The Relation of the Railway 
 
 to 
 
 Community and State -Wide 
 Advertising 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 BY 
 
 HOWARD ELLIOTT 
 
 KIESIDENT, NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY 
 
 Before the 
 
 Oregon Development League 
 
 In Annual Convention 
 
 Salem, Ore. 
 NOVEMBER 29, 1910 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/relationofrailwaOOelli_0 
 
The Relation 
 of the Railway to Community and 
 State -Wide Advertising 
 
 By 
 
 HOWARD ELLIOTT 
 
 Ob'ect of meeting together today to consider ways and 
 
 . means of making the State of Oregon, and the won- 
 
 derful advantages and possibilities it possesses, 
 better known to the world. Much has been accomplished since 
 „ - that day, May 11, 1792, when Captain Robert Gray, in 
 „. his ship "Columbia", discovered the magnificent river 
 
 named after his sturdy little vessel. In October, 1792, 
 300 years after Columbus discovered America, Lieutenant Brough- 
 ton, in his ship the "Chatham" sailed up the Colimibia River to 
 a point where Vancouver now is; and as you all know, the British 
 Government tried to claim possession of much of this region 
 because of Broughton's trip, but Captain Gray's prior crossing 
 of the Columbia River Bar secured this great country for the 
 United States. 
 
 On November 6, 1805, Lewis and Clark camped at the mouth 
 of the Cowlitz River on their way to the sea, and in the latter 
 part of March, or early part of April, 1806, they discovered the 
 Willamette. 
 
 On March 22, 1811, Mr. Astor's ship "Tonquin" arrived 
 safely at the mouth of the Columbia River, and founded the town 
 of Astoria; and a land party, after intense hardships, crossed the 
 country and joined the sea party at Astoria. In the latter party 
 were Ramsey Crooks and John Day, a Virginia himter, whose 
 names are familiar to all who know Oregon and its history. 
 
In 1832, foiir Flathead Indians made a trip to St. Louis to 
 ask about tlie white man's God and Bible. Two of the Indians 
 died in St. Louis, and the other two expressed disappointment 
 that they had only been entertained by gifts and shows, and had 
 not found the Light and Book of which they were in quest. Rev. 
 Samuel Parker of Middlefield, Massachusetts, heard this story, 
 and was fired with the desire to carry the Light and the Book to 
 the Indians of the Northwest; and he and Dr. Marcus Whitman 
 set out March 14, 1835, from St. Louis, and from Liberty, Missouri, 
 in May, 1835. Dr. Whitman did not go all the way on this trip, 
 but Mr. Parker kept on clear through to Astoria. He makes an 
 interesting statement in his journal, namely: 
 
 "There would be no difi&culty in the way of constructing 
 a railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. There 
 is no greater difficulty in the whole distance than has al- 
 ready been overcome in passing the Green Moimtains 
 between Boston and Albany, and probably the time may 
 not be far distant when tours will be made across the 
 Continent as they have been made to the Niagara Falls to 
 see Nature's wonders." 
 
 Even in that early^day, there was^a^ suggestion that a railroad 
 
 was desirable. 
 
 These were some of the first small beginnings of the white 
 man's opening up of what is now Oregon, and it is hard today to 
 realize the great courage, patience, pluck and perseverance these 
 early explorers possessed, and that was shown also by the pioneers 
 led by Jason Lee who settled in this beautiful Willamette Valley. 
 Your gifted authoress, Mrs. Dye, tells much of the pioneer days 
 of Oregon, and it is a wise and good v/ork that she has done to set 
 forth some of that early life before all of those who know about 
 it have passed away. ^ 
 
 Since those early days, there has been much 
 Oregon and development, but not nearly all that there 
 
 Northern Pacific. ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^1^ of 
 
 transportation facilities. 
 
 4 
 
You have honored me in asking me to speak before your body. 
 The Northern Pacific has a very large interest in helping to 
 develop Oregon. In February, 1872, it made its first investment 
 in this stat-e when it purchased control of the Oregon Steam Navi- 
 gation Company, which operated steamers on the Columbia, 
 Snake and Willamette Rivers, and which had portage railroads 
 at the Dalles and Cascades. The old railroad company had to 
 surrender these properties in the panic of 1873, and they became 
 the foundation of what is now the Oregon Raikoad & Navigation 
 Company. The Northern Pacific has done business in and out of 
 Portland for many years, and in 1884, it built its line from Portland 
 to Goble and there connected with its line to Tacoma, Seattle and 
 on east. So, we have been with vou in spirit for nearly forty ye^rs, 
 and in body twenty-six years. The last five years have shown a 
 greater development than in the preceding period, through our 
 engaging in the enterprises known familiarly as the "North Bank 
 Road"; the Oregon Trunk Line to Central Oregon; the Oregon 
 Electric road in the Willamette Valley, and the United Railways 
 enterprise in Washington County, in all of which projects the 
 Northern Pacific has a half ownership. 
 
