Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-01-20
TIME FOR ACTION.

College, who has Travelled extensively
in the Eastern States in the last few
months, writes that he has lost nc
opportunity to advertise the Lewis
and Clark Exposition. He finds the
people interested in the Western fair
wherever he goes, and says that the
number Of visitors to Oregon next
year will surpass all expectations.
He says that Dallas and the surround
ing country will get their proportionate
share Of these visitors, many Of whom
will come prepared to buy homes, and
adds that "money expended judicious-
ly in advertising Dallas and Polk
county will be we'll invested and will
bring large returns"
DR.. Poling's experience is the ex-
perience Of every Oregonian who has
visited the Eastern States in the last
year. The people Of the East are
interested in Oregon as never before,
and information relative to the state
is everywhere eagerly sought The
demand for descriptive advertising
matter greatly exceeds the supply,
although hundreds of thousands of
booklets and circulars are being dis
tributed each month by the com
mercial bodies Of Portland. Aiding
in this work Of publicity, are the rail
road companies, the Lewis and Clark
Fair Board, prominent real estate
firms, and boards of trade throughout
the state.
One thousand of the leading
libraries Of the United States have
been supplied with advertising matter
by the Portland Commercial Club, and
hundreds ofthese libraries are writing
for additional information, 68 letters
having been received in one mail a
few days ago Many of the libraries
of the New England states say that
any material relative to the history of
Oregon and the Western states will be
welcome to their shelves.
The great daily newspapers, in
response to the demands Of their
readers, are glad to make room In
their valuable columns for articles
descriptive Of the Oregon country and
the Lewis and Clark Fair, and the
thousands Of smaller daily and weekly
newspapers and trade publications
throughout the United States are no
less interested and enterprising. The
numerous articles descriptive of the
state and its resources submitted in |
competition in the prize contest
recently conducted by the Portland
Commercial Club found a welcome re-
ception in the columns Of prominent
Eastern newspapers. M. M. Ellis,
president of the Dallas Board of
Trade, only few days ago received a
letter from leading Iowa daily paper
asking for an article describing the
Willamette Valley ard Polk county
in particular.
Oregon is today attracting more
attention than any other state in the
Union, and this interest will steadily
increase as the time for the opening
OF the Lewis and Clark Fair ap-
proaches. Thousands of Eastern peo-
pie are preparing to come to Oregon
next Summer, and a large number of
them will come to stay. After visiting
the Fair, they will scatter out over the
state to investigate the resources and
the advantages offered to
by the various counties
with view Of becoming permanent
residents Of the locality that suits
them best 1t is needless to say that
the county or town putting out the
most attractive advertising matter
will secure the greatest number of
these immigrants. The locality that
hides it light under a bushel, no
matter how great its advantages or
will be passed by practically ,
The question now arises: What
are we going to do? Is Polk county
% reap the benefits to which her =
splendid resources entitle her? Are
her people ready and willing to assist +,
n the work of calling the attention Of =
hese Eastern visitors to the most >
avored section of the Willamette
ialley? Is Dallas to continue the