The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1899-08-11
Portland's Growth.

To read an Astoria paper one woul'
think that the only thing that can sav'
the total destruction Of 0rsgon's t'ade
aud the keeping Of 1t away from tbs
Sound ls by making Of Astoria the ship
ping point Of the state instead OF Port'
land az now. While Il is true that the
Sound is doing come very exemplary
rastling for the business Il is not true
that Portland is entirely asleep, nor that
there 10 danger Of its losing its toreien
trade. So far as Portland and Astoria
are concerned the DEM Graf has no part
20 take other than a suggestion to make
in connection with the matter as It pass
az by In discussion, which is the pro-
vince Of the newepaper. At the present
time Portland is practically the shipping
center Of the state, In fact nearly all OF
IL is done there. The more 1t is built up
as such center the more ii will be TO
the advantage Of the state, and the came
might be said Of Astoria were 1t as much
in the lead a. a shipping point.
But with its present prestige Portland
is going to coutinne to hold its CONNER
cial advantages, and more than that, in
crease them. 1t may lose the Alaska
business, out that is small part OF tue
trade OF the no.thwest. Il is true that 1t
needs to get some Of the commendab's
hustle Of Seattle on, but il Is not true
that it lie gong backwards. oa the con-
trary Its interests as whols are advane-
ing, as the figures unquestionahly show,
and they vii, continue 10 do so until II
becomes a greater factor in the CONNER
cIal world. The DEMocRAr likes to be
honest ard it never fishes for attention
from either big OF email papers, though
Il il pleasin : to have said something con-
sidered worth reading. Altogether il has
condemned Portland and some Of Ter
selfish doiugs more than It has praised
them. But tits is matter IN which
lit.le things play no part
While on the subject q growth II 10
well 10 remem ber that there is bound to
grow up an important city south Of Port
land. one that will play an important
part in the business of western Oregon.
just now there is no city with the ad-
yantages Albany has Tor this. As Az
.oria has a spIehdid opportunity tor
into fine city, the beet
and biggest on the Columbia river. Al
bany has for taking The lead in the state
south of Portland and 1t expects to do so
without tearing Portland down. A state
in which only one city advances VIII
never amount to anything and II oregon
will prosper in the future il will Be De
cause the entire state goes ahead, blessed
az it is bv natural advantages unsur'
passed in the world. splendid soil ior
cereal and fruit raising and for stock,
.ictr mines. iLexhaustlb'e forests and
the finest fishing waters in the world.
During the last twenty years Portland
has crown from city OF lees than twenty
thousand people to about one hundred
thousand end the population ol the en-
tire state has probably more than
that is. they have gone along
together. Albany has had its share, IN
creasing from eighteen hundred in 1850
10 nearly five thousand, showing made
as we'll by A ,toria an d most rf the other
cities OF the state. This is as IL should
be. Oregon is cot a mushroon slty
builder, and 1t ls to be hoped 1t does not
become one. In this great race for
growth each city mast ruetle Tor itseli,
as a business man has 70 do, and when
It is done generally the whole state l'aps
ahead. Let Us not though any mora
than ossible be everlastingly kniting
our neighbour.
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