The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-12-10
NOW THE GOLDEN
OPPORTUNITY
Astoria Can Make Great Stride In
Building Up the City.
INDUSTRIAL ADVANCES MADE
During the Period of Construction Are
the Most Effective-New Enter
prises Proposed.
INDUSTRIAL ADVANCES MADI

Ia talking over the future prospects
OF Astoria and what should he done
to better the condition OF affairs this
winter. Mr.. Frank Stokes, OF Foard &
Stokes said yesterday 10 an Astorlan
representative that In his opinion the
time had come when AEtorians should
start some industries here which would
supplement the railroad. furnish traffic
for II and business for the community.
THE first important steps TO be taken
appear TO me 10 be the establishment Of
n -four mill. sawmill and drydock. TO
these We might add a smelter for the
reduction Of ores. The Importance Of
the first three industries has been dwelt
upon at length time and again. We all
know what Il means TO have payrolls.
We also know that factories cannot be
established upon wind. II is patent 10
the most simple minded In this commu-
nifty that with a railroad connecting
this port with Portland and transcon-
tinentRl railroads, our natural recources
not only justify the establishment OF
such industries. but make them an alb
soiute necessity. In addition to the ar
guments already presented. which have
clearly shown the profits to be derived
from the building and operations Of
flour mills. sawmllls. a dry dock and
other manufactures. win add that
there Is a good opportunity TO erect and
operate here a smelter for the handling
u ores, The state Of Oregon is rich in
minerals. As are our nelghborlng states
on the north and east a smelter on
tide water could not fail 10 pay hand
some profits. There Is also here an
other element in this question which
must add 20 the success OF such an en-
terprise. The tin scraps thrown out
by the ton from the cannerles on the
lower Columbia and in Astoria, makes
the best possible iiux for the reduction
OF ores, II is now simply put TO no
use whatever. A good flux Is a scarce
article and one Of the most expensive
items In the management OF every
smelter
There is abundant room here for the
employment OF capital in various man
ufacturing enterprises, which viii give
employment to thousands Of workmen
and build up lucrative traffic for this
port. These statements are not vision
airy In any sense OF the word. and / am
firmly convinced that we should set
about establishing some OF these In
stltutions In order to have them run
pleted. In the Nehalem valley is also
to be found fine quality OF coking
coal for furnace use, and l understand
II Is part OF the plans OF the railroad
to tap this rich territory. In fact, am
told that surveyors are already in the
field making preliminary surveys for
the road. Mr.. Hammond will soon be
here and we cannot do better than to
be prepared to meet him on one or
more OF these proposition. Never mind
when the road will be flnlshed-it will
be completed on time. Now is our gol-
den opportunity, TO get people here and
start the town to growing. With all
these things under way simultaneously
no power can hold back the advance
ment OF property and the development
OF the city"