Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-11-08

The grape industry if properly look
ed after by the citizens of Grants Pass
will make Grants Pass city four times
as large as Sacramento. Sacramento
was built and is being maintained
chiefly from the products of between
20 and 30 thousand acres of vineyards;
I while Grants Pass has much more land
tributary to it, which are more valuable
for grape culture than any lands in
California or any other part of Ameri-
ca, together with all its other valuable
resources. If you would pause and
think for one moment what this means,
you will readily see what these indus
tries will do for Grants Pass.
Capitalits are now considering
the purchase of large tracts of land for
vineyards In this locality. They see
the opportunity which we are appar-
emily allowing to pass un-noticed.
However, we understand that there is
to be between three and four hundred
acres of TOKAY grapes planted here
this fall by people who live and are
doing business in Grants Pass.
1t is to be hoped that we will not do
with the grape business as we did with
the timber. Only short time ago
any one Of US could have taken from
the government 160 acres of heavily
timbered lands and paid for it at the
rate Of $3.50 per acre. These same
lands are now worth from $40 to slOO
per acre. Reader, look back for
minute on what you might have made
in the timber business. Do not tarry
long with your gaze in that direction,
but look forward to the grape
business. Do not let it get
into the hands of large syndicates.
Out Of the thousands of timber claims
which have been taken in the past five
years, not over four claims were taken
by Oregonians who live in Rogue River
Valley. Let us profit by our mistakes.
The grape industry as it now appears
is to be our salvation. If grapes con-
tinue to grow in the Rogue River
Valley as they have for the past 3S
years without failure the profit would
be many times greater than had the
same amount of money been invested
in timber, as the profit is increasing
and continues indefinitely.
At the present fine there seems to
be quite furry in the money market,
which now appears to be nearly at an
end, which we believe will finally work
out to beSthe best thing that ever hap
Dened to the coast. Reader, did you
know that the banks of the Pacific
Coast have on deposit with the so
'alled strong banks in the East over
me hundred and fifty million dollars as
4 reserve fund. What for? So if
here would be possibls furry in the
money market Grants Pass for instance
which has large reserve fund in the
Eastern banks, could wire Chicago and
New York and send its entire reserve
'und to Portland by wire and in turn
wire Portland to send the same amount
o them by first express. In this way
'eturn their large reserve to their own
'aults within - hours. Never before in
he history of modern finance have the
20 called strong banks of the East
refused to transfer dollar
# these reserve funds and by having
10 refused, have they not done the ;
'est thing for the Pacific Coast which .
ould have happened. You know |
he Eastern banks did not serve the !
suppose, therefore it resolves itself in {
o business proposition that not only '
he banks of Grants Pass but those of I
he Pacific Coast will never send their n
eserve funds to Eastern banks. You I
now that the burnt child always fears "
he fire. What will it mean TO the q
acihc Coast to have $3.50 900. GOO of n
old finding its way into the business n
hannels west Of the Rocky Mountains,
'hich ] heretofore has been living I,
ormant las far as the Coast is CON II
erned) in Eastern banks Since the q