292
THE WEST SHORE.
nAxiliN and I)iiluth, tlio three loading receiving IHiintH
for wheal in the Miitiiiipi Valley, report a groat falling
off of receipt on compared with lit ymt, inlioting a
general inclination of farmers throughout the grout wheat
Utlt to hold tlmir croa for bolter prices. This will have
a tendency to liunten Urn limn of tlio predicted nilvimcf
in tlio market Thoro wm Inj no doubt that it hIioiiIiI be
tlio J m.I icy of our farmers to hold their grain ah long hh
they can do no without serious embarrassment, hh every
cont added to thn prioo they receive moans bo much addi
tinnnl inonoy to circulate Hinong our jmoplo. Wheat in
tlio chief souroo from which tlio Northwest derives the
money it squanders in purehaHing uliroitd nniiiy articles
it should produce at homo.
It in now lioliovod that ever since work on the exten
sion of thn Oregon & California wan stopped for want of
moans, tho Central Pacific ho boon seeking to secure
ooiitml of that road At that timo work was fuimiuncled
on tlio northern extension, and to bulldoze tlio poople
Into relaxing thoir fight agauint tlio land grant, tlio com
pany annonnood that tlio unfrinndlv attitudo of the cili
if California provonlod tlio borrowing of money to
build thn road, and that until thoro wan a radical change
in sentiment work would novor lie resumed. Thn inton.
oority of thin in now hIiowu by recent ronumptiouof work
at Dolt without any chango in public opinion having
taken plaoo. It now transpires that the delay wan canned
by efforts to soouro control of tlio O. & C. which. neoord.
ina to rumor in railroad circles, havo boon micoenHf ul
lionoo thn resumption of work on tho extension. It in
evident mat a rout into l'ortland in of vital iniortmice
to tho Central I'aciflo to place it in a ponition to hold the
Ban Francisco trade auaiiiHt the northern rondx nn.l
secure tho Oregon trado for that city. To Southern Ore
gon, ai loaxi, mo roml will lm of great benefit
TllB time in now apiiroachinir when thn A.lvoriluii,..
"fakir" will be abroad in tho laud, and our merchant
will be extended ou the rack. Every Mechanics' Fair
ami holidny season ims a mushroom crop of pajiem and
advertising schemes niirinu uo and flourish f.
ami thou dinnpitmr. The money which huhUuiih them in
their brief earner in wahUI and bring uo beuefitto those
w uo ay iu i no Minn nuui paid to our standard publi
callous, w n icu have a circulation and influence, would
purchaso advertising of OHIO Vol 110. Tho AVir !n II, rv
course of a neiu.il.lo article on thin nubjin-t, makes tho
following jtertiuent remark: "Annually certain jhtuhH.
cala from California, and otocially San Francisco, biking
Ui tliouinelvos tho title of ' commercial' paper, swoop
uihiu this imrtion of tlio country and fill their
, - t w tin
with advorUneuionU, by iiinniinof thoir blarney and golden
proiuinea. Tho buiuoi oommuuity in anxiotu that the
local preaa should nitoak iu favor of local ii.Ur.wi- ..,.1 :..
- - ' MW IU
Uustnea, and are dcirou of keeping trade front going
to San Franrisoo, and vol the turn riuht r..,..,.i
libwally patrouiss the io of that place. The Me-
cuauw r air uui year wan aluoU4 witlt a lot of advorti
ing mountebanks and charlatans, who issued sheets which
were read by nobody. The sole end and aim of thane.
charlatans was to swindle the advertiser, and this end
they accomplished most successfully. It is to be hoped
that a repetition of thin experience will not be needed
thin year. These fellows will lie here during the coming
Mechanics' Fair, mid those who have their own interests
at hoart will give thorn a wide berth."
Tiieiik is a movement on foot among some of our
most energetic and practical business men which promises
roat results for the prosperity of Portland, if the citizens
only tako hold of it in the same spirit as its projectors.
Appeals to our capitalists have been made for years, but
they seem to be only too well satisfied with the present
condition of affairs. Our merchants and small property
holders must cut loose from their dependence on the
capitalists and themselves do what is needed. If our
business men would invest a few thousand dollars in
manufacturing, not for the purpose of making money out
of the factories themselves, but looking for thoir returns
to tho increase of business and property valuos generally,
they would soon be satisfied that they had made a wise
investment The project Bjwkeu of includes this idea,
though, of course, it does not embrace all the field iu
which such ventures might be made. The enterprise
contemplated is a manufacturers' aid association. It is
proposed to incorporate a company with a capital stock
of 1100,000, the management of which shall be in the
hands of our most honorablo and trusted business men,
who shall administer its affairs without any compensa
tion, simply ns a trust of honor. The company will se
cure a large plot of ground in the outskirts of the city,
easily accessible from the railroads, possibly by a switch
track, and will erect buildings, fit them up for factories,
supply ample steam powor, and lease space at a low
rental to various manufacturing firms. Were it not for
exorbitant reuts and the expense of building and furnish
ing powor, many small industries, employing in the
aggregate a groat many nion, might establish themselves
here. With such facilities ns this company could offer
them, men with small capital could use thoir means to
push thoir business and force their goods upon tho
market, instead of consuming it all in preparing to manu
facture, and thus crippling themselves before, beginning
operations. In this way industries may be founded and
aided to gain a foothold, and thus the era of manufactur
ing iu Portland be happily inaugurated. That with such
facilities to offer we will bo able to induce many indus
tries to locate here which might otherwise go elsewhere,
or which might not feel justified iu making any effort
whatever in this region, is patent to every ona Tho
benefits to be derived uood not be pointed out With our
population doublod, our volume of trado greatly increased
and activity iufusod into every line of trado, the pro
moter of this enterprise will have accomplished the
purpose aimed at Though this company is not organ
ised as a money-making enterprise, it is not proposed, in
case the project is successful, that the stockholders shall