Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-02-24
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TER.
FRIDAY ENE'G, FEB. "A, 1882
Let us Begin Right.
The Direction OF the Cloud which ha
Obscured tho Horizon.

er part of this paper making some
practical suggestions to our people
as to the best means of building up
the town and placing it in position
to attract that portion of trade to
which by location and it's advantitions
surroundings it is justly entitled.
Some of the ideas are entitled to
weishty consideration, as ads and
to this desirable result,
but we maintain that the handspring
of the movement which will alti-
mately impart motion to the vitaliz'ng
elements, if it is ever reached, will
be found to consist in making as
good market here for all farm pro-
ducts, and as cheap mart for OBJ
tanning supplies, as eau be afforded
by any other community. This and
nothing less than this, will command
the aid from great area of country
and numbers of active co-workers
which go to build up city.
If our people should adopt "Cit's"
idea, and start a daily paper, build
stores and construct wharvss and
warehouses, what benefit would
accrue, unless we could find people
with money, or its representative
value, to make use of these things I?
A city cannot built itself. 1t must
have aid from without. It must be
based upon a necessity for its exis-
tence. To build up city and then
await the settlement and develop
mert of the country, which is to be
tributary to it, would be quite as
difficult task as in the construction
of o house TO begin at the rafters and
work downwards towards the stills.
It might possibly be accomplished,
just as the "cities" of the plains
were built, on the line of the Central
Pacific Railroad, at proportionate
cost, and probably be found as un-
serviceab.e when completed.
The STANDARD has often directed
attention to the cause of stagnation
of business in this place, while rival
communities all around were pros
pering. It Was simply because the
people of contiguous counties as
we'll as some of our townspeople)
preferred to send abroad for many
articles of necessity than to buy them
ct home. A town which cannot
command its local trade must lam
guish and in the natural course of
events ultimately die. A few years
ago, Lewis county was our best
neighbor. She is now on better
Waiting terms with Portland than
with us, and there she spends her
spare cash. Chehalis is following
her sister county, and is gradually
becoming alienated by cordial well
come and kind treatment of the
sagacious and far-seeing tradesmen
of the Oregon metropolis. An oc.
casional order goes to Seattle, and
thousand of dollars annually to re-
tail dealers across the continent, fol
articles which should be furnished
just as cheap in Olympia. When
We have something to advertise, and
business men enough who appre.
ciate the benefit Of printers ink to
austain daily newspaper, the want
will be supplied. The STANDARD has
done its share towards making
"brioks without straw" and will
await until this essential is supplied
before making another venture
The wharf will be built whenever
our business men manifest the ability
and disposition to regain lost ground
Then new buildings will be erected,
and what is still better, occupied by
steady, responsible tenants. Their
twill be in order for property'ownerl
to give away their property, if they
see fit to do 90. to still further &C
CELEBRATE the ball of progress.
A move in the right direction is te
he made this Spring, by firm viii
ample backing. but the particular
are for the present withheld. W.
may state, in general terms, that thu
object will be to place staple goods,
Of certain classes, in the market in
jobbing lots. at Portland and San
Francisco prices. The action of g
single firm may produce q entire
revolution in the methods of doing
business. Old fogy ideas Of fifty
and ono hundred per cent. profit,
will then have to give way just as
the old two and three per cent. q
month interest rates had to succumb
to the lower rates of rival capital.
II will ha seen that wa do MT
place much confidence in " Cit. 81
suggestions. They are good in
their place. But let US begin fur
Their back and lay siege to the pro-
ject in . systematic manner.
DIsAsTERs from the food in Ar.
kansas are increasing. The water
now extends fifteen miles in from
the river. Many houses have been
swept away, much stock drowned,
and some of the people are threat