The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-19
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH AS
TORIA?


The present stagnation of affairs in
Astoria is not only discreditable TO the
reputation for energy and common
sense OF its people, but is and has been
for some time doing positive and meal
eaIable injury to the future prospects
sf the city. How can outsiders be rea-
sonably expected to make investments
or otherwise manifest confidence in a
town whose leading citizens and prop
erty owners sit supinely by without the
slightest visible effort towards its i'm
proyement or the development of its
natural resources For years the fact
has been advertised far and wide that
Astoria only needed the advantage of
railroad connection to instantly bios
som into one Of the liveliest and most
prosperous towns in the northwest re-
gion- After many failures and disap-
pointments, thanks to a contract made
with one OF the most solvent and rep
utable business men in America, the
railroad Is now assured. and in a few
short months bids fair to be ready for
practical operation. Yet Astoria Ian
guishes. No Improvements Of any sort
are in progress, and so far as it ap-
pears from any movement among its
citizens none are projected. The casual
stranger who may be attracted here by
the unusual spectacle of a new railroad
in course of construction at the latter
end of the Nineteenth century, finds a
town Of ten thousand inhabitants with |
out the convenience of single modern I
hotel. and on inquiry is liable to be in
formed that there are actually not 1
enough dwelling houses in the city to I
accommodate even its present per.na-
nent population Although we are re-
puted to have withstood the storm of
any other town in the western section
Of the counry. and it is known that we
receive. without any contrivance or
forethought on our part. a yearly gift
from the hands OF the Almighty which
distributes abong our people a larger
pro rata Of wealth in ready money than
is paid out, perhaps, in any factory
town of the same size in the world,
there is an utter absence of any sign
Of industrial activity and an appear
ance Of neglect, decay. and general de-
Eapidation about our streets which chills
and appalls every beholder What is
wrong with Astoria? Our property
owners have expatiated for years Oh
the great elevators, the mills, the dry
dock, etc. which with the coming Of
the railroad would put Astoria in the
rank of Pacific coast cities. They have
invested much money in townsite plats
and the surveys Of new additions, be-
sides paying postage on tons Of entic-
ing photographic representations Of the
future Astoria, with its smoking chin
neys and Industrial armies busily en-
gagged in handling the commerce of the
world on the water front, but 50 far
not one Of them has built even a ware
house, and the world has not yet been
Informed where they propose to locate
any Of their mills. elevators, or dry
docks when the railroad comes Can
not our people see what is the matter
with Astoria? Cannot they understand
how ridiculous all their talk and pre-
tention as to Astoria's future greatness
must sound to a stranger when he sees (
those who know the towns resources
best, and who stand TO win or lose the
most by its progress or decline refuse 8
to evidence the faith of their convic- I
tions by the establishment of the com
monest enterprises to be found in towns /
everywhere Of less than one-half Of AS {
toria's population. This is what's the ]
matter with Astoria.