The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-12-20
A WATER DITCH BY ALL MEANS.

1 am asked for my opinion whether
ditch for manufacturing purposes would be
of greater advantage to Corvallis
The advantage of bridge would he:
lst, The saving of ferriage and the dis
pensing with the delays caused by the ferry
now in operation. ID, The feeling of cer-
tainty and ease in travelling from Linn
county into the city of Corvallis, and vice
versa which bridge would give.
When these points are admitted, do not
see what more can be urged. | am not
aware Of any very pressing demands from a
large or rapidly growing population in the
reighboring section of Linn county which
would be met by the building of a bridge.
Corvallis is not now feeling confined and re-
stricted for want of building ground, and
therefore needing extension on to the east
bank of the Willamette. In the additions
recently made, or opened up, on the west
side of the river in Benton county, it ap-
pears to me that Corvallis can find abund.
ant room for TEN times her present popula-
ton. In my judgment Corvallis needs,
above everything, the establishment of
manufacturing interests, which would at
tract enterprising men with capital and ex-
perience to locate here, and would demand
arti sans, mechanics; and labor of all kinds,
skilled and unskilled, for their development.
Have we raw material which could be
here profitably handled? 1 answer that we
can supply: First-Wheat for Touring pur-
poses;
Second-Wool for cloths, fannels, cash.
meres, ETC.;
Third-Hides for tanning, and bark in
proximity to the city, or available ON ex-
isting railroads.
Fourth-Fruit for canning and evaporat.
ing factories.
Fifth-Materials for paper mills, utilizing
not only the straw which we have in
abundance but the soft woods growing in
our river bottoms.
Sixth-Cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry, to
be here slaughtered and the products
handled in all ways.
We have easy and cheap transportation
in all directions-and. thanks to the lots
and blocks recently placed on the MARKET
can offer plenty of sites for cheap and
pleasant homes for manufacturing popu.
lation. We could, therefore, invite fac
tories of all descriptions to be founded
among us. Provided always-as the law.
yers say, and hope you will print this in
capital letters-wE CAN SUPPLY WATER
POWER ABUNDANT AND CHEAP.
The great Willamette river flows past
our city, with velocity aud strength of
current which testities, to every observant
man, of enormous power going literally to
waste. Competent engineers have repeat
edly stated their opinion that at a moderate
outlay the power of the Willamette river
can be brought into Corvallis, to turn the
wheels of every factory to be established
here for the next twenty years. 1t is also
well known to every intelligent. citizen of
Corvallis that without some decisive action
to take hold of and utilizeth advantages
the present "boom" in lots and blocks of
real estate will very soon subside, and leave
nothing of solid use to the city behind it,
Two or three individuals may have been
thereby enriched, but the community is the
worse, not the better, for the 'boom."
| Speaking, therefore, as citizen of Cor
Wallis for more than ten years past and as
interested in the growth of the city and the
de. elopment of all its great natural ad.
vantages, urge the speedy organization OF
the Corvallis Canal Company" and the
general subscription to its stock.
WALLIS NASH.