The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-03-28

city. Though possessing wonderful
resources and occupying a position
that should make it a large inland
commercial and manufacturing CITY,
it had been letting it's opportunities
slip away and it's advantages remain
unimproved and unheralded abroad.
A great change in this respect has
been wrought solely through the Ell
forts of the Oregon Land Co., sec
onded by those citizens stimulated
into activity by the example and
success Of that enterprising concern.
The result is that Salem is enjoying
a phenomenal growth, is securing
many new industries, and is pushing
to success several transportation
projects that will add much to the
city's growth.
Not content with what it could &C.
complish in that city only, the Ore
gon Land Co. has branched out to
Albany and other neighboring
towns, to Astoria and to the metro
polls itself, where in future, it's chief
business will no doubt be transacted
Acting upon. the same high idea OF
business that had marked it's career,
it secured an Office in 1.-The Port
land" the elegant hotel will soon be
opened and add SO much to the repu-
tation OF the city. From that great
vantage point the company purposes
enteing upon campaign of adver-
Using the the city and state general
ly eclipse anything hitherto attempt
ed. An idea of what the company
will do can be gathered from what it
has done in the past 1t has sent
out several tons of pamphlets, chiefly
advertising the city of Salem and the
Willamette valley. The pamphlets
were not the Cheap John affairs SO
commonly used and which are cal
culated to attract only Cheap John
people, but were handsomely illus
trated and printed. 1t is the idea of
this company that to reach men of
capital and business experience the
dodgers and poorly-printed, cheap
paper advertising matter sent out
by other organizations is worse than
useless. To gain the attention of
such men and interest them it is
necessary to send a class of printed
matter that in itself bears evidence
that there is something here worthy
their notice.
Besides the mass of printed matter
iudiciously circulated, the company
last year maintained an exhibit at
the Sioux City Corn Palace exposi-
ton, at the Grand Army OF the Re-
public encampment at Milwaukee
and will have q fine exhibit in St.
Paul, at the ''Hotel Ryan," during
the meeting of the National Teach
ers' Association. These exhibits were
prepared and maintained at great
expense end were visited by thous-
ands OF people, who saw how COM
pletely they eclipsed everything they
had before seen. At Sioux City, right
in the heart of the great agricultu1 al
state OF Iowa, the exhibit of the Ore
gon Land Co. put to the blush the
best that was shown from any other
section Of the United States, and the
press Of the state and the adjoining
states gave it unstinted praise.
AS an example OF the practical ma
ture of this company's workings,
some OF it's accomplishments might
be cited. Approaching the fact that
the fruit industry is destined to be
the greatest one in Willamette val
ley, that fruit farm need not be a
large one to be profitable, that men
OF moderate means can not under
take to purchase and set out in
trees more than a few acres, and
that the immigrant has great diff
Guilty in finding such small tracts in
desirable localities, the company pur-
chased number Of the best farms in
the vicinity of Salem, and divided
them up into small fruit farms of
from five to forty acres. Its success
was remarkable. A large number of
these were purchased last year, and
thousands of trees were set out.
These lands have been proved by
years OF experience to be as fine for
fruit growing as are to be found in
Oregon, and near them can be seen
some Of the finest orchards in the
state. This action is resulting in
making Salem the greatest center of
the fruit industry in the valley. To
further develop this industry, the
company was the main promoter OF
the project to run a motor line
through these lands from Salem to
Silverton, thus giving the farmers,
vegetable growers and orcbardists
easy access to the city market. 1t
has also been largely instrumental in
the establishment OF an extensive
cannery for fruit and vegetables. In
the city it has done more to supply
cheap homes than all either agencies
combined. Its plan has been to pur-
chase, a high, dry and level tract
near the edge of the city, lay it out