The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-09-27
THE GENERAL
JOURNAL RUSTLER

I metropolis Of ita state - conAoeIaDiy
torn up with continued building and
an industrial expansion which have
resulted not from being merely the seat
OF government, but from the fact that
here manufacturing has gained foot
hold. The further fact that De5 Moines
is the center Of population for region
four times a. large as the Willamette
valley, with ten times az many people
gives a further idea Of why il has taken
q first rank among capital citiee. The
farmers Of that vast region seem 10 be
rolling in wealth, the result Of con-
tiuuous good crops and close proximity
10 the markets Of the world. Chicago
takes their products at the top prices,
and these are not eaten 10 by freight
charges. Every farmer has shipping
privileges and rates on par with the
produce pUyers, and the result is the
latter bustles 10 get his stuff and give
him the full limit Of market value.
The corn crop is a bumper, but it's
always big in this region, and it il no
uncommon thing 10 ride for hours
through continuous fields Of IT, They
remind one In their mOnotony and
immensity Of the bonanza wheat regions
Of eastern Oregon, ca tern Washington,
California and the Dakotas.
In Illinois the methods OF farming
seem 10 have outpoWn this stage Of the
game. Ten years ago what is now true
Of Iowa was also true OF the sucker"
state, but II seems now 10 have passed
into the transtionary or reconstruction
period which at an earlier day followed
the forced abandonment OF wheat rails
ing. Thus the star Of empire seems 20
be treading lis way westward in agri.
cultural as in racial and civic matters.
As a result Of this latest transformation
or growth this state is now turning its
attention 10 the smaller arts OF
agriculture, horticulture, stOck-raising
by scientific methods, and the develop
ment Of every little industry that will
turn an honest penny.
One Of the most important and
deplorable results Of this state Of
transition now in progress Is the driving
Of thousands OF the growing population
into the great cities like Chicago. There
seems 10 be general notion that the
time for going west b grow up with the
country is past. Those who do know
that there still exist west OF the Rookie
millions OF acres OF the richest lands that
ever lay out Of doors are staggered by
the fact that II takes cold hundred
dollars for railroad trip out there and
back 10 see the country. A prominent
Chicago man suggests that when we
have the Nicaragua canal such people
can DO landed from Chicago into San
Francisco or Portland at price as low
as ten dollars apiece, and 10 substantiate
his prediction cited the fact that several
ship loads OF imm igrants have been
brought from Holland to Chicago at t5
apiece. The ship companies brought
them 10 New York at s., and then the
railroad companies carried these Storage
passengers through TO Chicago for the
remaining tl. OF course they didn't
travel in the FIRST cabin nor in pullman
cars, but they were brought to their
destination safely in ten days, and the
transportation companies adm itted that
they make money on the goods" II
this great object can be achieved by the
proposed canal, it will not only be a
Godsend TO the striving millions who
need room 10 expand, but il will relieve
the eongested oenters Of population in
the East. In the end our western coun
try will DO developed and the railroad
companies which now oppose the great
transportation scheme will grow rich
carrying 10 market what this new
population will produce on our rich lands.
A. b. HoFER, Jr.