The Souvenir That Sold Washington by the Page
A state pamphlet meant to promote Washington at the World's Fair gave Tacoma ten pages and Aberdeen not a line—unless towns paid. South Bend's mayor had already refused.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Decent honesty seems to be a rare trait among too many of the public officials of this state. There is honesty and honesty. Honesty of intention and honesty of performance. Under which category does Hestwood's souvenir come? This is a pamphlet presumably published in the interest of the resources of the state of Washington, by the state, for distribution at the world's fair. It is a work where one would look for honest treatment of each locality of the state.
From the point of view of its treatment the book is a disgrace to the state, if its critics may be believed. But it is worse than this: It is a slander upon some sections of the state at the expense of others.
Tacoma is a fine city, and has no greater admirer than the Herald, but there can be no earthly reason or excuse for devoting ten pages of such a pamphlet to Tacoma and eight lines to Seattle. Why, in the name of common decency, should Everett be given two and one-half pages and no mention be made of Whatcom, Walla Walla, South Bend, Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Centralia?
The South Bend Journal says of this contemptible work:
'This showing makes plain the main scheme of the book—plain enough to our own people: it is a mere collection of advertising "dodgers" open to all who would "pay the printer." The publisher has undertaken viciously to punish those who declined to pay. On March 11 last Mr. Hestwood wrote to Mayor Thomas Cooper that South Bend could have a two-page "write-up" in the "Souvenir" for $500. The offer was not accepted, the people here not believing that the state representatives would allow any publication to be distributed in the state building that did not deal fairly with all localities. The result is shown in the following single reference to Willapa harbor:
"Grays harbor and Shoalwater bay are the two largest harbors on the Pacific coast except San Francisco and Puget sound. They are on the southwest coast of the state. Shoalwater bay has long been noted for its production of oysters, amounting to 200,000 baskets a year and giving employment to a number of schooners and several hundred men during the season. Its name indicates its character as a harbor."'
The interest of Aberdeen is the interest of every man in Aberdeen.
“It is a slander upon some sections of the state at the expense of others.”
State promotional spending and who gets included in the official story remain live questions. Then as now, a place left out of the brochure notices.
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