Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1897-12-02
FUTURE ABERDEEN.

Men who have watched the growth
and development of cities are unanimous
in the opinion that only one city of great
Importance can be built upon Grays
Harbor. There is nothing in reason or
experience to justify such a thing as that
of making four or five such cities. One
OF these little towns will some day and
for certain reasons outstrip the others in
growth and prosperity, and become the
large city of the Harbor. Which one it
will be depends on several conditions
which we will briefly enumerate.
First, if nature has evidently designed
one town site to be better adapted to the
building up Of a large commercial center
than all its rivals, that constitutes very
strong point in its favor.
Next, if certain town gets good
start and business is done there OH a
large scale, 1t stands good chance to
hold the situation against all other
towns however greatly they may be
doomed.
Still further, if the property owners o!
Il town are reasonable in their prices for
building lots instead of placing fictitious
prices on them they will encourage immi-
grafton and settlement. 1t has been found
wiser to even donate good corner lot to
some business house., or block to some
manufacturing plant, than to contend for
a high price, and drive people into some
other town to set up business.
Let us see if all these conditions do
not belong to Aberdeen.
Could the natural location be better?
There is room for plenty OF wharfage,
and the water is deep even at the lowest
tide.
1t lies on both sides of the two rivers,
Chehalis and Wishkah, with enough
perfectly level land for city OF 100000
inhabitants, and in addition to the level
portion, are extensive slopes rising to
high hills on the north side, where the
best residence portion OF the city will
eventually be, leaving the level portion
for railroads, boat docks, commercial
houses, factories, etc. We are only
twelve or fourteen miles from the open
ocean, and the mariner who is CONVEX
SAINT with the channel may, and often
does sail his vessel into port without the
aid OF tug. And when here the vessel
is in fresh water except when the tide is
in, which is favorable to keeping away
the destructive teredo which honey
combs the pilng OF the cities on the
Sound and many salt water ports. The
barnacle is also warned that in our port
it is time he quit the business of hanging
on the ships hull.
AS to the matter of getting an early
start, Aberdeen is also proud to be ahead
IN size and population. Only some fool
ish business proposition, or the failure of
our real estate holders to work for the
future growth of the town can change
the current OF immigration to some other
town.
This brings us to consider the third
condition named above-the attitude of
property owners to home seekers. Time
was when property was held at ruinously
high figure, but today there is no boom
and no collapse; We have passed both
stages OF experience and are now in a
condition for permanent growth. Our
houses and places Of business are pretty
nearly all occupied. Several Of the hest
houses in town have been built the past
summer, and others are just now being
begun. This indicates faith in Aber-
deems future greatness.
Our mills are all running except one,
and that will soon be in operation, while
some are working five quarter time. 1t
is no uncommon thing to see half dozen
large schooners loading lumber at one
time.
The salmon fishery industry is no
insignificant item in our prosperity,
thousands OF cases being canned here
every year, besides tons upon tons that
are sent away fresh on the railroad to all
parts of the U. S.
There Is also growing conviction that
there must be a clean city government
irrespective of the usual party lines.
Aberdeen people should see that good
men are put into office at each municipal
election, conservative men, not radicals
on either side, but men with no pet
theory to work out and no political debt
to pay. With Cosmopolis on the east
and Hoquiam on the west, we expect
within the next ten years, having grown
toward each other during that time, to
incorporate after the example OF New
York into city Of some 10000 or 40, 900
called Greater Aberdeen.
Thursdays Post-Intelligencer con-