Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-23
OREC0N'S BOOM.
Rapid Growth Of the State as
the Railroad approaches
Completion,

Completion.
An Exception to Graeping
Monopolies.
SAN Francisco, February Is In
spite of many evidences of growth
and eager life, there are people on this
coast who predict that San Francisco
h rs already seen it's best days; that Its
rivals to the north-Portland or Seat.
tie will ou.strjp itin the race and will
ultimately wreat from 1t the com.
mercial supremacy of the Pacific.
Portland especially takes much stock
In these predictions. A city OF 81, OOO
people, Its growth within the last five
years has been even more marvellous
than that of San Francisco. The
Northern Pacific, which will be com.
pleted by next September, will bring
it in direct connection with the east.
1t already talks OF lines OF steamers
running direct to China and Japan,
1t is reaching out in every direction
for trade, and is merchants are aided
BIZ the railroad which does not believe
in pursuing the policy that has made the
Central and Southern Pacific railroads
hated in this state. Everything bids
fair to mako Portland u great clay, but
it Is az Idle to call her a rival If San
Francisco as 1t would be to speak Of
rivalry between New York and Paiia-
delphis, or bet ween St. Louis and New
Orleans. New York and st. Louis
have the advantages Of posi- ion and Ct
size, and every year will witness a
rapid increase In their growth-an In
crease out of all proportion to that oil
any smaller city with less advantages.
So 1t Is with San Francisco. 1t has a
position on the direct line Of trade
from the Orient. 1t Is the distributing
point for much OF the South American
and Mexican trade, and for no small
part of that which goes to Australia
and the outh Sea Islands. 1t will
take e great deal to remove this trade,
especially when one remembers
that this is the only good barber IN
the Pacific with the exception of sev
eral on Puget Sound. And right here
comes In the chief drawback to Port.
land. rs bar will always be q grea'
check to commerce. 1t Is so roueh
that steamers frequently lie.to fol
several days before the sea Is smooth
enough to venture In, while ships fire.
quently cruise on and off the mouth Of
the great river for q week or ter
days, vsin)y seeking an opportunity
to cross The treacherous bar. There
would be millions In it for Portland
If some system for dredgirg out the
bar could be d. vised. But the pros
rect of such an engineering feat Il
very gloomy. Without 1t Portland 4
destined to see a rival to the north
one of the new cities on the shore [
Puget Sound surpass 1t in sIze ant
commercial Importance.
JOURNALISTIC EXPLOIT.
Portland, In the meantime, Is grow
into Jacks bean. stalk. II is putin,
up more costly business blocks thai
San Francisco; it Ia spreading out Ii
. all directions ard taking on the airs O
a metropolis. 1t has lately added t
. its outfit q new daily paper, an eigh
page sheet Of about the sjz, Ct the In
d~ianspolia j urnal. 1t mes some
thing to start a new daily in Portland
; For thirty years the proprletors Of tn
Oregonian had had o virtual monopol
of the newspaper business In tn
e northwest. They had control If tn
. Associated Press dispatches, whicI
they farmed out to small newspaper
: In other cities. but, Ct course the
a gave M faci' lea to any journal tha
. could prove q rival or was nm
]. friendly to them. Thus Portland wa
completely in their powat, The
owned stock in nearly all local col
!, poratious aud had a finger in ever
political job. But overmuch powe
turned their heads. Tn, y wsxed in
solent, aad were so dcmineeriup tia
they ~alienated ever Il gave those di
r. rectly dependent upun them. Thei
basincss did not sJ fl #, because Their
: was no n { L tho.e whom the,
, bulldtzed bat 10 patron!zs them
They even .wea. 30 far ss TO alienat
the Northcrq Poetic railroad an,
make an active enemy Of this power
full corporation. The last straw whicl
broke th cancels back was the paper
, bitter opposition to Mitchell for Uni
led S atss senator. He had q stron,
bod of psrtisans and they cast abou
: for some means of revenge. The,
und the means In a young ard en-
i. terprising newspaper man, Nathan
Cole, Jr., son of OK
x Congressman Cole, of ST
Louis. He had started q dali
paper in Los Angeles under the 81
= pectAtion that the rapid growth Of tn
city would. insure good business sur
u port to the new venture, slthoug
three other dailies we're already 1
the field. He made q coed papel
but was compelled to sell out to hi
partner, with whom he could nc
agree Then be started In after
few months with q new paper, {
l. which he was the sole proprietor
l. This also babe fair to be q succe'
Q when the other dsilies cut down ii
g advertising rates to such q figure TIT
II there was no money In the business
8 so Cole packed up his plant, an,
u having already surveyed the groun
and met good assurances Of supper
q shipped his material to Portland. Z
much diplomacy he obtained IL
le cream of the associated press di
q patches, and the new year saw II
10 first issue of the New Northwest,
o. he called his paper, 1t showed zig,
a of the travail in which il was brougl
Q, forth, but now il Ia a very creditab