 Until the recent construction of the Oregon Trunk by 
 Central ^^^^ Northern and Northern Pacific, and of the 
 Oregon. ^^-^^,^^3 projected by the Union Pacific Interests, the 
 whole state of Ohio could have been placed in Central Oregon, 
 and not a railroad would have touched it. The building of rail- 
 roads, however, will not develop the cotmtry unless they are 
 followed very promptly by those who are wilHng to cultivate the 
 land, develop the water powers and establish mills and industries. 
 I take it that the object of this meeting is to do all we can to bring 
 about these results which are desired by every good citizen of 
 Oregon and which are absolutely essential to the owner of the 
 railway, who has taken the risk of investing his money before 
 there is any business for him to do. 
 
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Credit Due ^ think great credit is due to the courteous and 
 The League ^^^^ gentleman who is the president of the Oregon 
 * Development League, Mr. Theodore B . Wilcox, and 
 to the active secretary, Mr. C. C. Chapman, both of whom have 
 devoted so much time and thought to welding together into one 
 compact organization, all the energetic organizations throughout 
 the state, with the one object in view of building up Oregon first, 
 and then each particular community afterwards. Selfishness must 
 be eHminated if the best results are to be obtained, and the towns 
 and cities will grow if the country back of them can be peopled 
 with intelligent and industrious men and women. 
 
 Co O erative There has been a very general movement 
 
 _ , ^ J in the United States during the past ten 
 
 Development and ^ , , 
 
 P bli it Effort J^^ns, toward closer co-operation among 
 business men, which has resulted in the 
 organization of Commercial Clubs and similar associations. The 
 existence of such clubs, successfully developing strength and 
 efficiency in their local fields, has led to a broadening of their 
 activities. The energies and the enthusiasms stirred up among 
 business men by the success of co-operative effort among them- 
 selves, has resulted in the organization of many County and State 
 Commercial Leagues . These have taken up the v/ork no individual 
 club can do, and have awakened great interest in community, 
 district and state advertising, publicity and development. 
 
 Here in Oregon, you have a powerful League, already widely 
 known because of its effective methods and the practical results 
 which have followed its work of inducing the various cities and 
 towns to engage in the business of making their resources and 
 opportunities known to the world outside, and your work is being 
 well done. 
 
 One effect of community advertising in all parts of the United 
 States, has been the increasing employment of trained, experienced 
 and competent men, to specialize in this field. Co-operation 
 among these specialists in industrial promotion and publicity has 
 been brought about by meetings to discuss new methods of work, 
 to originate new promotion plans, and for an interchange of ideas. 
 
With these various men and organizatioi^, the railways afe 
 glad to work in harmony, for such co-operative work shoiild yield 
 good results in the development of the country. 
 
 One diffictilty that is sometimes encotintered by a Commercial 
 Club, or Business Association, comes from the apathy of some of 
 the successful business men, who sometimes do not look with 
 favor upon the work imdertaken. A proper comprehension by 
 all our business men of what these co-operative organizations can 
 do is needed, and every one should help. The sober judgment 
 of the hard-headed business man will, at times, prevent mistakes 
 that may be made by the younger and more enthusiastic citizens 
 in their efforts to build up their own particular town or district. 
 
 "Forttme helps those who help themselves." The govern- 
 ment can do something to help the growth of the country; the 
 railway can do something, but the bulk of the real work must be 
 done by the individuals, and they must not expect some outside 
 power and influence to solve their problems for them. The great 
 commercial centers of this country, and particularly the active, 
 growing cities of the Pacific Northwest, recognize this fact, and 
 show their appreciation of it by their vigorous efforts for their own 
 development and advancement. 
 
 Community advertising is now a tested business, known to be 
 productive of results in permanent additions to population, both 
 in the town and country, and in larger production, and buying 
 power. A merchant can add to his profits by joining heartily in 
 the work of those who are trying to develop the whole State. 
 Every business man has a deep interest in the good of his commu- 
 nity, which is not visionary or sentimental, but measureable in 
 dollars and cents. To credit him with prudence is but to express 
 in other words the thought that his duty is to join in such work 
 and assist it. 
 
