The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-05-04
PORTLAND MEN
ARE GINGERY LOT
Boosters from Rose City Make
Things Lively During Four
Hours Stay in Kennewick

A little travel-stained from five days
of junketing, but as full Of enthu.
siasm and capers as a bunch of colts
on frosty morning, eighty-five prom.
inent Portland business men landed ir
Kennewick at 7:30 Friday evening and
for four hours enjoyed home e-made
hospitality and handed out more en-
tertainment than they received. From
the time the Portlanders held out open
paws and said ''howdy" until they
waved farewell from the car windows
of their special train at 1890 a. m.
there We're things doing.
The visitors were met at the N. p.
depot by a delegation Of Kennewick
business men and escorted to the
Commercial club rooms where they
were officially welcomed by Mayor L.
E. Johnson. They were then turned
loose for an hour to visit the business
men in their stores and to size up the
town. Assembling again in the Com
mercial club rooms, they listened to
a talk by A. R. Gardner, who sought
to impress them with Kennewick's s
possibilitie orftorwgndah
possibilities for growth and develop
ment along agricultural, commercial
and industrial lines. He emphasized
the fact that the Portlanders were
then in the only town on the Columbia
river from which it is possible to re-
turn to their own homes over any one
of three railroads or by river steam
er. Likewise they were the nearest it
is possible for them to get, either in
miles or by direct lines of communi-
cation, at the same time to the cities
of Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Spokane
Walla Walla and North Yakima.
The meeting was then turned over
to the Portland men with C. C. Chap
man, editor of the Oregon Voter, pre-
siding. Mr.. Chapman is one of those
live-wire, magnetic fellows who keep
things going with bang. He called
upon w. A. Williams, of the Cont
mental Insurance company, to speak
upon the subject nearest his heart.
With a lot of good humor and many
good natured thrusts at the railroad
officials in the party, Mr.. Williams
gave an excellent talk on the Open
River and its significance as regu-
lator of freight rates. He maintained
that the river towns have a marked
advantage over interior points not
only because they have a cheaper
means of transportation but by rea-
son Of this means of transportation
they get more consideration from the
railroads.
The railroads were given their
chance to play even when Mr.. Chap
man called upon A. d. Charlton, as
sistant general passenger agent of the
Northern Pacific. Mr.. Charlton's
speech was the big hit of the evening
and he kept the crowd in mirthful
uproar with his pungent-parlor re-
marks. He told of the wonderful sue
cess he had made as a Kennewick
farmer until prohibition and the open
river put him. and his Cocktail" cher
ry orchard out of business.
As Kennewick was the last port Of
call for the Portlanders' trade excur-
sion thru the Walla Walla and Yaki-
ma valleys appropriate expressions
of thanks were given those Of the
party who had materially contributed
to its success. Among those so hon.
ored were j. e. Davidson, Of the Pa
cific Power & Light conmany, chair
man Of the excursion committee, M.
E. Smead, secretary, Of the Portland
Telegram and r. G. Calvert, of the
Oregonian.