Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-05-15
LITTLE TALKS WITH men IN
OREGON WHO ARE DOING THINGS


s great big thing TO have the brightest men of two states
come together and talk development,
That took place the last day of April and the first day
May at WeiSer Idaho,
The Snake River Valley is made up equally of the richest
parts of Eastern Oregon and Western Idaho
No section of the west undergoing such rapid tanSor-
nation as the Snake River Basin,
The three wachwordS of the modern magic of development
are doing their wondewo-lrrigaton, Transportation Pub
The open sesame of AIadnS lamp revealed greater
StOrehouSes Of wealth.
Fruit alfalfa, daying are the gOd-prOducnu gOcOndas
OF this region.
Add to that modern transportation facilities and the Snake
River Basin is placer mine 100 miles long by 40 miles Wde
There Is the Oregon Short Line and It's branches, the eeC
trc lnteurban lines and the ?. and N, railroad
This latter illustrates the blessing which popular line OF
Transportation can become TO community
Great Is the Pacific, Idaho and Northern and greater is
its prophet Edgar NJ Hegho, vice president and general
manager.
Il runs rs miles into the heart Of the Switzerland of Idaho
the Payete lake REGION
Looking either way across the Sem-ad valley of the Snake
you would not imagine that just beyond the horizon lie ever
green valleys mines Of countless wealth and forests Of m
able extent.
Yet that Is strictly true of both Oregon and daho
But started to write OF the men who met at WeISe who
are doing things
II Is after ali not Nature but Man who produces wealth.
promotes progress stimulates civilization
could name four men In one Oregon town OF l5O0O-1en
OF great means and ability whose exact opposite with the same
means and ability would have made Il city of 50,000
Unfortunately that town 20 years ago had but one such man
and he died and the town almost stood STILL
What would WelSer be without few men like Edgar NJ
Helgho Mayor NumberS2
would still be a dead stage station on the DESERT with one
store, tavern and ten booze and gambling joints.
few live men have made Il a bright electric lighted city,
with paved Streets brick blocks real estate active irrigation
projects and railroad extensions
The old saying, God makes the country build cities,
is reversed In the Snake River Valley,
God did not do much for the country.
But He put Into the hearts OF men to put water onto L.
The angels OF His Presence forever stand guard on the snow
capped mountain tops to supply the egNng streams that
make the ash heaps and aka teaches of the GOdOrSaken
Sagebsh deserts blossom like the Garden of Allah described
by George HlchenS.
God made the mountains man makes the country and the
country produces the town.
The men behind the irrigation projects and railroad projects
OF Oregon and Idaho are today the men who building the
towns and cities by first making q, productive country
They are the men who building up the Snake River
Valley Southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon,
They are building Spokane and Portland and the commerce
of the Columbia River Basin.
Men like Governor Brady Judge Richards Reilly Atkinson
Carl Payne Max Mayted and more Nkesthem are makers
OF Idaho at a rapid pace,
Men like Dave Wilson and j. R. Backaby of Ontario Gus
Hurley OF Vale VIM Haney and Julian Byrd of Burns are
making the industrial history OF Eastern Oregon.
These men are not In politics but they are captains OF the
army OF development under General Progress, led by Coone
Doing Things
The politician is too busy protecting his graft to do anything
Tor his country.
He Is not producer or a CREATOR but consumer neceS-
Sadly paIaSltcal burden upon society,
Whenever society becomes intelligent enough 10 get onto
his racket bueS him in the cold, cold grave OF oblivion.
More than one speaker at the WeSeT Development Congress
el0Iced that Il was not gathering OF politicians
They pIoced that they could express themselves freely
along great lines OF progress
The women OF Idaho bore a prominent part In the great
gatherings Of 1000 to 1900 boosters assembled there,
They have the ballot and they take more than superficial
social interest In the discussions.
They sang they played they spoke they arranged ban