Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-02-03
CITIZENS UNITED IN BOOSTING
WORK
ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING
Commercial Club Rooms Filled with
People to Hear of New
Proposition

Wednesdays meeting at the Com
mercial club to forward the construc-
tion of the first side line railroad
that Is to be built out of Grants Pass
turned out to be without exception
one of the largest and best gather
ings OF the kind that has ever oc-
Cured in this city. Nearly every
business and professional man in
Grants Pass was present and seemed
to be in active sympathy in provid-
ing ways and means of starting con-
struction work op the road which is
to open up one of the richest terri
tories In the state OF Oregon. The
road goes up the Applegate, Williams
river and so on to the Marble Halls
of Josephine county, which will soon
become the resort of thousands of
tourists, who have been kept out of
the country for the simple fact that
there was no way to reach them from
any point on the railroad.
The meeting was presided over by
l.. B, Hall, the president of the Com
mercial club, and speeches were made
by Mr. Cunningham, one of the best
posted men who has ever been in
this section. Other speakers were
M. j, Anderson, II. l.. Chaplin, oil
Portland; Hon. r. G. Smith, Prose.
cutting Attorney Mulkey. The
speeches were all good and were list
ened to with great attention. The
proceedings were important through.
out The main object of the meet,
ing was to give our citizens an op.
portunity to become acquainted with
view to interesting the home peo.
pie in the raising of capital to assist
IN carrying through the work of con.
struction
In order to give our readers o
clear understanding of what is pro
posed by the protector of this road
A. d. Bowen, Inc Courier interview
ed that gentleman at some length II
regard to the enterprise. Mr.. Bower
expressed himself as more thar
pleased with the reception accorded
by the business men and others o
this city.
He was particularly pleasing in hi
remarks concerning the live charac
ter Of the Commercial club and tb,
way that organization handles larg,
propositions, such as he and his as
sociates have presented.
81 never met a class of people II
my varied experience in railway pro
lection who impress me as favorably
1t is extremely gratifying, can tel
YOU" said Mr.. Bowen. "The meet
Ing last night puts the matter beyont
the question Of doubt No one VIII,
was present could remain in doub
as to the brilliant future OF this fay
ored region With people so unltec
no one can hold them back, and m,
associates and myself will pull of
our coats and work with a will to
ward not only carrying our own en-
terprise through as outlined, bu
aiding to our interest any other in
terprise that has the benefits Of thl
city as a motive"
Continuing Mr.. Bowen said. /"
have been for the past ten years 4
California, where organized an
built the Petaluma g. Santa Ros
railway an electric line some 3
miles in length, connecting at tn
town OF Petaluma with n line O
steamers for San Francisco. Tn
character OF the country served
similar to the country we propose
go through with the Grants Pass
Rogue River railroad. The road
now a paying proposition and II ha
doubled and trebled the price {
land through which II runs. Afto
this | organized the Ocean Shore raj
ways, double track electric lin
running between San Francisco an
Santa Cruz, a distance Of S3 mile
The capital Of the road Is s5 900 ,O0l
Experts who examined the sam