The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-14
is TIME To "HOLLER"
SAVANNAHIANS' CONSERVATISM
COMPARED WITH THE WEST.
MORE TALK OF THE TOWN
AND POPULATION WOULD REACH
100000 IN FIVE YEARS.


Both Are of Same OpiniOn-Met
Former Savannahians in Far
West-J. Hamilton Lewis and T. ID.
Rockwell Both Prospecting.
What Savannah needs more than
everything else combined is citizens
who will talk up the town-who will
tell of Savannah's advantages every
where they go. and never let up long
on the subject to those who are visit
ing the city. With her tourists rates,
and the organized effort being made
by the Chamber of Commerce to at
tract people to the city, she could be-
come a city of more than 100000 in
habitants within five years; and l am
confident she will if her own people
'whoop her up"
This is the way Mr.. Walter P. La
Roche summed up the situation yes
terday on his return from a tour of
the far West Both he and Mr.. A. ].
Merkle, manager of Bradstreets, who
went together on the trip. are of the
same opinion.
The one impression of all others
made on u.s." said Mr.. LaRoche, was
the way in which the Western people
Dragged on their own towns. This is
the secret of the success of Los An
geles, a city of 100000 people, which
has not half the inducements to offer
which Savannah has. The travelling
public is anxious to hear of your city
nd
hearing a citizen tell how good it is to
live in his town. The Western people
are cordial and courteous and have
warm place in their hearts for South
erners.''
Both Mr. LaRoche and Mr. Merkle
talk Interestingly of their trip, and
their appearances bespeak the bene-
fetal results of their Western tour.
They left Savannah a month ago Dur
ing their four weeks of sightseeing,
they met a number of former Savan-
nahians, all of whom are prospecting
in the great West. Mr.. Merkle went
purely on pleasure, while Mr.. La
Roche made a combination trip of bus
mess and pleasure.
Ship struck "A Reef.
Mr. LaRoche's business trip was in
itself an interesting one, his client be
ing Savannah lady who several years
ago had the misfortune to be wrecked
off the cost of British Columbia on
one of the Pacific steamers while re-
turing home from Alaska Together
with several other passengers she
brought suit against the Pacific Steam
ship Company for damages to baggage,
etc, which resulted from the wrecking
of the steamer on a reef, the amount
involved in the litigation being consid-
erble. The name of the Savannah lady
is Mrs. Alice Sihler, who now lives
here. A sum of money sufficient to
meet the claims against the company
has been deposited in the register of
the Oregon admiralty court, where the
case was tried
One of the greatest sights we wit
messed on our trip was at Salk Lake
City" said Mr.. LaRoche, in speaking
of his trip to a party of friends yes
terday. Ten thousand people gather
ed in the great Mormon Temple to
hear an organ recital given by an or
ganist who had been taught by the
masters in Germany. There were pres
ent all of the members of the National
Irrigation Congress The recital was
superb The organ, it is said, is the
finest in the world. 1t has 5000 pipes
and an attachment which so nearly re-
sembles the human voice, as to sound
like choir The organ is operated by
electricity, the organist facing the con-
gregation, fully forty feet from the
organ, and with his back to it.
GeOrgians in the West.
I'm Oregon we met the chairman of
the Democratic State Committee, Mr..
Samuel White. formerly of Griffin, Ca,
and we were introduced by him to
the judges of the Supreme Court at
GNs,ll
George E. Chamberlin. The Governor
is Missippian by birth, and is one of
the most loyal Southerners you ever
saw. The state is overwhelmingly Re-
publican, his election being attribu-
atable solely to his ability and magnetic
personality.
In the Senate Chamber of the state
of Oregon, and directly over the chair
of the President of the Senate. we saw
an oil painting which at once attract
ed our gaze. over the portrait was
kritten in gilt letters: DIR. John Nc
Laughlin, pioneer of the Northwest,
and by courtesy the first Governor of
the state of Oregon
3At Spokane we met Mr.. T. D. Rock
well, who formerly practiced law here.
He is County Attorney; a popular man.
known throughout several states. He
is energetic and prospecting, and held
in the highest esteem.
Everybody Knew Slim Ham,"
Everybody knew James Hamilton
Lewis He is at the head of the Beat
Sugar Refinery trust, and. we were
told he received a salary of $25 900,
annually. He is a man of great abil-
ity and Yields his influence in Wash
ington, Oregon and Idaho. He was,
you know, familiary known here as
Jim Ham, when he practiced law and
while a reporter for the Morning News.
eve went through the irrigated sec
tion of Idaho, and saw one of the great
est fruit growing sections in the world
The Payette Valley, to which we paid
visit, produced the fruit which won
the loving cup at Ogden in COMPETE
ton with all the states of the West.
I'VE had an unusual experience when
we visited the mining properties at
Sumter. While at an altitude of 5000
feet, my nose came near bleeding and
Mr.. Merkle developed a headache, so
rare was the air. 1t was at the top
of this mountain that the strike among
the miners recently occurred. The
mine is said to be the richest dis
covery of gold made in this section in
recent years. The property is owned
by two men; none of the stock is for
sale, and in three weeks after the first
pick was sunk 100000 worth of gold
had been taken out. That is what we
were told.
I'VE went through the great wheat
growing districts of Washington and
Oregon. Some idea of the modern
farming methods employed on the great
farms may be gained from the state
ment that we saw as many as thirty
+,,.o bOrSaS attached To single har-