The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1865-11-28
THE INCREASE OF TRANsPORTA-
TION ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER.


districts, above the Dalles, would in time effect
the amount of freights up the Columbia river,
and that in consequence, the proportion Of
freight to population would continually de-
crease. The articles of agricultural production
east Of this point are, and will be for many
years, principally meat and bread, which form
about one quarter of the total weight of shin
ments to any mining section. These average
about one and a half pounds to the man a day.
The time in which the mines will be altogether
supplied from the fields and pastures east of
the Cascades, may be reasonably anticipated
at five years in the future. From thence for.
ward, one quarter of the weight Of mining
freights will cease to pay tribute to the navi-
CATION of the Columbia, allowing that the
average of freight to the man is six pounds
day, and this is the basis of such calculations,
founded on the experience Of California.
1t must be considered, however, that the
settlement of the Columbia Basin is sure to
produce very considerable shipments of back
freights, which are so much needed to make
reduction in freights generally, practical
BILE measure. These will consist in hides,
horns, hoofs, wool and the like. In time,
salted meats will become an important article
of export, but not for many years to come.
AS the matter now stands, but small por-
tion of the livestock coming east of the noun
tains pays anything to the navigation interest,
but when the supply of such stock for the
mines is derived entirely from the interior to
the east, the pastoral population will require
an increase of transportation, which will form
an important element in sustaining the present
proportion of freights to population.
But by far the most important considera-
tion, is the increased demand for transporta-
tion caused by the development of the quartz
mines. Take for instance forty stamp mill,
with its equipments, weighing one hundred
tons its annual repairs, and the heavy hoist
ing apparatus of an extensive mining COM
pany, and add the usual ratio of supplies, and
we have vast increase of freights over the
demands of ordinary placer mines. A mining
company such as this, will work fifty hands,
and the average of freight for FIVE years, in
cluding the required machinery, will be at
the rate of one hundred tons a year, or some.
thing over twice as much as the requirements
of the placer mines.
From these circumstances, we infer that the
relation of freights to population, in the com.
ing FIVE years, will indicate an increase, and
that this relation is likely to be sustained as
long as the mines continue to be operated
with an annually increasing force. There are
however, other considerations which may
measurably effect this conclusion, and i
seems to be the part of wisdom to take then
into account The cheapness Of draft stock
on the Missouri frontier and in California, ha
stimulated the employment of teams from
those localities to our mining districts, witt
the calculation that in the event of competi
tion from thence proving impracticable, the.
would still find better field here than in th
countries where they were produced.
From present indications the amount Q
farm produce from California to the mines
and of machinery from the Atlantic slope
will cause no small diminution in the trad
of the Columbia for the coming year. Th
competition thus forced by a state of circum
stances incident to the relations of the sewers
sections, may be continued from some advar
tage to rival routes which we do not at pres
ent see, or seeing do not give it due allow
ance. 1t is very probable that no such advar
taged exist, and it is very certain that the
, have not been intelligibly set forth. In On