The Washington herald., 1915-09-12

| thing to Calgary. In both places they
are cursed with each outgoing breath.
! There are several reasons why Van
couver could not become a great city
in a fash. as her boomers assured in
| vestors. in spite of her desirable loca-
tion. To begin with, the city is very
new. 1t had nothing to start with.
Thirty years ago nothing but dense
forest covered the land where VAN
couver stands. When the Canadian
Pacific Railroad came and a port was
established there was nothing to sup
port a city. The railroad brought IN
lumber and wheat and the steamers
took 1t away. The smacks brought in
fish and the railroad took it away.
That was all The bottom fell out Of
the lumber business and the mills
shut down. The wheat shipments were
mainly diverted to the east. The fish
keep up. but that doesn't make a city
prosperous. There is no manufacture.
ing to speak Of and the country for
hundreds of miles back of Vancouver
is not city-supporting country. There
is absolutely no farming, no numbering
Of any consequence and very little
mining. Nothing for city to draw on.
nothing to keep a population busy in
handling. Consequently when there is
nothing to give people employment
population won't come. 1t doesn't
come to Vancouver. 1t goes away. a
whole lot Of it has gone away in the
last few years and at the present time
there is a distressingly large number
OF idle men in the city. There is no
work to be had and no likelihood or
any for some time to come.
So. of course, Vancouver's popula-
tion is falling off. There are a great
many empty houses in it and there
are a number Of big office buildings
that are almost entirely vacant. In
Seattle, the commercial rival Of Van
couver, a days ride to the south, there
is not a single house to rent and not
a TO let'' sign to be found in the city.
Vancouver is just as we'll located geo.
graphically as Seattle. but it lacks the
population and industries behind it In
the country districts to back it up.
I doubt if there is a city in Canada
that has felt the stress of hard times
as much as Vancouver.
A frivolous minded easterner told
me that any one could spot Vancouver
as a dead town at once because 1t
has no jitneys nor cafeterias They
only thrive in the live-wire burgs.
Personally. I think Vancouver is to
be congratulated in this respect.
A cafeteria is just a shade more of
a public pest than a jitney. 1t orig
mated in Los Angeles and has spread
like the measles. It's a place to eat
and is much like the cheap and pop
ular restaurants to be found in all
large cities, with some special annoy
ances attached. On entering, you are
started down a place between iron
rails, like sheep run. At the end Of
this run, a girl hands you a large tray
with knife, fork and spoon wrapped
in a napkin. You hold out the tray
n wa1k a1nn0 ~ ntI ~
girls. each presiding over a different
cache Of food. load 1t up with dishes
of the edibles you select Then, at
the end of the run, when your tray Is
filled, you carry II to a table and sit
down and eat it. That Is, you eat It
If you can. I couldn't
The whole idea Ia to abolish watt
resses. saving the management from
paying wages and saving the patrons
from giving tips. I would rather give
the tip. You don't get any better food
and the prices are no cheaper. but you
do probably look like jackass carry
ing around that tray full Of dishes.
II you land it without an accident you
are in luck. never was lucky.
mentioned Vancouver's fine harbor.
but that's nothing remarkable. There
il nothing but fine harbors for hun
dreds of miles all along that coast
any ohS SAh nave OOE IOT inc
asking. They are all landlocked: they
all have, deep water and good holding
bottoms. and there are no bars and
no ice. The chain OF islands close in
shore from the United States clear up
to Alaska turns every bay and inlet
on the main line into q good harbor.
Prince Rupert IL the northernmost Of
these and 10 the terminus of the Grand
Trunk Pacific. 1t doubtless has q fu-
ture. Its present isn't anything to get |
excited about
There 10 also another trans-contin-
entail railway line that is nearly nm
ished. TIE Canadian Pacific Northern.
which will ultimately run into Van
couver and will make three trunk |
lines emptying on canada's Pacific
obast That should carry ali the
wheat Asia needs.
As cotton 10 king in the South and
wheat on the praries. % 1aimon reigns |
supreme on the Northwest coast. Four |
10 the magic number with salmon. |
There are four kinds and every four |
years thers 10 . big run. Next year
viii be the big year on the fraser
River. but this ysar. salmen being al
little Scarce. all kinds will - cannsd, |
eyen dog" aAlmon. which II usually |
not constdsrsd sool snengh for such
1he eegsle.evsa. or goegee-sysd orI
DosAe ktu4-of-eysa salmon y eenaral- |
u -. - =