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Show , nl fitness of things Portland Orrgon-1 Orrgon-1 Jan. LIKE A TALE FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS. Since th admission of California to the union the growth of the state has been more like a tale from the Arab-Ian Arab-Ian Nights than sober fact. The construction con-struction of the two great railroads broucht on the era ol mammoth w heat fields which the lamented Frank Norn's Nor-n's described In "Tbe Octopus," with an amazing crtatlon of wealth Irri-gaiton Irri-gaiton has changed many of the vast c states of these davs Into fruit farms tilled scientillcally by a race of thor-orghly thor-orghly educated horticulturalists. Onre California was known to the world as the land of gold. Now It Is the land not only of the wealth which is mined, but of the orange, the grape nnd the souverelgn apple. When the easterner or the European hears the word "fruit" he thinks of California. Nowhere does the sun Impart to the swelling globes such a Idvlne color, j Nowhere does the earth pour forth her bounty in such variety and abund-1 t nee. There Is less historic authority than one could wish for saying that the seat of the Garden of Eden was somewhere near Los Angeles, but it Is safe to assert that if the blessed abode of our first parents was not tltuate.iu that happiest of earthlj regions reg-ions It ought to have been. California has always been famed for her Initiative. She never, has lest an thing for lack of daring and energy. What other state ever ventured ven-tured for any cause as she has to vln the Panama exosillon? The legislature legis-lature has voted f." .000,000 without the oulver of an eyelash. The city of San Francisco makes a noble second with $l.r.i0,000 more, besides $5.onn,. 000 to be raised by tax levy, or 1'',-Ct'0,000 1'',-Ct'0,000 In all for the city. This is the sum which the Golden Stale will offer congress to provo her right to the great historic exposition San Francisco Is thn ouly suitable site for it. The Panama canal concerns the entire i-ountry Intimately. Properly l.iajiuger. It will revolutionize our ys-Icm ys-Icm of transportation and make an epoch in the history of commerce. But it will affect the Paeilie Const more nearly than any other section of the union. Tho aspect of the country coun-try east of the Mississippi will not f altered much by the elfect of the canal, but here It will build cities and people empires. To celebrate Its completion com-pletion anywhere but in San Francisco Francis-co would tdiow contempt for the etern- |