The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-09-03
The Railroad.
The DALLEs, Aug. 81, 1S9


Editor TINES MoUNTAISEER:
Unquesuonably it is true that location
has much to do with the prosperity of a
community. The man who attempted to
establish a great city upon the top of an in
accessible mountain would have his labor
for his pains, while there are locations des-
tined by nature for the home of busy mil
lions and the TRANSACTION of the worlds bus
mess. That is all true enough; but it is
also true that a town Is largely what it's
people make it. If the leading citizens of
The DaiIes are pub blic spirited and enterprIs-
ing, proud OF their town and anxious to sd-
vance Its interests and give it name
abroad, it will grow. 1t will have fine
buildings, well paved streets, all the modern.
conveniences, efficient and honest admins
tration. Business men will be attracted
from abroad, while those who were born
here will invest their capital in varied en-
terprises. The town will have no boom,
but it will advance steadily and surely.
Public spirit, at first confined to few, will
advance until every man, woman and child
will believe their town the best 10 the
world, and will be eager to labor and make
sacrifices on its behalf have been in al
most every town of the Pacific northwest,
and pardon me if tell you the truth. The
citizens OF The Dalles, unlike any other
place 1 have visited, are to-day standing IN
their own light in more ways than one. If
they would direct their energy and capital
to the building of manufactures and the
development OF minerals rounding The
Dalles, they would work more in COT Junction
with your railroad to build and establish a
permanent trade, trade that would justify
another road Or a steamboat line as the case
might be. The feeling against the road here
is quite pertepuble and will, in turn. result
in no good. How much better 1t looks to
capital where you see town, the masses of
which work In conjunction with the inous-
tries OF the town. Ii railroad is no bene-
hit to The DAlles, as have heard it said it
wasn't, the railroad would serve them right
by completely Ignoring them; for Ii the
road does not benefit The Dalles the people
OF The Dalles are to blame and not the road;
because If you do not help the road to sue.
the road certainly will not help the
town On the other hand, | do not see how
town that owes the railroad company as
n; uch does The Dailes could expect half
as much as they are uow receiving from
them. Understand, i am not talk ng for
railroads but for the prosperity of your
town. Without the assistance of the road,
IN general way, don't belle The Dalles
will ever amount to as much as 1t does to-
day, notwithstanding you may soon expect
q naylgable river from Portland. Until you
more thoroughly encourage railroads in
their building, you can never expect the
surrounding country to fill up; hence you
cannot, for a long time to come, expect
town of even half the population of Ehe
Dalles to exist simply on an opt n river. II
you would have deep water vessels come to
the Dalies you must certainly have some-
timing to bring them here. Ii the leading
citizens care nothing for their town; if they
cover themselves with seltishness as with
cloak; If they invest their money in steam
boats for the purposs of opposing the only
industry-the U. Z. Railway-the town af-
lords, or If they invest their money in gov
ernment bonds or other safe securities;
if they reInse to lift their hands toward
promoting The interests of the town; if they
discourage those who want to engage in man.
ufacturing enterprising; if they divide their
time equally between eating. sleeplng and
gossiping, and are supremely indifferent to
the welfare of their poor neighbors, or char
liable after tie old fashioned methods, " hich
do infinite harm and no good. then The
Dalles Is d omed, and the m who care for
none of those things are responsible for It's
undoing. The Dalies may make very good
residence tor gentlemen of leisure, hut the
nap who has family to keep by daily
labor wants to get out of it as soon as posi-.
bic. Every man owes duty to the com
inunity OF which be is member. He should
realize that fact. and endeavor by setting
good example to stir up his neIghbors.
When all realize this aud stop the fossil
who writes unsavory pieces against the rail-
road tnat supports your town we will ere
long be prosperous community
A NAN 4