, 1867-03-29
Wn1lula Correnonaence.
wIIruL.. harcb 81. ls,


said that Corporations have no souls" Well, If
they have, their souls can only be brought to
light by similar Institutions, or, By strong op-
position, either of which, for time, are detri,
mental to all commercial interests, in any com
munity. The only question to be solved, Is,
which produces the greatest loss to a commun-
ity, hsartless monopoly, or an active, energetic
opposition. Opposition, for a while, andeabt-
edly jars capital and all commercial Interests,
creates fsverish excitement, as we'll as direct
loss to the mercantile cemmunity; for, when
merchant has, fer a series of years; been doing
business, subject to the grasping avarice Of a
heArtleIs msuopoly, I've will say that) all his
his goods, for year or two previous, have cost
him fifty dollars per ton, transportation; now
comes an opposition, aud freights go down to
twenty Eve dollars per ton, and this state Of
things continues for only few months, il cer-
tainly gives new merchants a great advantage
over our old stand-bys. Then, as a general
thing, after stiff opposition for a few months,
aud prices go down, they very seldom ever 60
back to their old figure. In this respect all
eventually become gamers by the opposition, in
the long run. But is it not far better for all
monopoles to avoid opposition, and show by
their actions that they have sympathy with
the people, their eustOmersi 1t certainly seems
to me so. Oppositioa in steamboatiug, or, in
fact, all transportation companies, always bene,
fits large class of people. Hotels, saloons,
ferries and farmers come in for large share, but
the merchants, for a while, are sure to lose BY
the operation.
have been led to think of this matter from
the fact Of the great disparagement of charges
by the 0. S. n. Co. 1t is a notorious fact, that
nowhere in the world, all things considered, are
charges by steamboats, so high as on the Colum-
sia river, and know of no place in the world,
where prices could be reduced to SO good ad-
vantage, not only to meet the wants Of all, but
to the benefit Of the steamboat owners them
selves. It is conceded fact that the Columbia
river is the proper channel for goods from San
Francisco or Portland, destined to Washington,
Idaho and western Montana Territories. But it
is also we'll known, that there are several other
routes struggling to get this trade, and for no
other reason in the world than that it cost SO
much to send freight, or to travel on the Colum-
bia river route.
No man can take one Of the o. s. y. Co. steam
ers, at Wallula, asd go to Portland, tsrn round
and come straight back, short Of an expense Of
fifty dollars. This is actual expense. No merchant
can make the trip and remain in Portland three
days, for less sum than seventy>fve dollars;
distance 22O miles, time one dayl A Portland
merchant can get On an ocean steamer at Ports
land, go to San Francisco and back, for the same
money distance $50 miles, time four daysI
Suppose you want to 60 from WAllula to Una
tilla, distance 2j miles, time two hours, charge
two dollars and fifty cents in gold coinl Sup
pose you want something to eat on the way
down-seYeuty cents more is required
Freight from San Francisco to Portland, distance
$50 uIss. 6va dnIlsrs per ton (snmAiiaOs two
and aud a half) Freight from Portland to
Wallula, distance 22o miles, IS dollars per ton!
1t costs seven times as much more, to bring
freight from Portland to Walula, distance 22O
miles, than it does from San Francisco to Port
land, distance $50 miles! All this by measures
meut ton of goods, measurement, will not
average l7OOtb
Now look at the route uid the Missouri river.
FROM St Louis to Fort Benton is 800 miles,
and steamboats, cannot make more than two
trips (average) per yeAr-boatiug ssason-yet
the mountain merchant can have goods shipped
from ST. Louis to Fort Benton, a distance of
near 2 800 miles, for ten cents per pound weight.
His freight-assorted merchandise-does not
average him seventeen dollars per ton and
that in greenbacks Now from Fort Ben
ION to Helena--ths heart of Montana Territory
his only I4s miles, and freight to Helena by
team, two cents.
Then comes the Chico, Humboldt, and Los
Angeles routes, by the way of Salt Lake City.
cannot give the prices of these routes. only
know that they are trying to compete with the
great national highway, the Columbia river.
route.
Now with all these facts staring this o. s. N.
Co. in the face, is it not enough to shake the
confidence of every man in this upI er country,
in their sound Judgment, or are they void of
even common Sense7 Do they not know that
every trader who goes from San Francisco or
Portland to Montana, bsgets trade for these two
cities Most certainly be does. No trader leaves
Portland or San Francisco for Montana, that
does not leave more or less in debt to these two
places. Or be may be nothing more thaa an
agent. Consequently, if there is money in the
venture, he returns and takes out more goods.
But when or where have the o. s. N. Co. mAui>
Tested any desire to gain this trader On the
contrary, they seem to try every way possible
to build up successful rival on the Missouri
rivsr-giving Chico, Humboldt, and Los An
geles a chance, and putting an impetus to all
railroads pointing towards this rich mining sec
ton Of the country, aud every mile Of railroad
that is finished, pointing towards Montana, is
put to use Immediately. Cannot every person
see this 1t is certainly plain enough to anyone
but the managers Of the o. S. N. Co.
Have not given good aud sufficient reasons
why the o. S. N. Co. should bring down their
charges TO a fair and reasonable rate, without
the necessity Of forcing them to do so By an op-