The new age. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1896-1905, 1906-01-20
EDITORIAL
DEVELOPMENT IN OREGON.

modest voice in appreciation of the
evident dawning of a new era of de.
velopment in Oregon, and to aid in
it in some slight degree at least, II
possible This paper has now been
published a considerable number OF
years in Portland, and from the first
has had unbounded faith in Oregons
and Portlands steady and, even in
the near future, rapid growth. That
this latter feature of our faith is soon
to be fulfilled is now evident. Sew.
eral great railroads are headed this
way, and some of them are building
as rapidly as men and money can do
the work Mr.. Hill is coming down
the north bank of the Columbia and
will cross the Columbia and William
cite rivers to this city. One, and
probably two, roads will be built to
Coos Bay, also to Tillamook. A road
is building into Wallowa county, with
a prospect of second. The new
route from Portland, leaving the S. P.
at Natron, will bring the Klamath re-
gion, where irrigation will bring forth
great products, in connection with
this city, and Central Oregon will be
invaded in both directions-east and
west and north and south Two or
three minor but important railroads
are projected in Southern Oregon, and
also in Eastern Oregon. The electric
line between Salem and Portland is in
course of construction, and several
others will soon be built in the Will
lamette valley. All this railroad
building will develop Oregon within
five years more than it has developed
in the past 20 years, and we look to
see Oregon with a population of near
ly a million inhabitants in 1910, and
Portland with 100000.
Development is going on also in
other ways, in dairying, in horticul-
ture, in diversified farming, in manu-
featuring, and there will be much
more Of it. Oregon has twice as much
standing timber as any other state in
the Union, Washington coming next,
and this will make the lumber indus
try several times the already great
one it is Oregon leads the world to-
day in apples, pears, and prunes, and
can be made the best fruit state in
the Union. Western Oregon is adapt
ed to be an ideal dairy country. With
river improvements completed, Port
land will increase its commerce sew
eral fold, and perhaps become the
greatest port on the Coast. All this
is close before this city and state
now; the great development so long
talked about has actually begun. Over
500, 900, 900 of Eastern capital will be
spent in Oregon or along the Columbia
and Snake rivers in the next two
years.
But it won't do for Oregonians to
sit back and say, We'll, if all this is
surely coming we have nothing to do"
Everybody should "bear hand" take
a part, help what he can, do the best
he can in his own line of work to
bring about the predicted result and
make Oregon what it ought to be
the best state in the Union. If every
body works and talks in this spirit,
we shall see great changes mere, Such
as two or three years ago even would
have been deemed impossible or
miraculous, within the next ten years
in Oregon.
Let development be the watchword,
and everybody help. There is room
and opportunity for a great number Of
people, in all sorts of investment, en-
terprise and employment. Get 'in
the SWIM" you Eastern people, and
come to Oregon, the state that for
some years to come is going to de-
velop far faster than any other por-
ton of the country.