Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1891-08-06
A MATTER OF HISTORY.


the local press had to say on the subject
Of the scheme at the ime of It's inception
'rhe fate rf the scheme also points Il
moral for several ether similar schemes
on the iIarbor We reprint the follow
! ing article frs printed in the HERALD
July Is, 1889.
WILL afsToYY REPEAT ITSELF?
"rhe curse of Grays harhor has been
those parasites OF civilization who live on
the gu.lihility of the human race. The
sufferers from this curse have been those
who, with the future interest and we'll
being of our Grays harbor country at
heart, have placed here all their inter
ests and all their energies to build up on
its merits the wonderful country around
us. To these the history of the past has
contained experiences that they would
at almost any expense see averted in the
future. A locality's good name is, or
should be, as precious 10 its Inhabitants
as their own personal reputation; and
there are none among us who are ignor
ant of the blow given to our country four
years ago by the townsite boomers who,
with all the aids known to the art OF the
modern professional boomer, built city
of wind, imagination and fancy culored
autographs, with streets, residences, rail-
roads, stores and manufactures that be-
gan on paper and ended there. All this
is Il well known matter of history of the
Grays Harbor City of evil nAemory, and
the country has not yet recovered from
the black eye given it by such schemers.
"Before the past has had an opportunity
to be buried in forgetfulness, comes an
other Grays Harbor City to be built on
colossal proportions, and with indications
pointing strongly to repetition OF the
history OF the Grays Harbor City OF evil
repute.
"Right here we want to say that if this
city is ever built, or if there is ever a
decent sized town there, then our regret
will be overwhelming that we stultified
ourselves as going on record opposed to
any step for the material advancement OF
the community. But from all that has
been done and from all indications of the
future, it would not be fair to our locality
to longer remain silent, or to refrain from
expressing our honest opinion, SO that
those connected with the townsite should
at least have an opportunity to explain
away a few of the Inconsistencies, to put
it mildly, that have grouped themselves
around the building of this new Grays
Harbor City.
"Grays Harbor City is ostensibly the
terminus, 80 certain Dakota boomers
claim, of the Tacoma, Olympia & Cheha-
lis Valley railroad. The corporation for
this railroad was organized in June a
year ago, with some well known eastern
capitalists among the board of trustees
These trustees, at the time of organiza-
ton, undoubtedly intended to build a
road to some point on the Harbor; but
for reasons of their own, never made their
intentions good by any practical work,
and abandoned it, or at least 90 far
abandoned it that the Office of the cor
poration in Tacoma, the place where it
was to do business, as expressed in the
articles of incorporation, is not to be
found after diligent search.
"The owners of the TOWNSHIP where the
future city of Grays Harbor is 70 be built
gave out to the world that this site was
to be the terminus Of the Tacoma, Olym-
pia & Chehalis Valley railroad. Land
around the townsite has been sold at
fancy prices, and the purchasers were
given to understand that no property
within the limits Of the future town would
be srld until the streets were graded, a
hotel erected and work on the railroad
we'll begun. Of course there was no
written contract to that effect, but it was
an inducement held out and well known
to all the world. Here, at least, was an
opportunity for the Land Company to
show it's good faith. What was actually
done was to advertise throughout the
country that on Monday last business
and residence property of this wonderful
young city would be placed on the
market
The sales of property in this wonder
full young city were postponed for one
week; and for what reason? Because
the Autographs showing up its wonder
full advantages had not then arrived.
According to universally accepted ideas
il takes, even in our western parlance, at
least one and by rights more than one
house to make city, and to put on the
market residence and business property
OF thriving young city when there is
nothing but recently cleared wilder
ness, smacks too much OF the Dakota
idea of>booming, and looks too much
like leaving the good people of Grays
harbor-for there is such place as Grays
harbor, although there is no city of thai
name-to suffer in the future from an