TIIE SUJfDAT OREGONIAN. PORTLAXD,
JANUARY 5. 1919.
HANK DEPOSITS TELL
SCEXES AT HUSTLING SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON CITY OF
CENTRALIA.
Centralia Rounds Out One of
PLAYING NOW
, Ml.,...,, I..-,,,.. , J
Best Years in History.
BRIGHT FUTURE IN SIGHT
AN EXTRAORDINARY STAR IN THE
SAME KIND OF A PLAY THIS WEEK
Many New Store Building ana
Dwellings Indicate Prospcrltx of
Thriving Washington City.
8
STORY OF PROGRESS
mm ' hPMtXA Mto
-CI"-. l l.'r - .
BT ADDISON BENNETT.
CENTKALIA. Wuh, Jan. 4. (Spa
clal Correspondence.) It ia Just a rear
alnce my last visit to Centralia. 1 must
confess it has been a rear of prosperity
for this fine little city and If con
dltlons are to be judged by appearances.
observations and painstaking talks
with some of the leading ciUxens. I feel
that It never before bad aa rosy an out
look ma It has todav. Those who r
member the troubles of varloua kinds
that have beset the city during the last
six or seven years, such aa strikes.
favsr anldemle and bank failures, need
not ha told that It took a people of
courage and stamina to weather those
adverse storms. But they were weatn
' (red and I will go back and say again
that Centralia never before had aa rosy
an outlook for the future aa It haa at
the berinnlna- of the year of jsis.
I think one of the speediest waya to
show that all of the traces of the finan
cial troubles have been obliterated,
will be to give the statements of the
three banks as made on the first day of
last November. The most Important. In
the measure of deposits. Is the Farmers
at Merchants Bank. Ita capital ana sur
plus on the date mentioned was i
41S.11; ita deposits were JI7O.03S.14. The
officers of this bank are aa iouows
H w Rhode president; B. t. Jonns
ton and W. B. Kelr. vice-presidents,
and C Paul Uhlmann. caahler. This
bank haa one of the most stately anu
commodious banking; bouses of any city
of the sise in the West.
Gaaranry Baak la Teaag.
The First Guaranty Bank la second
In deoosita. with I632.767.os. capita
and surplus S33.35S.S9. The president
ia J. E. Fitigeraldw the vice-president
and cashier is Albert Smith. Thla is
rather a fledging of a bank, being only
27 months old. It waa founded by the
purchase of the old Field Luce Bank,
wbich had deposits of a little more
than $200,000. On November I. of that
year. 1M. the deposits had grows to
S227.093.07.
The guiding hands and minds In this
deal were the officials mentioned, out
their associates In the direction and
ownership at this time are Georga E.
Smith. E. B. Fitzgerald and ctnei 1
BeaL Their deposits' at the November
call were S632.747.0C, the capital and
surplus SS3.354.S9.
I do not know when I have come
across a bank In recent years that has
made a finer record than that. The of
ficers pride themselves on their fine
quarters and the fact that their hand
some fixtures were made in Centralia
of Washington fir by Centralia work
men. They have only S5.13S.34 in
vested In fixtures and equipment.
The Centralia State Bank has de
posits of S3S9.S79.06, a capital and sur
plus of 1114.131.72. W. J. Patterson Is
the president. A- C. Dann. vice-president.
This bank owns a very handsome
building In a good location in the busi
ness district of the main street.
Baak Deposits Arc Bage.
In justice to all of these banks It
should be said that if the date of the
statement was January 1 instead of No
vember 1. the totals would be some
thine like S7S.000 more for each bank.
But as It Is my record as given does
not fully show the strength of the
Centralia banks nor does It give their
easy financial condition, for they all
have far more cash and exchange than
the law calls for. In other words the
financial condition of the city may be
said to be of the very best.
As uual in cases where I have to
write about a community. I went here
first to the Commercial Club, of which
Albert Smith, of the First Uuar
anty Bank, is the president. After
an- Interview with him 1 went
to the secretary, Newell S. Wight,
whom I found to be a returned
yoldivr. He Just got home the. night
before mv arrival, but he found his
future work all cut out for him. He
was a little rusty aa to the improve
ments made here durinshls absence, but
he took me around to those who knew
and could Inform ma. I sually thl
ciub haa occupied very handsome club-
rooms, and will probably open them
up with improved equipment now that
their old relislle secretary Is on the job
again. Mr. Wight Is a very popular
. young; man ami his friends were glad
to welcome him home with no scars of
battle upon him.
Ha II y Xewapapera Are Asset.
There are two daily evening news
papers in Centralis. The Centralia
Chronicle began its publication when
the town was mostly on paper, or up
in the air. That was in 1S90. Ray W.
Kdinger ia the business manager. H. L.
Bras Is editor and Vance B. Noel is city
editor. This paper has a finely
equipped office, does a big line of job
work In an excellent manner, and Is
well edited and conducted in every way.
Ion will .always find the Centralia
Chronicle pushing with Its every en
ergy any movement for the upbuilding
of Centralia. Lewis County or the state
of Washington. It haa never been
a slacker but always doing more than
Its full duty.
