The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-07-24
GET UP AND HUSTLE.
II You Don't The Dailes WilI Lose Its
Former Prestige.

r You Don't The DaIles VIII Lose Its
Former Prestige.
ID. TINES -MoUNTAINEER:
referring to an item in last nights
laily with reference to the proposed
-ailroad to Deschutes river, permit me
TO say that it behooves The Dalles to
look we'll to the future if she expects
to hold and increase the trade that
long has paid willing tribute to her
business men. 1.-THE survival of the
fittest" applies to cities as well as
and if town is not aggres'
sive, forceful and insistent in main
tanning and increasing the volume OF
traffic that knocks for admission. he
assured that other communities are
anxious and willing to dominate and
control. The law of business is in-
flexible, unyielding, and places thrive
and prosper. or degenerate and decay,
as men who represent property and
capital foresee and provide against
competing interests that seek TO turn
the tide of traffic elsewhere. The rec |
ord of the past, evidenced by the TAX |
ing away of the railroad shops tend TO |
the conclusion that the o. r. Il n. Co., |
while perhaps not antagonistic, would |
raise no hand to help us, in case 1t
were necessary for additional facilities
of transportation. We must do it our
selves.
The building of the Columbia South
ern from Biggs to Wasco is a direct
blow aimed at our most vital parts.
Like the old story of the camel and the
tent. it may not amount to much now,
but in the end look out; and it will be
bitter medicine to take. If completed
to the interior, not only threat but
positive menace to the future prosper
ity of Dalles City is assured. We can
not and must not have the wool aud
wheat that flow in, diverted elsewhere.
If this comes to pass what occurs? 1t
is reason to assume that a forwarding
point will be cent cred where supplies
are sold. Where producers congregate
there the merchants gather. 1t is not
reason nor logic to assume the reverse.
1t is ineyitable.
The countrysurrounding The Dalles
spreads outward and upward like a
tremendous funnel; at the appex OF
that funnel lays the town, naturally
dominating and controlling. The ter
minus of river navigation of the Col
umbia thanks to the magnificent
locks we are entitled both by right of
heritage, and by right OF location to
be the commercial city of EASTERN
Oregon, Can the business men OF
this community afford to sit idly by
and watch the process Of being effect
ually shelved as jobbing and forward
| ing point. We have retained our trade
simply because it was matter of dol
lars ana cents, which induced the
producer to come here; but the friend
ship which he processes will soon van-
ish in thin air if he can obtain better
rates elsewhere and shorten the long
haul by wagon.
The Columbia Southern'will hold the
whip and control the trade of large
portion of the country if some drastic
measures are not Immediately adopted.
One of the schemes suggested as
outlined iu the MoUNTAINEER is prac-
tical. Build railroad to the Deschutes
river and the problem is solved. Com
| natition is silancad
1t is estimated that % miles Of road
can be buil6 from The Dalles to Rattle,
snake grade for $35, 200; this will grads,
equip and complete narrow guage
steam line. Citizens should act as a
unit in this matter, and contribute not
as donation, but as an investment to
preserve the earning integrity of their
| town.
If by some means the channel of the
Columbia river should diverge and
commense to cut away its banks, and
the faot BECAME evident that in the
course of, say three years, water would
occupy Second street, and business
men knew that the expenditure of
s100, 900 would purchase material and
labor and effectually bar out the in
truding element; do you think for a
moment there would be any hesitancy?
Raise meney, why it would be forth
foming in "a hours, It seems t6 the
writer that the need of doing some.
thing to oheck-nate propositions which
threaten our tributary territory Is
equally urgent. Our earning capacity
is attacked. and while property itself
may remain intact. the diversion of
business to other source will surely
lower values and while the "grass may
not grow in our Streets" still instead
OF advancing We are retrograding.
The Commercial Club has done good
work thus far, and should be assisted
in furthering the project.
| 1t has been we'll said, that to argue
with men who have renOunced the
use and authority Of reason is like
administering medicine to the dead.
| AND to such this is not addressed. 1t
is the men who believe in the future
of The Dalles, who have their homes
and business and capital Invested here
who are loyal to the town and agrees
sive in furtherance of Its welfare.
They are the ones who will discern
what is best to be done. II.
| Albany's Enterprise.
1 A