 The old saying is that "Advertising Pays.*' 
 Boosters versus ^^.^ ^^^^^^ amended to read that "Wise 
 Boomers. Advertising of Good Things Pays." There 
 
 is a great difference between the booster and the boomer. The 
 boomer may not have the right article to advertise, and although 
 
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«' 
 
 sincerely enthusiastic, the extravagant language of his advertising 
 will not produce the results which follow wise, well planned, and 
 conservative publicity and promotion campaigns. The boomer 
 is too apt to consider only the immediate effects of his efforts, not 
 caring for any damage that may flow from his mis-guided energy. 
 
 The booster builds on proven facts, not only for the present, 
 but for the future, and he does not undertake to exploit an article 
 or a situation unless it is worthy. When he has such a condition, 
 his advertising will consist of truthful statements of conditions 
 that can stand the closest analysis. Advertising, resting upon 
 such a wise basis, will need no apologies or explanations, for the 
 future will prove that in preparing it, less than the full truth was 
 told, rather than more. 
 
 Community Advertising, The earlier forms of advertising h^^^ 
 
 a New Form of Applied *° f° "^^K^^^ "^^t'^"" ""^f 
 c, 1 1 . and sales for specific commodities 
 
 Salesmanship. . , ^ ^ ... 
 
 in general use. In Pompeu, the 
 
 dead walls still show a crude form of display advertising, calling 
 the attention of the passer-by to the arguments of the vendor, 
 and very recent discoveries prove that this form of publicity was 
 used for political advertising in ward elections. 
 
 The essential purpose of an advertisement, to obtain attention, 
 create an interest, and produce a desire to follow suggestion, 
 although in a primitive way, was evident in this ancient adver- 
 tising. In the earlier business history in this country, commercial 
 advertising had not freed itself entirely from the crudities of 
 Pompeii. The advertising of today is different, and is applied to 
 the creation of markets for new and previously unthought-of 
 goods. It follows the course pioneered by Jay Cooke when he 
 first undertook the sale of government bonds, which he placed 
 through a publicity campaign, and is becoming in this present 
 day a recognized method of placing securities. Hardly a com- 
 mercial business is without some assistance from it. It helps to 
 secure travel for railways; to sell lands; to people new country; 
 to influence public opinion on great national questions, and is 
 »ven a great party weapon in our national poHtical campaigns. 
 
 8 
 
With more scientific knowledge of business forces, has come a 
 more intelligent, accurate and thorough imderstanding and 
 application of the principles of advertising, publicity and pro- 
 motion. Advertising in itself is founded upon only a limited 
 ntunber of basic principles, and has no established rules or tech- 
 nique, recognized by all advertising men in common, except as 
 their experience teaches them the value of a few rules found to 
 be desirable. These, however, are broad in their application, and 
 the manner in which they are applied depends almost wholly upon 
 the knowledge of humanity, and the judgment and discretion of 
 the individual who applies them to his purposes, and upon the 
 amoimt of money that he can use. Advertising is used and 
 misused, and much bad advertising occiu*s, not because adver- 
 tising as a business method does not pay, but because a better, 
 more experienced and more intelligent advertising man is needed. 
 
 The past quarter-century in the United States has witnessed 
 the highest development advertising has received in any country, 
 and in conmiunity advertising this progress has been especially 
 noticeable. 
 
 from the advertising which produces passenger business. 
 
 The work of rural development cannot be done by the town 
 or the railway alone. It is necessary that each community, so 
 largely dependent upon the country back of it, join with the 
 railway in encouraging the growth of business and industries; in 
 attracting experienced agriculturaHsts, and increasing the number 
 of successful farmers within its trade zone. 
 
 A greater agricultural population tends to hasten the con- 
 struction of better roads; the extension of rural mail delivery; 
 the development of local telephone lines, and to bring a general 
 improvement in all of the conditions surroimding country Hfe. 
 No reputation is better than that which provokes the remark 
 "Blankville is a good Town." Good towns do not develop imtil 
 the surrounding territory furnishes the business. Good towns do 
 
 District Advertising 
 by the Community. 
 
 The railways must of necessity devote 
 much attention to immigration and 
 development advertising as distinguished 
 
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not develop unless the old-timers welcome the new-comers, and 
 hold out to them a helping hand. The investment that may be 
 made by a town in advertising the country tributary to it, is 
 one of the best that can be made. The distribution of such 
 advertising matter can be aided by the railways. Publications 
 issued by local communities avoid the criticism to which a railway 
 is subject if it favors one community as against another. 
 