M. E. Cue runs the Hub. which was
established in the Fall of 1913. by
bringing the equipment up from Kelso,
Wash. It has a well-equipped office
and Mr. Cue. who is a brother of Henry
Cue. of The Dalles Optimist, and he.
that is M. C worked for Henry and me
when I had a lot to say about the con
duct of the Optimist. Both of the Cues
are No. 1 workmen around a printshop.
The Hub Is published afternoons ex
cept Saturdays and Sundays. In place
of the Saturday afternoon edition Mr.
Cue gets an extra lot of Associated
Press news and issues a Sunday morn
ing paper. This seems to take very
well with the public. The editor of the
Hub is Miss Vera T. Reynolds. She
writes some mighty bright things and
is an adept with the scissors.
Mmmy Xw Balldlaga Rise.
It would take more time Ulan I have
to go over the Improvements made here
In the way of buildings during the past
year. I think I could find 2S store
buildings in 2S minutes that have dur
ing that time been remodeled or recon
structed. Then during the past few
months Messrs. Smith. Fitxgerald. Field
and others have erected a fine theater,
the Liberty. This structure cost 7S.
t'O and Is used as a picture house. It
will seat 1000 people. This house
would do credit to the city of Seattle
or Portland It Is a perfect gem for
a city of the sixe of Centralia.
Of course, everybody v ho knows any
thing at all about Centralia knows It
is one of the railway centers of the
Northwest. All four of the great trans
continental lines pass tbrouirb here.
from here run the Gray's Harbor and I
Witlapa Harbor lines, the Tono and j
Mcndota branches in all there are a
i
1 -Ov
LI?
M - rm
t p . Z fell Mil
. ..ae. . A' y.-' if
JZrpji fcAoo, C estiva fz 2., rfc&
I
1 1 ' -. . , - I i n p
- 1 Xve " J ...aBaavamtaaataT.f.i
; " : ctJbgc
Isr'M- jft 1
Wfi t
ITt4 ., ft
if ' it T -J . - X
dosea railways emerging from this busy
little city. There are acres and acres
of land In the great railway yards,
which cover more ground than do the
yards of many cities In the country 10
times the sise of Centralia. It was to
fill a great want of switch room that
brought the town into existence. It
waa primarily simply a railroad town,
and always will be. for It truly is like
a hub, with each of Its spokes rep
resenting a railway; but you would
hava.to have nearly SO spokes If each
through line waa set down as both
running in and out of the yards here.
Had It not been for the great amount
paid out here each month to the rail
way workers during the financial and
other troubles of a few years ago Cen
tralia would be now but a memory
but that great payroll saved the day
for the town.
Hoapltal fader Conatraetlaa,
I started in a page or so back to
mention the improvements that have
been made here, but stopped before I
got fairly started. One of the struc
tures now going up la a large hos
pital. which will have both surgical
and medical departments. Dr. L. A.
Scace is the prime mover in this enter
prise. And the city haa a school build
ing, the Edison, in course of construc
tion. Thla building will cost about
SSO.000. As to residences I think there
are a couple or dozen, anyway, that
have been put up alnce last Spring.
Some of them are quite expensive
structures.
I might go on and tell of many other
Improvements of- great or minor im
portance. But I have two subjects,
three in fact, to touch upon. First,
the chances are bright for a state
normal school to be erected here. There
are three such schools now In the state,
each sustained by a tax of one-tenth of
mill per annum. These schools are
located at Eellingham, Cheney and
Ellensburg. So It looks like the vari
ous Legislatures had provided for every
section of the state except the south
western portion, the 14 southwestern
counties having to send their pupils at
least as far aa Ellensburg. The claims
of the county are so good that such a
school has come near being1 located
here by more than one Legislature.
But usually there has been a divided
sentiment among
people themselves; and how could you
succeed in such a project with part of
the home folks working against you?
Normal School la Eyed.
But now. from the farthest settler in
the east end of the county to the farth
est on the west, and from the northern
most to the southernmost, there is
unanimity, cordial co-operation, even a
camaraderie of labor and effort. In
deed, the whole county is unitedly
asking for that school. Formerly.
sometimes even In crucial hours, there
h. s not been that active fellowship be
tween the people of Centralia and
Chehalis. But now the people of Che
halls almost to a man and woman say
that Centralia .must have that normal
school, and the best fighters Ce.ntralla
will have before the Legislature will
be from the old rival town, Chehalis.
This new feeling between the two
cities strikes me as being as fine a
thing as I have had to write about in a
long time. And I am not going to touch
any sore spots by writing details. I
only want to say that with Centralia
and Chehalis united, the two will have
a dozen times the Influence either
could use if acting alone.
To once more retrace my steps, let
me say that the Lewis County people
propose to give the site for the nor
trial school, and to provide, free of
charge to the state, the temporary
buildings with which to begin opera
tlons.
Bfnrh Land Ia Available.
