The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-03-28
ASTORIA coRREsPONDENcE.
Editor Democrat:

The Portland Xeyaid of March LIST,
in its commercial article, devotes a
paragraph to Astoria, and throws a
lance at "Pioneer" for presuming TO
say word to the farmers of the val
ley OH matters relating to their own
interests and for the prosperity Of the
State. This is the editors language: !:
Pioneer is flooding the columns Of
the Albany DEMOCRAT with his milk.
and. water bosh about Astoria and the
position nature has assigned it." You
see at once, Mr.. Editor. that the first
statement of the Ueruid ia false, so
far as "Pioneer" is concerned for he
had furnished but one article to the
DEMOCRAT, and that did not occupy
Que full column. The Herald styles it
"milk-apd-watcr bosh." will accept
the term. Milk is nourishing; water
is most refreshing, and absolutely nee
essary for our existence; and bosh
according to Webstcr) signifies "out-
line; figure" Now, if ! can admin
lister nourishment and health TO the
farmer, and give him correct outline
to be pursued by himself in the tu-
tnre, | shall have done what / in the
first place desired TO do. 1t is a little
singular that an article so weak and
harmless should cause the editor of
the HeraM to throw up. II he in
tended To signify that the dose was
weak and tastcless, we can put little
cayenne in his portion. lie says, "we
demonstrated yesterday by actual fig
ures that the pilotage aud towagc of
vessels 10 and from Portland is but
forty eight and one-iifth "a pretty nice
calculation cents per ton. Its said that
figures won't lic,' but they often CON
vcy falsehood from those who make
them" Now, James Tavlor, in the
Farmer of March lst, demonstrates
by actual figures" and figures obtain
ed from Capt. Sawyer Of the Roswell
Sprague" that the difference IN ship
ping nj Astoria instead of Portland
would be 81 cents per ton, and he is
below the mark. If you add to that
the difference of charter money paid
10 get ships 10 60 over the sands To
Portland for their cargoes, the differ
ence would amount to dollars instead
OF cents per ton. The statement of
Capt. Sawyer of the "Sprague," and
the statement of Capt. Barber of the
Felix Mendclson," show plainly that
the Ueyatf intended to deceive. In
fact, the press of Portland, for the
past fifteen or twenty years, have fall
sified and deceived the commercial
world in regard to the actual position,
relatively and commercially, of the
two places. venture to assert that
no one, being wholly ignorant OF the
geography OF the country, could have
determined from the Portland papers
up to this day the exact location of
that town.
The people of Astoria do contend
that this is the only port for the Col.
umbia River Valley where n success
FIJI foreign trade can be carried on so
as to compete with San Francisco and
other sea ports on this coast.
You may ask Gt You are not al.
ready posted up in this matter) wha,
has kept Astoria in the back ground
if she holds so favorable a position by
nature? l answer: Oregon. up to
1913, was taking the lead on this
coast, but the discovery of gold in
California brought from the Atlantic
States much wealth into San Francis
CO, and the city grew up as by magic
In those golden days she needed the
agricultural products of Oregon >to
, establish trade with us, and she sen,
, her branch commercial houses as far
into the interior as the light-drafl
steamers of those days could run, sc
as to wholly monopolize and control
our trade and make Oregon tributary
to her; so that, in fact, Portland is an
illegitimate child-a daughter of Sar
Francisco-identifed with that city
She is bound to her commercial
, houses, and would sooner see the
; whole trade of Oregon 60 by the way
of the Sound, and the stopping of all
direct foreign trade, to the detriment
OF the State, than to see Astoria take
the position designed by nature fol
her, and grow up in commercial
wealth and Importance. Look al
matters as they have progressed. The
whole of Oregon has been claimed by
, Ben. Holiday as his farm, and the
{ whole business of the farm was to bt
under his control, and the product,
carried in bis steamers to San Fran
cisco. For the last ten or fifteer
years, with the money of Holiday
and San Francisco, Portland has had
nearly the whole representation il
Congress to foster and build her up
They attempted at one time to re