 _ _ , ^ ^ The Railway was one cf the pioneers 
 
 The Railway's Interest ^ ^^^.^^j advertising. Its busi- 
 
 in Community and _ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^j^^^ recognized 
 
 State-Wide Advertismg. ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ 
 
 which is its only commodity, by creating public interest in its 
 territory, its faciHties, the commercial centers it reached and the 
 scenic and other attractions of the country adjacent to its lines. 
 The earher idea of railway advertising, that it was an agency 
 chiefly valuable in influencing travel, has given way to a broader 
 appHcation of its principles to problems which the railway faces, 
 and it is regarded now, not alone as an aid to passenger business, 
 but as a powerful help in the settlement of agricultural districts, 
 in the development of industries where they are needed and in 
 other work which promotes the progress of cities, districts and 
 states. 
 
 Many people do not understand how energetically or how 
 steadily and continuously the advertising and publicity work of 
 a great railway system is prosecuted. Railway advertising is 
 necessarily tmlike community advertising, for the railway repre- 
 sents not one, but many communities, with similar claims and 
 advantages. The railway must not deal more generously with 
 one city than another, or with one district than another. If it 
 does it is justly subject to criticism. Its interest in each of the 
 States it serves is equal and its energies must be fairly apportioned. 
 
 Upon the Northern Pacific Railway, the advertising effort is 
 not confined wholly to the Passenger and Advertising Depart- 
 ments, but includes other work as well, which is continuously 
 and energetically prosecuted. The Immigration Department is 
 concerned chiefly with attracting settlers and business men to. 
 
 10 
 
'Northern Pacific territory. It has a staff of fifteen men, per- 
 manently employed, who handle 50,000 different inquiries from 
 interested persons each year. They distribute annually nearly 
 300,000 copies of 175 different kinds of literature. It maintains 
 an exhibit car fiUed with the products of the different States in 
 which the railway has lines, and has two other traveling exhibits, 
 in addition to permanent agricultural displays in various cities. 
 
 In the Advertising Department are handled the details of 
 compiling and publishing advertising booklets, leaflets and mis- 
 cellaneous matter, of which very large quantities are used, of 
 preparing time-tables and folders for the use of the public, and of 
 creating, by means of extensive advertising in newspapers, farm 
 journals, magazines and other publications, a demand for infor- 
 mation concerning the regions which the railway traverses. 
 Through practically all of the railway's display advertising, runs 
 an undercurrent of development and immigration argument. 
 The advertisement which tells of train service, tells as well of the 
 opportunities for fruit-growing, farming and other activities in 
 that territory the trains reach. The advertising of cities and 
 districts, directs the business man's attention to the opportunities 
 Western cities afford. 
 
 Dtuing 1910 there has been issued from this department, 23 
 different publications to induce immigration, xo the total nimaber 
 of 727,500 copies, all of which were required to n:eet the demands 
 of the public at large. During the year, display av-lvertising was 
 used in 12 of the leading newspapers of Europe with gratifying 
 success, and through this means, information of the oppjrtunities 
 and resources of the West was given to a large number of people 
 in Etirope. Sets of beautifully colored lantern slides have been 
 extensively circulated in this country and Great Britain, giving 
 many thousands an opportunity to see for themselves, the beauty 
 and productiveness of various districts in these States. From 
 the display advertising done dining the year, the number of 
 inqtiiries received has reached as high as 610 per day, and this 
 does not include those received by the Immigration Department 
 and referred to a moment ago. 
 
 11 
 
But this is not all the railway does in helping to develop the 
 territory it serves. During the past year, the Northern Pacific 
 Railway Company has taken an active part in the Dry Farming 
 Congress, the National Apple Show, the National Irrigation 
 Congress, and in many other meetings held for the purpose of 
 making the best use of the country. It, in common with other 
 Railway Companies, beheves that the spreading of information 
 that will help to improve agricultural methods, is of benefit to 
 the whole country, and incidentally to the railway. 
 
 The officers of the railway would like to take part in more of 
 these meetings, but so much of their time is taken up before 
 Courts and Railway Commissions defending their properties, and 
 explaining conditions, that opportunity to participate with you 
 in such work is seriously curtailed. 
 
