Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-03-20
GIVES
OREGON
A HUNCH
Journal Man Writes Of Cali
fOrnia Methods and Cali
fOrnia Energy
Pnsadena. al. Mol l. 1eOe.

Aside from being a land Of oranges
and tourists this southern country might
be called the land Of the trolley cars
Through the enterprise Of Huntington
and others a system Of traction roads
has been built in and about Los Angeles
in every direction, aggregating thou.
sands Of miles. They are an double
track roads, equipped with the most
modern rolling stock. and all the cars
seem to be continually packed. Every
suburban town has one or more lines
to tho city and there are a dozen ways
to get to the various beaches, from 90
to 40 miles away 10 Is generally sup
posed that the towns produce the roads
but not % here. for In latter days the
roads produce the towns The building
Of trolley lines has built scores Of
towns down here, ranging In population
from nothing to ten and twenty thou
san The reader may smile az the par
a,lox Of q town with a population of
nothing but there are many Of them
down here. Many places are now In
process Of being laid out. First they
are plated Then streets are built. &c.
mcnt sidewalks and curbing put IN,
sewers water and gas pipes and elee.
tric conduits put under ground, and
last. but By no means least. the streets
are paved Not a Dot can be bought
until an this II done. and then, of
course. the buyer pays the whole bill.
A few days ago We visited Venice,
south 81 santa Monica. on the beach,
AMI here We found a live town Of about
sOOO people and only 10 months old.
There are many other places that have
similar experiences. and what has been
done here can be- done elsewhere. The
building of two trolley lines from sa.
lem 90 Portland means that In ten
years tens Of thousands Of people who
would otherwise eventually be- rcsil
dents Of tho metropolis, will live In
clean. comfortable small towns along
these hncs Furthermore these people
will come 60 the point where tho best
Inducements are offered them, and tho
cost win only be one of tho secondary
features Of the transaction. Nothing
seems 20 attract people like 'hesc mod
eFn home conycnienees They make a
model town, and when put down right
and well Ia tho start they are a luxury
all can afford. There is mo- experiment
al stage. and no blunacrs 20 pay for.
Many may conclude that a Portland
trolley line will draw from Salem bat
such is not the ease. FOR No may take
the example Of Pasadena. IL is Only a
dozen miles from Los Angeles, bot In
che past six years has doubled from APP
proximately ten 20 twenty thousand
population, When Huntington started
bis trolley lines many feared that h
would huilJ up tho city and injufe the
smaller places IN proportion, but such
has not been the ease Tor the smaller
places have. II anything, more thau
held thvif own People from here do
not 20 20 the city 20 trade as mueh as
they ala before, Tor the local dealers
are enabled 20 keep Paee with the
growth, aud supply che wants Of the
most exactiug, and that AZ lower prices
Public sentiment generally u iu favor
Of the smaller places, and as the growth
becomes general they make tho greater
strides.
II Portland could depriye an the
smaller places OF the activity which
surely follows these modern methods Of
transportation that city might keep up
"a greater contrast than she can who're
places like salem have equally good
transportation facilities Every body
down here Is interested 10 know about
the building Of these roads, aud iu pro-
portion as such enterprises are pushed
up there will the people from here aud
an oyer the country beg.u 90 pay rs
bgne towards the upbuil2ug OF The
Northwest The shoe has been oa the
other foot long enough. Let Oregon
get 70 the front now, for our grand o.i
state never had better chance.
We have met not a few Oregon Peo-
pie since We have been down here,
some only visiting. while a few have
made their home here. The other day
We fen in with Mrs. +. =. Waters aud
Mrs. George +. Waters, who are visit
ing theiT relatives Mrs. sroat and
daughter Bertha George sroat has a
real estate business here. and Is DIP
uty city assessor
A. r. GlbeFt ana family live IN
South Pasadena, where he is engaged
in a musical instrument business. Mr.
and Mrs @. W. johnson and Mr. and