Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-02-19


that lesson is the lesson of self depend.
ence.
| know that in speaking upon tbis
subject and expressing the ideas which
entertain upon it, that | am apt to
say some things which are displeasing
to many people, for in this as in every
newly established community there
are many who never come TO realize
the necessity Of helping themselves
! but are waiting for somebody else to
develop the country, start and carry
out great enterprises, build cities and
or ate bOOms.
The course of things i'm Western
! washington for the past five years has
| been such rs to, i'm Il great measure.
educate our people to depend on for
| eign capital and foreign entcrprisc.
ana when by the recent financial strin-
! gency we found ourselves thrown to SO
great an extent upon our own re-
sources and eilor s. we were hardly
prepared To accept the situation, and
we sun have many among us who are
watching and waiting for some encour-
aging WOrt from President Hill, or the
establishment Of the terminals of the
Great Northern, or the coming Of the
Northern Pacific, or the building of
coal bunkers or anything, provided
always that it is something to be said
or done by somebody else.
lhere are, however, cheering indica-
tlons that our people are recovering
rom this dependence and that we are
beginning to feel and to more thor
oughly realize that our destiny is, to a
great extent, in our own hands. and
the great work, The completion Of
which we are now celebrating, is "A
practical demonstration of that fact.
We have labor enough if rightly en-
ployed, money enough if wisely eX-
pended, energy enough if prOperly !
directed and faith enough i'm the
future of our country, if exercised with |
Judgment, to do all that we require
and to compel the coming Of the men
and the enterprises which we so much
desire and from which we expect SO
great harvest; but we can command |
this attention from the world outside |
only by demonstrating that we have
those things here which make it a .
business proposition for them to come
All this we can do by iudicious use
OF the means which we have within
and the resources which our
country and our situation furnish us.
Heretofore almost the entire energies
Of the people Of Western Washington
have been devoted to the business of
building cities and towns nd exccpt-
ing only the numbering interests of the
country and a very little DEVELOPMENT
Of our coal fields, nothing has been
done away from the tide waters, and
now that corner lots are not saleable
and inside lots are at discount, we
lind our sources Of income are limited
Indeed, while the avenues for outlay
are still wide open.
With thousands of acres of land
which small effort and outlay Of
money would have converted into
most productive grass lands, we still
use Crescent creamery butter and con-
lensed milk; with other thousands of
acres which have no equal in produc-
lYeness, we still eat Oregon fruits and
california vegetables. Our hides are
anned know not where, and shipped
back to us in high-priced boots and ,
shoes. The woods Of Washington are
,arded and spun and woven into cloth
or our wearing by the people Of other {
states.
Our children, after passing the com
non schools, are educated away from !
lOme and I'm other communities be-
'ause we have so far failed to erect and |
maintain an institution Of our own. {
There is reason to believe that under {
he surface of the earth as well as upon {
t, there are stored riches awaiting only {
he drill Of enterprise and small capital !
o develop, but no steps are taken i'm
hat direction. Our clays invite the
worker to convert them into pipe and {
T. a hut for IN. Il,
Der, coal, iron, lead, gold, silver lime,
,lay, agricultural lands could furnish I
for manufactures, tonnage for
'ailroads and labor for our people, but
hey are not utilized, and we are there {
ore without the advantages, the '
wealth and prosperity which we might {
otherwise enjoy.
But after all we are a great people,
n a great country, and, however slowly !
{ may seem, we are growing every
lay. With full use of the means
which we can command we will yet q
earn that
Perseverance is a Roman virtue
That wins each Godlike act and pluchs sue
cess
Even from the spear-proof crest Of rugged
The subject of our celebration today
vas not completed without much sac
ifice and great perseverance and
much anxiety on the part Of some of
hose who have been connected with
t. So far as | know of all the men
Who have at various times been con-
iected with it there is now but one
who started with the enterprise and
through all vicissitudes
which have attended il, and who. more
han any other, in my judgment, is
untitled to honorable mention at this q
ime. / refer to the genial and portly a
general manager of the road. Colonel
VI. G. Thum. Through his counsel
md advise /, myself, applied !
or and obtained the first charter
which through various amend
nents and substitutes and consolida-
ions led TO the enterprise which is now ,
] doubt whether the
,olonel's eyes have ever been Off that
charter since the day il was drawn. 8