Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-05-05
FOR PERMANENT EXHIBIT
W. b. Sherman Outlines q Plan
to Advertise Grants Pass.


Of an appropriation for a JosephiD,
County exhibit at the Lewis ant
Clark Fair has been wisely settled by
the County Court, thus removing tht
burden from the few who would
have been required to provide the
funds had the matter been left to
popular subscription, the time is
most opportune to consider the con.
struction of building in which our
present mineral exhibit and reading
room may be permanently located. 1t
is one thing to attract people to Jose
phihe County by an elaborate exhibit
at the Fair, and still another thing
to shcw them something of our real
products after they are here. In ad-
vertising, no matter whether 1t be for
private corporation or a munioipali-
ty results are the only thing that
count. We want results, beneficial
results. we want people, enterprising
people.
1t has been conservatively estimated
that 5000, 900 people from the East,
South and Middle West, will visit
Portland this summer. OF this num-
Der fully half will pass through Grants
Pass, and great per cent of these
will be people who are not visiting
Portland and Oregon merely to see
the Exposition, but to find new To-
cation, a new home. From this, an
idea may be had Of the Importance of
an exhibit building located where all
may see, with 10 minute stop. such
as the railroad company will gladly
allow all passenger trains, hundreds
of thousands Of people would be given
a glimpse of Jospehine's products
and resources this summer. 1t will
mean the increase of Grants Pass and
Josephine County's population by
many thousand. 1t will mean the ad-
dition Of new blood, the establishment
Of more modern ideas and methods in
all lines Of our business. 1t would
mean the pouring in of more capital
and the necessary development of our
timber, mineral and agricultural area.
1t would mean better and bigger
schools for town and country, more
churches, and an improvement and
uplift to society in general
But these results will come only by
immediate action. The building and
exhibit must be in place ON time to
catch the attention Of the summers
procession of Eastern people. In this
regard, the six months following June
Of this year will be Of more value and
Importance than the six years THAT
follow.
That the exhibit building can be
erected and maintained has already
been demonstrated by the accomplish
ments of the Grants Pass Miners As
ISOLATION. This organization took up
the proposition Of machine shop
and foundry, and the enterprise soon
became reality. 1t took up the mat
ter OF permanent mineral exhibit
n
truth there is no other mineral col
lection in the state that will any way
compare with IL, Notwithstanding the
brief time in which the ores have been
collected The maintenance of the
exhibit IL cared for till January of
next year, with a bright outlook
ahead. II the Miners Association had
a building Of its own, the problem of
maintenance would be settled till
May of 1906. instead OF January.
Two propositions in the matter of
an exhibits building have been pre-.
sented. One is to erect one story
structure ON the corner lot opposite
the depot on Sixth Street. the other
consolidate the efforts and mears Of
the Grants Pass Miners Association
and the proposed organization Of a
Y. M. O. A. and construct large
and handsome building, equipping
it with reading room, gymnasium
and assembly hall, aside from tha ex.
hibits room. To consolidate would
necessarily mean strength. 1t would
mean the procuring Of subscriptions
from many who would not otherwise
subscribe, and IL would mean the
construction of an edifce that would
be credit to the city.
am heartily in sympathy with the
Y. M. O. A. and am willing to donate
as literally as any citizen Of Grants
Pass of similar means, towarL the
erection Of Y. NJ O. A. building.
But am not in favor OF consolidating
the work of the Y. M. O. A. and of
the Grants Pass Miners Association.
at least In the matter Of building
In the first place 1t would require
at least three months to finance, to
secure subscriptions and collect the
$4,000 or $4,000 necessary to erect
building OF the dimensions a Y. M.
O. A. assembly hall, reading room
and gymnasium would require. This
would place il in the middle of sum.
mer before construction work could
begin and fully four months more
would be required to erect the build.
ing. BY the time II was done the
Fair would be over, and as has al
ready been pointed out, the real or
portunity to be gained by an exhibits
building would be lost.
In my opinion the sort Of building
that could be the most economically
constructed, and which wopld create
far more attention than any other
would be of logs. There is "a posi-.
bility that a wooden building OF no
kind would be allowed within the
fire limits by our council, yet for
this particular purpose and consider.
ing It's distance from all surrounding
structures there is little doubt bat
that an exhibits building would be
allowed by special concession.
The worth OF log building for ex-
hibition purposes has been we'll and
amply demonstrated by the Oregon
RnildinR at the ST. I.onia Enir and