Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-12-31
DYING OF A
YEAR OF GREAT
PROSPERITY
Salem Will Watch Out the
Old and Welcome
the New.

With the tolling of the hour of
twelve by the clock in the tower
of Salems court house tonight the
old year will pass away and the
new year be born. In hundreds of
Salems homes at that hour the peo-
pie will bid farewell, and greet the
new; and in that farewell there will
be tinge of sadness, there always
is in all farewells. and then besides
the departing year has been good to
the people of Salem; has brought
them more prosperity than reverses;
more sunshine than shadow; more
joy than tears. In many of the re-
| ligious institutions of the city the
people will congregate for the same
purpose, and in accordance with q
custom that has been handed down
to the present from the past ages,
| the event will be celebrated with
song and music and religious cere'
monies in harmony with the occa-
sion, and when the peals of the bells
of those churches ring out upon the
midnight air they will sound the
death knell of another year; and in
the hearts of these there will also
| be a tinge of sadness because for
them also it has been a good year
year full of joy and great achieve
ments for good.
Marks Epoch of Salem.
The year upon which the curtain
of time will fall tonight marks q
great epoch in the municipal his
tory of the city of Salem. For the
city it has been a year of marvellous
progress and municipal achieve
ments as it has witnessed the solu-
ton of many great problems which
confronted it and, also, seen them
carried on to successful completion.
1t has witnessed the raising of the
city's government to higher
standard, for in governmental affairs,
as well as in all else, there is pro-
gress and advancement, and the
year leaves Salem a cleaner, bette"
and stronger city; cleaner physical
ly, better morally and stronger f.
nancially.
A Year of Prosperity.
The year will go down in the
history of business, industrial and
commercial circles in the city as one
of the most prosperous it has ever
had. 1t has been full to the brim
with prosperity for the merchants,
the real estate dealers, the bankers
and other business institutions Of
the city; it has been year of i'm
mense profits for the citys many
industrial and manufacturing
plants and on every hand the great
heart of industry and commerce has
heat with a strong and prosperous
throb.
Real property during the year has
commanded a higher price in the
markets than ever before, and more
conveyances have been made; more
modern business blocks have been
constructed and erected; more resi-
dental property has been transferred
than in any previous year, more
handsome and beautiful residences
been built, and more of the people
who occupy those residences own
py, contented and satisfied than
ever before and business men are
universal in their pronouncement
that it has been the banner year in |
business.
Good Year for Farmers.
For the hop growers, the stool;
raisers, the orchardist, the farmer
and the tiller of the soil in general, |
the year has also brought good re-
suits, AS a rule, a failure of crop |
in the agricultural country sur
rounding the city of Salem is hardly !
known; but as in all countries some
seasons are better than others
better IN productive qualities ana I
market prices. While the year has
been termed a Short crop year.
the prices that the farmers have |
received for their products more
than doubled the loss caused by the !
crop failure. For their crops |
they received the highest price
known in years, likewise for their
grain, livestock, in fact, for every
thing produced by them. AS a re-
suit additional machinery with !
which to till the soil and harvest his
crops have been added, and in the |
Of new improvements, the |
construction of new buildings and !
homes, and making farm life more |