statement Of the wealth
of States as having over five hundred
dollars per capita. These facts at once
suggest that this harbor improvement
must come. IL is no individual de-
mand. II is inevitable from this growth
in wealth aud population. Until such
time as n people can help themselves
they accept whatever offers for their
comfort. They may travel for supplies
hundreds of miles because their means
will not enable them to shorten the
route. But when the day comes that it
can be done it will be done. Look for
a moment at enterprises that are among
the greatest of the outgrowth of COM
mercial development, among which we
may instance that which is attracting
the attention Of governments both of
Europe and America. Cape Horn is to
be doubled but short time longer, and
the straits are to be abandoned by our
navigators who ply their trade from
one ocean to the other. This route is
TO be shortened by canal, or a railway
for ships, to be constructed across the
isthmus in Spanish America. This
work is going on in and ont of Con-
gress. As strange as this enterprise
appears to be now, it will he consum-
mated as soon as trade will justify it.
That time is at hand.
This harbor improvement at Yaquina
would found city at the Bay, and the
demands of 10000 growing people
would make it a city of no mean pre-
tensions This trade would not be con-
fined to the counties named in the Will