St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1921-11-18
Let's Give Oregon a Chance

10 the 1870 ENpOSlllOn, Wt
would think we were wrong" "
said Ira f. Powers, chairman of
the campaign committee hand.
ling the special tax election, in
discussing that phase of the sit
uation. Everything that was
ever done for the good of Port
land and Oregon has been fought
tooth and nail. You want to look
out for anything that goes over
unanimously-there must be a
hook in it. Why we even had to
fight disaffection here at home
during the war drives.
But go back to the beginnings
of progress here in Portland and
see what happened. 1t is on
record that the very name of the
city was opposed and we mar
rowly escaped being christened
Boston.
When some progressive citi-
zens suggested it would be well
TO build a bridge across the river
the chronic kicker wanted to
know what was the matter with
the ferry: it always had been
good enough, why change?
When the bridge project was
tackled in earnest, the objectors
threw il into court. For six years
the building of q bridge at Nor
rison street was delayed by
court action. Every night during
that time a man set out in a row
boat at twilight and lighted a
lantern that twinkled through
the night upon the partly COM
pleted pier in midstream so that
river craft would not run into it
in the darkness. Every morning
he rowed back and put the Ian
tern out to save coal oil.
DIR. Woods Hutchinson later
found colon bacilli, the cause of
typhoid fever, in the Willamette
river water that Portland was
using for drinking purposes and
a warning was issued that a new
and pure supply must be found.
IL was suggested that Bull Run
river, many miles away, be
tapped and the water piped To
the city. How the objectors
stormed and jeeredl They pooh.
poohed any idea of a change.
They even doubted that there
was such thing as a typhoid
germ. Due TO their opposition
the project of bringing in Bull
Run water was delayed about two
years. OF course this delay was
criminal, because during that
time more persons died from
typhoid. But now no one is so
dull AZ not 10 appreciate that
Bull Run water IL the greatest
single advantage Portland has.
There was a long and hard
struggle when the Burnside
bridge was built. The objectors
raised the usual anvil chorus
and declared we did not need IL.
Again. when the Broadway
bridge was proposed il was
fought bitterly and the project
was held up in the courts for a
long time.
The building of the municipal
auditorium was delayed several
years.
When il WAS first proposed
60 light the city with elect,ls
arcs a terrific howl went up
about extravaganza and spend
ing the money for nothing.
The men who proposed the Co.
nmbia River Highway won lot
of kicks and cuffs. A fine crop of
opposition sprang up and IL took
n lot of work 20 overcome IL.
The Pacific Highway, too. was
fought bitterly by these persons
who are forever looking back.
ward.
Great numbers of them rose
up and declared the Lewis aud
Clark Fair was the bunk and
only a valiant handful of cOur-
RgeOus men pioneered the pro-
ject through its earliest stages.
doubt ii We would have any
city here at all if the recurring
groups of objectors had carried
the day. Who would want TO go
back TO the old Knott ferry at
the foot of Stark street, back 10
oil lamps lighting the streets i'm
the residence districts and only
gas lights in the down town bus
mess section. together with all
the other out-grown facilities
for which the objector has al
ways stood?
Let's give Oregon "a chance.
Let's keep on growing. Opposi-
sition 10 the 1925 Exposition is
just as unreasonable as trying
to keep Portland from having
bridges across the river, giving
IL Bull Run water and electric
lights. The Exposition will, be-
yond a doubt, be "A positive cure
for unemployment here during
the next few years. Naturally
we all hate taxes and We are slow
TO vote them. But this is a tax that
will reduce taxation, as il will
add 10 the value of all property !
within the state, and this ap.
plies 20 the little home on the out.
skirta of the city and the farm