The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-02-23

But as he climbed the foothills and
saw fruit fit for the gods, grain kissed
by the sun and the silvery mountain
streams coursing their way through
the valley he realized that this section
Is capable of sustaining a million peo-
pie in plenty and contentment, and he
wondered why the development OF
such boundless resources had been sd
slow when there is known to be
abundance of local capital now lying
idle that might be profitably used in
building trolley lines and in other en-
terprises for the betterpent of social
| and business life. He told how In
! diana had come to be covered by a
| network of trolley lines and how won.
derfully they had contributed to the
increase of population and Of wealth.
| He urged the Commercial club and the
| citizens of Walla Walla to make use
of the talents that have been entrusted
| to them by a beneficient providence.
He said that under present conditions
| Walla Walla is like her penitentiary,
zone must serve time before he can
| get out of it," If the citizens did not
take advantage of their opportunities
| it was only question of time when
eastern capital would come in and
build the trolley lines and reap the
profits. Then Walla Walla people
would be in the plight that James
Whitcombe Riley, his fellow-Hoosier,
found himself in after missing train
| for which he had been waiting for
| two hours. AS he saw the hind end of
| the train pulling out he walked around
the corner of the depot, and, raising
| his coat tails, called to a stranger on
the platform, "Kinck, by Jing."
! Spokane Man Boosts.
Hon. D. T. Ham made a long talk on
Elements of Success in a Commercial
Club" Mr.. Ham declared in effect that
Walla Wallans should blame not their
stars but themselves if they were
underlings." He declared that there
| is no richer spot on earth than the
Walla Walla valley. It's climate sur
passes that of California and it's soil
| will raise anything indigenous to the
| temperate zone. With such resources
and advantages Walal Walla should be
! the second Or third city Of the state
in population instead of the sixth. He
said that it was Walla Walla's own
| fault that it has not a transcontinental
railroad. 1t had neglected it's oppor-
tunities. But Walla Walla still has an
excellent chance for getting trans
continental road by securing 1he Gould
! extension to the northwest or the ex-
tension of the Northwesterg railroad
from Wyoming But neither road could
be secured if the people of W2lla Walla
We're not up and doing. Sod helps
those who help themselves and rail-
! roads do likewise.
| Mayor Hunt Stands Fat.
| Mayor Hunt spoke most entertaining
! ly on The City of Walla Walla." He
| told of the obstacles placed in the
way of public officials in their efforts
| to improve the city. AS an illustra-
| ton he told of one woman who pro-
tested to all the councilmen, the clerk,
the treasurer, the police and himself
| against an assessment levied against
her property for paving. The mayor
told. her that public improvements
would not be stopped as he would back
up the council in every move along
| that line and that if the town did not
! suit her she was free to move out of it.
She answered spitefully that she would
leave Walla Walla as soon as she
could sell out, as it was "such a slow,
pokey old town. The mayor was
sorry to say that there were other tax
payers as sadly lacking in public spirit
as this woman, but improvements
would go ahead in spite of moss back
opposition. Mayor Hunt told of a
canny old Scotchman of Spokane who
remarked a few years ago that ne
supposed the reason why the town was
called Walla Walla was because the
people had to wallow in the mud six
months and the remaining six months
they had to wallow in dust. Paving
was fast making this condition an
anachronism. Mayor Hunt struck
responsive chord by suggesting that
after the city had completed four miles
more of paving, completed her water
SYSTEM built her electric railway, and
erected a new city hall, the citizens
should get together and build a hotel
of such capacity that Landlord CatrOn
might entertain the Commercial club
when it's membership had increased to-
800
Better City as Well as Bigger.
What Can a Professional Man Do
to Advance a City's Material Inter
est?" was the topic assigned Professor
]. A. Tormey, superintendent of Spo-