The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-09-27
WHO RETURN

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept Fin moth
ing is the change Of attitude Of the
public mind In California iu the past
few years so marked as in its relation
to the Southern Pacific. one who re-
turns after an absence of "a few years,
notices the evidence of the change i'm "A
score OF ways The tone OF the newspa-
pers is altogether different The use of
the terms "Espee" or IS. p as mere
epithets is seldom INDUCED in any
more, showing that they have lost their
power as alarmist arguments, and that
the Southern Pacific Is no longer a
bogiemau either to scare the timOrOus
or to direct unrefecting and unreason-
ing opposition against either men or
measures. OF course these terms are
used occasionally and an attempt is
made once in a while to arouse anti
railroad sentiment by the old device.
Shiboleths and prejudices die hard. The
bloody shirt" was not entirely worn
out after twenty years of hard service.
And so there is occasionally some news
paper in the state which doesn't know
that the world moves, and thinks there
is still efficacy in the threadbare term
"espee." 1t is oftener used now as
reminiscent pleasantly than in any
other way; just as we can all joke
about the bloody shirt" or sixteen to
one" now, though they Influenced the
votes Of some of us a few years ago.
But this change of attitude is shown
in other ways. Why, so uncholerc has
the public temper grown on the subject
that the Southern Pacific itself, in it's
advertising matter, refers to the San
Joaquin valley as the scene of Frank
Norris great novel, The Octopus. 50
There isn't the loneliness on either
side. that there used to be.
J Still the change of attitude is not
merely a cessation of hostilities, or the
disintegratiOn of prejudlces. A tacit
comfy has been established. The truth
is, California is engaged in a general
enthusiastic, and altogether move
ment to develop her magnificent resour-
ces, and the public has found that the
Southern Pacific is not only an effect
i've but willing cOpartner in this
movement. incidentally it may be said
the movement is phenomenally success
full The state is growing in population
]
/ There isn't any boom, or at least not
any that shows strikingIy the boom
{ characteristics But there is growth
expansion, development everywhere
Every city and town in the state, al
most is growing, and the agricultural
and horticultural regions of the state
are filling up and developing. 1t isn'r
alone an increase of population, but
there is a quickened realization among
the people of California themselves, of
the wonderful natural resources with
which they are surrounded, and a keen
and intelligent grasp of their utility.
The railroads, and pre-eminently the
Southern Pacific, is one of the most vi.
tai factors in this forward movement
California has an immense variety of
( places and natural resources that ad-
! vertise well-that is, they can be de-
scribed by picture and text so as to at
tract people seeking either pleasure or
profit. Whether it is alfalfa or yose-
mite, hop-fields or giant sequoias. milch
cows or Tahoe, orange groves or prune
orchards, mammoth wineries or the
submarine wonders boat at Santa Cruz
or Monterey, they are either susceptible
of being made to appear either the only
or the most wonderful things of their
kind in the world, or in some other way
/ the Californians have the knack of
making them appear attractive. Pro-
motion committees, state, county and
city, hotels, resorts and the owners of
undeveloped resources have advertised
the state in a wonderfully effective
way. The trans-continental railroads
and their connections throughout the
Mississippi and Missouri valleys have
| bent exceedingly intelligent effort ia
the creation Of passenger traffic, Undue
! ing people to come out here. II doesn't
! cost near as much to come from the
| East to California as it does to go from
! California to the East. When round
/ trip excursion rates are made, the rate
! from the East to California and return
is always lower than from California
to the East and return. The object is
clear; to get people to come out here.
In all this work the Southern Pacific
is an earnest and constant factor. II
is constantly at it and its passenger
traffic department is everlastingly de-
vising new advertising schemes. The
various parts OF the state; the various
developed resources, of lumber, dairy.
ing, horticulture or what not, are deftly
combined and alternated, made the
central feature of some particular ad
vertisement or series of advertisements
80 that while there is continuity and
reiteration, which are essential ele
ments Of successful advertising, there
is not tiresome and unchanging repeti
ton. A number of things are accom-
plished by this. A wider range of tast'
and interest in the public it is sough
to reach, is touched. An even balanc,
in regard to the various parts of thu
state is maintained, allaying all lOca
Ijealousies and maintaining cordial rela
lions with other interests cooperating
in promoting population and develop
ment. And development throughout al
the regions tributary to the Southern
Pacific is carried on, For the Southern
Pacific doesn't alone want the business
OF bringing tourists out to California
and carrying them back again. 1t want