Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-09-01
p0RTLAND'S
| GREAT
ADVANCE
|umitted by a Traveller from
I Southern California

chamberlain, of Throop institute,
have just returned from a months
,rin through the Pacific northwest
rbev have been gathering data for
new volume on Pacific Coast In
austries" in the series of books Pro-
,ossor James Chamberlain is writing.
They spent some time in Portland,
Seattle and Tacoma, journeyed up
the Columbia river to Spokane,
thence to Victoria and Vancouver,
British Columbia.
"There is big advance notice.
able over the conditions of year
ago so far as Portland is concerned" :"
said he. "The exposition greatly
benefited the city. Portland's busi-
ness interests are rapidly growing
there being many buildings in course
Of construction, among them two
large steel and stone blocks. AS a
| residence city, Portland has many
advantages, both in its climate and
Its scenery.
"The growth of Seattle is remark
able and not to be appreciated by
one who has not been there. AS
city is is modern and up-to-date in
most respects. It's street railway
system is excellent, the new North
ern Pacific railway station would be
a credit to any city; it's buildings
are imposing, among them being sew
eral skyscrapers, and the merchants
carry the finest stocks of goods. AS
a shipping point it is growing in i'm
portance, the business with the ORR
ent being wonderfully increased. It's
great drawback at present is found
in a water supply inadequate and
impure. This supply is brought
from several miles distant and is re-
spOnsible for the contagion of ty.
phod now raging in the city. Spe-
clalists from Boston and the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania are at present
examining into the condition of the
water and milk supplies and giving
lectures on sanitation and hygenic
conditions, and will later make re-
port.
Some of the smaller cities of
Washington and Oregon are develop
ing their trade bodies to good ad-
vantage. At Ashland, Oregon, there
is an exhibit of the resources and
products of the city and county at
the railroad station with young
woman in charge. 1t is evident that
the people of the north have profited
by the methods employed by south
ern California at Portland last sea-
son.
In this connection the thing that
impressed us strongly was the fact
that Portland north to the border,
on the Columbia from Astoria to
Spokane and over the Canadian Pa
clfc railway through the provinces
of British Columbia and Alberta, the
whole region is being burned over.
All this territory was once heavily
timbered, but has been logged over
and much of it is now covered with
thick second growth. For miles on
either side of the Columbia and
stretching away from the Northern
Pacific and Canadian railways the
smoke is dense by day and at many
places the blaze can be seen by night.
From Portland south to Shasta there
are evidences of fires back from the
railroad. 1t is no wonder that here
In the south, as well as throughout
the country generally, a few people
are agitating more adequate super
vision and patrol of forests. In Can
ada, similar forest laws to our own
pertain, but careless campers ana
sheep men do much damage. 1t SO
happens that the splendid system OF
northwestern mounted police does
hot extend west into British Colunl'
oia, or much danger from fire in this
region could be obviated.
This is the driest season known
Tor years on the north coast, which
accounts in part for the forest fires.
Il also partially accounts for the
iusty appearance of Seattle, Taco
ma and the sound cities of British
Columbia which are growing rapidly.
Neither water nor oil are used on
he residence streets and Pasadena
5 eminently superior to them in this
aspect