 For two months this year, this Company operated a Better 
 Farming Special Train through three of the Western States, the 
 Agricultural College of each State furnishing instructors and 
 various appHances. Similar work has been done by other Railway 
 Companies, and nearly all are endeavoring to help Experimental 
 Farms, and to co-operate with the Agricultural Colleges in im- 
 proving the methods of farming, and in trying to make hfe on the 
 farm more attractive. In North Dakota, several hundred school 
 children recently completed a contest in the production of com, 
 potatoes and strawberries; the State furnished the seed and the 
 plants, the winner received one week's instruction at the State 
 Agricultural College, and the Northern Pacific Railway Company 
 gave to the winning children, transportation to and from school. 
 
 . , ^ Advertising has passed the experimental 
 Responsibility of thej ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^ business re- 
 
 Advertiser, quiring skill, imagination and discretion. 
 
 There is a very great responsibihty upon the man who uses up ink 
 and paper for development advertising, and upon the writer who 
 is furnishing information for the use of farmers and business men. 
 A community that is over exploited, hurts itself, and the plain, 
 simple truth intelligently told, without extravagant adjectives, 
 is the best advertising, for the man who is attracted by it and 
 
 12 
 
proves to be better pleased than he thought, becomes a booster 
 for the country. 
 
 One form of advertising which re-acts and has 
 ^^^^ a very serious effect in the development of 
 
 Speculation. ^^.^ ^^^^^ Pacific Northwest, is the advertis- 
 ing of the land boomer who is trying to get an excessive profit 
 in handling real estate of one kind and another. The man who 
 leaves his home in the Middle West or the East and acquires a 
 farm or property because he has been influenced by extravagant 
 or even false statements, and pays an unfair price for the land, 
 counteracts a great deal of the good advertising that is done by 
 those who are sincerely trying to build up the State, and are 
 working for its development. 
 
 For the farmer to succeed, he must not have too heavy interest 
 and overhead charges, and speculation in land should be curtailed, 
 so far as it is possible to do so, by an intelligent pubHc opinion. 
 It should be remembered that the new settler, who succeeds and 
 is satisfied, is the very best Immigration Agent. 
 
 There is an old saying that "What is Everybody's 
 Laws and g^g-^^^gg ^g Nobody's Business." Of late years in 
 Business. United States, everybody, and that is the 
 
 people at large, through their Legislatures, and Commissions and 
 Bureaus, have been undertaking to regulate and manage in detail, 
 some of the larger forms of business, particularly the railways, 
 which are so much needed for a proper development of the Western 
 States, and of Oregon especially. The result is that the people 
 whose real business it is to manage the railway, namely: the 
 owners and the men they employ, are becoming discouraged by 
 being interfered with constantly, and there is danger that this 
 interference will produce a condition where the railway business 
 is nobody's business. 
 
 The good sense of the American people will probably make 
 them realize the situation before it is too late, but a great body 
 of intelligent men, like the Oregon Development League, should 
 consider whether it is wise to go on indefinitely attacking the 
 transportation business, and whether it is not better to let those 
 
 13 
 
 1 
 
who own it, and the trained men who have grown up in the 
 business, manage it instead of turning that management over to 
 others. 
 
 Some of the Western States, and particularly Oregon, have 
 felt that the so-called conservation movement has gone too far, 
 and that too much valuable territory has been tied up by govern- 
 mental order made by some one far off, who was not in a position 
 to understand the real necessities and conditions of this growing 
 West of ours. Any unwise and unjust action of this Idnd has had 
 a repressing effect in the development of the coimtry, and similar 
 arbitrary and unwise action by Legislatures, Commissions, and 
 various Bureaus, that affect the initiative and the right of the 
 owner of property to manage his own business, will have the 
 same repressing effect. 
 
 In addition to advertising the State and its resources, I suggest 
 that the Oregon Development League exert its influence so that 
 the United States and the investing world will understand and 
 believe the fact that in Oregon a dollar wisely invested is safe, 
 and that the laws of the Nation and of the State will permit the 
 owner to keep the dollar, earn a fair return upon it, and make a 
 reasonable profit, if he uses ordinary common sense, industry and 
 intelligence. 
 
 rjij^^ With the wonderful resources that this State has; 
 
 Future ^^^^ coming transportation lines in the interior, 
 coupled with the feeling that life and property are 
 absolutely secure, there is no reason why the development in 
 Oregon in the next twenty years will not far siu-pass all of the 
 development up to the present time. 
 
 pM The four simple Indians who traveled half way across the 
 Continent in 1832 to obtain the Light and the Book, from the 
 East, are gone, but we of the Pacific Northwest have a mission 
 in carrying the Light of this great country of promise, and the 
 Book that tells about it, back to the Mississippi VaUey, and to 
 our friends on the Atlantic Coast. 
 
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