The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-03-15
WHAT A PILGRIM SAW FOR TEN
CENTS IN ASTORIA.

The panoramic view which one sees
from the seat Of moving street Car
In Astoria Is not such az 70 impress one
with the idea That It's people are thrift
~. energetic, and imbued with desire
10 make the most VI the ely In which
they live. but on the contrary. one Is
led to believe that the prevailing frame
OF mind IT, What's the use Of trying
to keep things up in condition? The old
town viii rot down anyway and we are
gp:1g to hold hard and fast to what We
have. and when the particular orange
r,It we how sucking. has no more
JUICE IN IT. We will shake the mud Of
tia town from of our feet and take
away with US whatever we have made
out OF H."
\ ride on the electric car across the
city made me, as a transient visitor
feel among other things that.
first: Its people did net have in their
vocabulary the words civic PRIDE or
II they did. they were but as sounding
brass and tinkling cymbal." They
| meant nothing to their understanding;
! otherwise they would not allow their
streets 10 remain in the condition they
are. with rotting, broken payements,
dangerous to man and beast. with the
sidewalks lying in wait to trip the un-
wary. az the pilgrim found at the cost
Of sundry bruises and the breaking OF
the third commitment. Neither would
hey allow their back yards and porches
10 resemble the garbage pile. scrap heap
and Junk shop.
Nature does so much for Astoria. in
the way Of cleaning her streets and car
| rying of her sewerage and refuse, that
| II is evident that her people have been
| depending on her TO do those things
| which their own hands ought 20 do.
The slatlernly. shiftless hook Of many
Of the back yards. pOrches and roofs
Is most dispiriting TO the stranger and
makes him feel, as he passes these
places. that here is a class OF people
who are indolent, careless and shiftless,
who make use Of that devils saying,
"Oh. what's the use"
There was never greater truth ut
tered than Cleanliness is next to God
| liness." Which store will you give your
| business TO. the one where the kerosene
/ dripS into the oatmeal and the cOdfisn
| hangs next to the butter and the crack
crs are a resting place for the flies. with a
floor which is incrusted with mud dat
| ing back 10 the PaleoZOic age or will
| you trade at the store where the win
dows are clean. with a freshly sanded
tloor. with goods neatly placed and at
tractively displayed, where the general
| look OF things says. Here is order,
! cleanliness, thrift, honestly"
AS a pilgrim | am not supposed 10
know what your rate of taxation is,
nor how much money is being spent
in the usual ways for keeping up the
various departments of the city. but If
1t Is a case Of 'anaemia" then. as a pill
grim' | saw. Get some red blood in
fused into the city fathers and take a
start and show the world that the city
is not dead" II there has been enough
money raised by due process of law to
make your city more attractive than II
is, then 1t has been misused and an in
vestigation ought to be in order
AS a pilgrim, l met many men who
gave every indication of being wide
awake. brainy and progressive and in
their hands the welfare of the city can
be assured, provided they are willing
to devote some part of their time to
much-needed reforms with the same
spirit and intelligence which they now
give to their own private business.
The old saying the Lord helps those
who help themselves" viii prove true
in the case OF Astoria. Show TO your
outside capital that you are doing all
that you can with the resources and
tools that you now have and capital
will feel that here is good place to
invest money.
The city Is now connected with the
East by railroad but unless steps are
taken to make your city more attrac-