Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-06-22
DISHED UP IN STYLE
OregOnian Staff Correspondent Visits
Salem.
A Raey wnte-Up of the Capital City
and Its Resorces.

The Portland Oregonian has never
been widely known for its magnanimity
towards Salem. 1t is great paper, and
those communities favored with its
smiles are indeed fortunate. AS stated,
Salem has not been in that lucky posi-
tion, but of late that great paper-the
thunderer of Oregon-has deigned to no.
tice Oregon's Capital City, in manner
that at least indicates respect, if not
pride. In fact last Sundays issue has a
complimentary article for our city that
is well written and a just recognition OF
her merits.
j. w. X. is the staff correspondent
who injects frequent glimpses of truth
like the following: "Sal, m shows sure
symptoms of having kept up with the
procession Every Salemite recognizes
the eternal justice of that sentence, and
takes off his hat to Mr.. j. w. r. Here
is his next break: "The asylum is an
immense institution already, but is
about to have $4,000 addition tackled
on. The location is ideal, and commands
magnificent view of hill and vale, and
the the immediate surroundings are
beautiful, carpets of lawn-grass now
pleasing the eye where formerly the wild
oat fourished among Lutte Savage's
wheat"
He next pays the Salem street car
system good compliment, and ii he
had known it he would have added the
fact that we have the best electric car
service Of any city of our size on the
Pacific coast. Saem's own residents
don't all know this, but it is straight
goods, and we want this clever staff cor
respondent to accept the amendment
without debate. lie proceeds to show
his familiarity with ancient history by
tibits like the following; cone of the
suburbs, which is filed with modern
homes, is named Eve Park, so called
because Uncle Tommy Cross slaughter
house used to stand there and furnish
all the roast lamb the town could get
mint sauce ion"
His reference TO the old agricultural
works however, is unkiud, and the best
of evidence that the writer is not up on
local matters. That building has in the
past few years been converted from its
former uses into one OF the most useful
institutions of the Willamette valley. II
is not used for fruit warehouse from
whence last year over hundred car
! loads of dried prunes, to say nothing OF
the pears, apples, hops and other pro-
duce were shipped TO the great whole
safe houses OF the east. The fine repu-
tation acquired for this fruit OF ours has
| brought the Cali ,ornia fruit magnates 10
their feet, and the firm of Griffin d Skel'
| ley, of SAN Francisco, have leased this
big warehouse for a series of years, in
order TO secure our superior product.
No, the old agricultural works have not
dried up and blown away, but more
fruit business is being run through the
establishment than Portland can show
up. Salem is the prune centre of Ore
gon, and Oregon has the finest prunes OF
the world. That's do doubt the reason
the great California fruit dealers want
foothold in our midst.
This very good natured staff cores
pondent gives his readers some excel
lent fun as well as some good hard facts,
For instance, he says: "The water
furnished Salem for domestic purposes
is now considered a pretty fair article.
} 1t is taken from a deep spot up the
river, where cribbing causes il 10 per-
colate through purifying gravel, and IT
goes into the pipes by direct pressure y
This is at least half truth, and pos
sibly three-quatters, but we must take
il in the pleasant spirit in which the
whole article is written. The article Is
bubbing with good spirit as thoroughly
as Salem city water is sparkling with
all the good qualities known 70 aqua
pura. The water this city had before
its recent iiltering system was intro
duced was inst the same as Portlanders
iubibed and grew fat on before they
bonded themselves for generations 10
secure their present boasted supply OF
snow Juice from Bull Run. Salem has
the advantage Of her metropolitan
neighbor in having secured just as good
an improvement in her water supply
without penny Of public expense.
We wouldn't for the world make 50
modest man as President Wallace OF
the Salem water company blush, but
like George Washington, We will tell the
truth, and feel compelled 70 reiterate
what every citizen knows and il proud
Of, that Salem now has one OF the best
public water systems on the Pacific
coast. If not in the whole country. We
all appreciate the good quality Of the
water now served the public OF salem
but the Journal is Of the opinion that
we DO not sufficiently realize as com
muLity what a great advantage we Sc
cure in not being Obliged 10 load down
the future generations with debt to &c
cure this fine improvement. Here's Il
the health Of the happy Oregoniar
scribe, and well drink il in the pure
Willamette nectar taken from the mainI