The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1890-01-11
GOD HELPS THOSE" ETC.

GOD HELfS 1dOCE. EIC.
God helps those who help them
selves" is an old saying, and its truth
fulness has been verified thousand
times. 1t requires the elements OF
perseverance and pluck to accomplish
anything in this world, and these must
be inherent in the individual. His.
tory abounds with examples of OBJ
stacles being surmounted by the ex-
ercise of pluck, and of men carving out
for themselves q most successful career
under the most adverse circumstances.
Il community or a city is simply an
aggregation of individuals. and what
is true of the component parts is also
true of the aggregated whole. How
eyer advantaeeonsly town may be
situated, without the exercise of these
qualities. its situation will benefit but
little. And even without natural
advantages a town can impel its
own growth by liberal expenditure
of capital in opening up channels of
trade and utilizing and developing
natural resources. During the last
few years there have been striking ex-
amples of the truthfulness of this
proposition. Four years ago but few
men had any confidence in the growth
and permanency of Spokane Falls.
To-day no city in Oregon or Washing
ton has better standing in business
circles. This confidence in Spokane
Falls has been the natural outgrowth
of the city helping itself. The trans
continental line for long time
charged the same exorbitant rates it
did to interior towns; hut eventually
the Falls became railroad center of
several converging roads, and, instead
of being understhe domination of the
Northern Pacific, it dictited terms to
that powerful corporation. The falls
in the river from " hich it derives its
name was the only natural advantage
it had over a dozen other towns
in that region; but it possessed pluck,
and this made up for other dehcien-
cies. The best advertisement that city
ever received was the manner in which
it built factories, subscribed for rail.
roads, and .inaugurated enterprises
which stimulated its growth. 1t is
useless to mention. other instances of
inherent qualities impelling advance
ment. The fact is well known to
every one who has made the least
casual observation of the growth Of
the northwest in The last few years:
tha. those towns who have helped
have f1ourished, and those
who have not hive reaped no advan
tage of the food-tlde of prosperity
which has swept over the country.
The TINES ,MoUNTAINEER has la
bored for manJ years for the develop
ment of the natural resources of this
oity, believing that there is no town
on the Columbia river with the same
natural advantages, except Astoria.
This paper has advocated opening the
river by means of joint stock ccm-
pany operating boats to the Upper
Cascades, by building railroads to
Goldendale and to the interior, and by
the establishment of manufacturing in
dustries. Apparently it has been like
talking to stones, and the apathy dis
played has been very discouraging. In
some instances We have been told The
Dalles is o good enough business point,
and railroads. to the interior would
simply kill it and deprive it of its
present business prestige. With the
example of Spokane Falls we cannot
believe this to be true. Years ago,
with the wealth which this city pos
every cent Of which has
been accumulated here-a bridge
should have been built across the Col
umbia at this point, and q line of op
position boats should be transporting
freight to and from the city. Spo-
kane Falls, Ellensburgh or Pendleton
would not have been handicapped for
six months by railroad company as
we have been for over twenty years.
We must talk plain, because this lack
IF enterprise has become chronic with
our citizens, and it needs heroic treat
ment to arouse them to a healthfu
business condition. The coming spring
S very bright for the northwest, and
The Dailes to reap any benefit must
be alive and active. With the open
ng of the season the capital accumu
ated here should be invested in a tele-
,hone system, street railways, manu-
acturing industries. utilizing the
liver as a means OF transporta-
ion and the building of railroads. |
When these are inaugurated, this city, |
he gateway of the Inland Empire,
will take her natural position as the |
metropolis of the country east of the
and the population and wealth
ViIl double. Without these, we shall
all behind in the race of commercial
upremacy. The exercise of pluck and
elping ourselves ls the best manner to |
dvertise The Dalles.
IN THE NORTH