I have just one more subject to
touch upon, and It appears to me that
frum the standpoint of a citizen of
Centralia it ought to be the foremost
subject before the people of the city
today. I am simply going to outline
It in a few terse sentences. Lying to
the north and east of the city are two
so-called prairies, section of open
country. One of these is called Ford's
Prairie and the other Waunche s
Prairie. To be suitable to raise agri
cultural crops this area of about 3000
acres, lying in the front yard of Cen
tralia, needs irrigation. And right near,
if not through it. flows the Skookem-
chuck River, carrying sufficient water
to irrigate every acre of It, carrying it
and emptying it into the Chehalis
River to be quickly lost in the ocean.
To utilize this water no great reser
voir, no great dam, no expensive work
Is needed. Just a little dai . of diver
slon a few miles up in the hills and
the canals for carrying the water. The
work could be done for S10 an acre, the
water and the land lie ready for the
hands of the people of Lewis County, of
Centralia. Will they take it in hand?
No finer onnorf nn i t v for a nrnmntar
been a divided i,' , - .u7- ' .-I
. . y j ...- 1 CAiflia 1 Tl COL luau lino. WUL
the Lewis County' . ... k. . i ,
County and let the work be given out
to the men who own the land or who
will buy It. Surely if the people of the
county are the wide-awake people
they claim to be they will take this
project up at once. If they want
homes to offer the returning soldiers
here lie 75 40-acre homes, now worth
less, only awaiting the water that
B "aWafWIBBaaaBlBk .aaaaSaMHsatSBSaa. BBVBBVBk. lfUKtW
ilPlil ivn:Sf ''iiVi i'ffa
r AyGUSTUs wv Vs I if x t
I I ., - (Vj ; I ARIZON4.- I , .4 I !l I
I "" I 4 v 'r-x- J Doaa-las Fairbanks i ' X -
M t-Lj I JT Canby... Theodore Robert. 4 ' T "r
1 1 I ' - , j S ' A ,?Ji Mra. Canby Kate Price V - t - .;
1 1 9mmmmkFi . r 4" rf tl fi Colonel Benham " x , -V 7 V
I t , I Xl. Frederick Bnrtos i " $ & fr f l
I I t'.f ,t ( J Captain Hodgeman . 4" ' - k I
1 I - I V t f J lii Harry Northrop 4 , ( Sk
II 5:i V 4 4, Kellar .. . Frank Campeau B t , ' r r
j i,f J v Blrella. Kathleen Kirkbain J 3 fc f
H I " " s J ".argiieVlie'de la' Motie I k " "Wl 1n' f
3 Bxaammmmmm.mmmmmmmm.mm J'v ' ' f Tony Raymond Hattoa I 4 1 f 1
ananannnnnnnBBnannnBnaaa, - i Doctor ... Robert Boulder f il?1
s3k gJA S4M IC? ' , 'Z 1 Lieutenant Hatton -NivJ A. H
Millions have seen this great Western drama.
Cramped by three walls, it packed theaters year
after year the country over. Imagine its thrills
now. With all outdoors for its stage! And for
its hero, Douglas Fairbanks!
PEOPLES NEWS PICTORIAL
COMEDY AND LITERARY DIGEST
"SCHOLL" Master Picture Organist
flows through it to be diverted for use
upon it. What an opportunity!
Flu Claims Two at Cottage Grove.
COTTAGE GROVE, Or., Jan. 4. (Spe
cial.) Influenza has claimed but two
in this end of the county durinar the
past two weeks, although two further
deaths are thought possible unless
there Is a quick turn for the better.
With these exceptions the epidemic
seems to be well under control and the
total number of cases has decreased
appreciably during the past two weeks.
In the city particularly the situation
Sunday Dinner
Served 12 to 9 P. M. at
The Hazelwood
GOOD dinner, well prepared and tastily served.
r ll A . ra-l -v f eja
iou win enjoy ii; iry our special $i.uu dinner
or the plate service at
60
Choice of Snap)
Baked Salmon or
Stewed t hicken With Noodlea
Mashed Boiled er Baked Petateea
Creen Pea - Asparagus
Bread and Batter
Pie.. Padding or lee Cream
Coffee Tea Milk
127 Broadway
388 Washington St.
m,vvMJ
Ivers & Pond
Hovenden Piano Company
146 Park St, Bet. Morrison and Alder
Vicor & Stradivara i
Phonographs and Records ' .
has greatly Improved. The- second of ibor's and walked a mile In the cold
the two deaths of the past two weeks scantily clad,
occurred today, Rudy Cline. of Mosby 1
Creek, being the victim. He suffered I Dry slabwood and
from exposure two weeks asro when a I Fuel Co., Main 353,
tree fell on his house and demolished I
the building. He and Mrs. Cline were j About one-half the population
compelled to seek shelter at a neigh- persons bathe at very trivial cost.
blocks. Holmaa
A 3353. Adv.
Of
Lang's Hot Blast Ranges
Exclusive features of the'. Lang: Range are fuel-saving:, hot blast
oven draft, large firebox and polished cooking surface makes
cooking a pleasure. Easy to manage and uses very little fuel.
It's the last word in range construction.
LANG'S, 191 4th Street