, 1868-04-24
Western region, where the soil Is richer
population thinner.
The Matter of Freights.

70 Us limited and uncertain means OF transportation,
has been the enormous charges for ffeights The
naviga6le streams have been taken possession OF by
wealthy corporations, who have established nonopo
lies in the carrying trade as to sap the very life blood
OF Industry, and eat out the subs tance OF the pro-
ducer. viii be found that IL the 80 900 sous in
the Wiilsmette, Umpqua, and other fertile valleys
through which 1t is now proposed to construct a
railroad line, were compelled to rely solely upon
water means Of transportation at ruling rates in less
than ten years they must become panpers. To raise
crops and pay more for getting them to market than
they are worth when taken there, is clearly kind
OF speculation in which no sensible person could
desire to engage. While II Is not pretended that the
freight in Oregon, at the present time, would be
equally low with those in the State Of New York, q,
tho difference between them must be trihing. The
abundance Of fuel in Oregon will always keep down
exorbitant rates. aud when the contiguous rich lands
are occupied, and the products Of the country IN
creases, there is no reason why the Oregon Railroad
might not carry freight cheaper and with larger
profits to the stockholders than are secured in New
York.
The Passenger Trade.
Here we have spoken of freights only. On all
railroads. pas sengel travel is shown to be one Of
| the most profitable features. Without presumng 10
offer even conjeetura opinion as to the number Of
persons who would daily pass a railroad
between Portland and Eugene City, 1t may be stated
that previous to the construction of the railroad
between San FRANCISCO ond San Jose, in California,
a four horse coach was found 20 furnish ample
commodatons for all thu passenger travel now not
less than thousand souls in daily transit; when
there are excursion trains the number is more than
The Willamette Valley.
If there are at this time as estimated 900 souls
IN the Willamette Valley and its Gtueuts, there is no
risk in asserting that it would b, increased one-third
before railroad be half completed and that in less
than three years after its completion the number
would be more than tretled. The increase in the
value OF all adjacent and tributary lands judging by
what has ocurred elsewhere, would be in a ratio
| of from forty to hundred against one.
| At Portland and the other towns along its
| Ia nioht ha
ticipated. The trade down the Valley cannot be
entirely destroyed even at the crushing prices of
transportation now prevailing. From gentles
man who traversed its entire length in Septem>
ber, we ascertain that about 200 tons of grain,
bacon and dried fruits were shipped per week to
| Portland, by water, independent of the wagon
trade while the passenger traffic was equal to
$50 souls per day. The committee TO which al,
| lusion has been made, speaking of this and the
Umpqua and Rogue River Valleys, says "LimS
tied and unsystematc as the cultivation of the
soil has been, failure of the crops in Oregon is
unknown. The promise of seedtime and harvest
| is literally ours, and verify fulfilled with all
| this it is admitted that but small proportion of
our valuable lands are in cultivation, and in
| many sections of this favored country the pro-
ducts of cultivated lands lie rotting, because the
cost and difficulties of transportation are pro-
| hbtory tariff We know
| that large fields, nay farms lie idle from year to
with no prospect OF their reaching market with
any return to the producer"
If, as is estimated, Oregon has fifty mil
lions Of taxable property, without a single
line of railroad, what will it be increased
when her lanGs are brought into market, aud
have enhanced from io7ty, fifty, to hun
dred per cent. in value? How long, with
her one principal track extending from Port
land to her southern boundary would it take
these fifty millions to increase two or three
hundred millions. The whole history OF such
enterprises goes to demonstrate not long.
Further Testimony.
The Committee on Corporations of the
Senate of Oregon made report, from which
we ascertain that Jackson and Josephine
counties, in a single year, paid out as freight
money on 800 tons offreight (merchandise)
imported, the sum of sl79,7O0 The com.
miitee further say "Polk county, has this
year (l864) produced one millions bushels of
wheat suppose 10000 bushels of this crop
could be spared to the San Francisco mark
ct at the prices heretofore prevailing siuce
harvest this was worth in Polk county
about IS cents per bushel, or $3.50, 900. If |
there had been a railroad in Polk county to
steamship landing, this wheat would have
sold in Polk county readily for 81 so per
bushel, or 5000, ,O0O-making difference of
| S450,000 leaving a margin Of so
cents per bushel for which to transport the |
wheat to San Francisco. This calcula-
tion might be applied to wool, bacon, lard,
oats and especially to the article ofh hay.
An average estimate, furnished by intelli-
gent business men from all parts of the
Willamette Valley, teamsters, merchants,
miilers, and county officers, shows that the
present exports and imports of this Valley |
to and from Portland are not less than oO,- |
900 tons per annup, and probably nearer
100000 At present the carrying OF the |
80,000 tons costs in actual money, or 10 the
time and labor of the farmer, when he hauls
it himself, about $40 per ton; or, in the
whole Valley, the round sum of Sl,6OO,OOO;
A division of 100 miles of railroads would
transport the whole of this freight, and could
do it for So per ton, or 500, 900, thus saw
ing to the people on the present business OF
the Valley, the round sum Of Sl,2OO,OOO
1t is generally admitted fact in political
economy. that the man is wise who, having
100 acres of land, gives away 60, fby SO
doing he can make the remaining forty of
more value than the original 100. So it
must be apparent to the people of Oregon.
with the immense array of facts before them
favorable to railroad enterprise, that 1t would
be good policy on the part Of the farmer to
sell or mortgage one-half of his lands for
money to subscribe to railrOads.wlth the
certainty that the remaining half would be
of more than double their original value
after these railroads had gotten fairly into
operation. California has had an almost
entire monopoly of the trade of the. Pacific
coast heretofore; but new era is dawning.
The completion of the Oregon Central Rail
road, to its junction with the great Trans
Continental Track, will stimulate such
trade, and open up such vast arteries of in
dustry in Oregon as to elevate her at once 10
the proud position not only of rival, but it
will remain With the future TO prove whether
her resources, properly developed, may not