, 1874-01-08
Seattle W T. Jan. 8 1874

the supposed piaH VI eohneesiHS Win
the Oregon system of railroads at Port
Hand, opens to Seattle future of the
brightest promise, and to the Railroad
Company the only hope of making the
road between the Columbia river and
Puget Sound paying Investment
During the past five months the net
earnings of the o. G. Railroad, bet7een
Portland and Roseburg, distance of
two hundred miles, have averaged over
fifty thousand dollars month, chiefly
for the transportation of grain and flour,
and for the greater portion of that dis
tance by the side of navigable water
well furnished with steam boats engaged
in the same trade. During that time
the locks on the Willamette river, COM
pleted last year at an expense Of about
three hundred thousand dollars, paid
but little more than the expense Of
keeping, allowing no dividends to the
stock holders.
These are simply the practical results
of the transportation business between
Portland and the interior, embracing
a farming country Of about 5000 square
miles but partially improved and sparse
ly settled. At Portland it is 100 miles
from the seaboard by means of trans
portation uncertain, expensive and haz-
ardous. During the recent ice blockade
ten ships were frozen in the river; in
one Case, which came to our knowledge,
q miller who had chartered ship for
Liverpool, was bound by his contract to
pay ninety dollars a day for delay Of
-oYer Two weeks; and this is probably
but one of many like cases. In summer
when the water is low. large vessels,
which are the cheapest in proportion for
full freigats, cannot approach Portland,
and frequently vessels of small tonnage
have to load and unload portion of
their cargo by lighters. far down the
river. In addition to these distractions
to navigation all sailing vessels have to
be towed to and from the mouth of the
Columbia river, the charges for pilotase
and the rates of insurance are higher
thar to and frem any other port on the
Pacific coast, and in stormy weather the
.IDssage of the Columbia bar is iEprac
4icable, frequently causing long deten-
tions and great risks to vessels.
The port of Seattle is subject to none
of these objections; easily accessible,
ALWAYS safe, with abundant water and
good anchorage for vessels of every
class. With the contemplated railroad
eeaanacions, Seattle must of necessity
become the entreport and commercial
centre Of a large proportion of the trade
Of she Willamette Valley. Cars loaded
with grain or -four at any station upon
She lins sf tho rsilroad between Portland
and Eosepuis gu he transported to this
place without breaking bulk, and by
means of elevators put ON board of ships
and conveyed to any OF the markets of
.he world at much less cost than it can
be transhipped at Portland through the
Columbia river to the same markets.
In q circular issued by the farmers OF
Oregon, we see it stated: "Thc farmer
of Oregon gets $40 a ton for his wheat,
and the carriers get about $25 per ton
for the sane" On account of the ocean
currents favoring the upper coast, not
over one dollar per ton additional is
charged upon vessels chartered to run
Between Puget Sound and Atlantic
ports, over the charter rates between
San Francisco and the same ports. By
the present routes of transportation 1t
costs the Oregon farmers 81 cents a
bushel- over SO a ton-to get their
wheat upon the ian Francisco market.
Under these disadvantages they have
to compete with California farmers in
foreign market. This difference may
be diminished more than one half by
this railroad connection and direct trade.
1t Is. also understood to be project
of the Railroad Complny, by means OF
its monopoly of transportation on tbs
Upper Columbia, to turn the trade OF
the country east of the Cascades over
this route, by reducing the rates of
transportation on the river to make Ii
tributary to the railroad. That IS, to
transport between Seattle and the upper
country at very small advance over
the rates charged to and from Portland.
When all this is done-which may be
during the present year-the speedy
compilation Of the Seattle and Walla
Walla Railroad viii be assured, because
business and enterprise begets business
and enterprise, and because it Will de-
monstrate beyond doubt or question
that the railroad between Portland and
Seattle is a paying investment, and that
a road costing not over two-thlrds as
much per mile, run at half the expense,
through a section greatly superior IN
resources and the interchange of com
modities, cannot fail to command the
eager attention of capitalists.
The people of Seattle hold in their
Hands the key to brilliant future with
out having to hazard their possessions
or their prosperity in any uncertain
scheme or doubtful venture. All that
they are required to do is to improve
their opportunities by such liberal poilr
cv as would commend itself to any good
business man whose own interests were
solely involved in the issue. Ii 1t taxes
half their present possessions to secure
the prize, they will be greatly the gam"
ers by the Investment; but If they pur-
sne the greedy, selfish policy Ike the
man who killed. the goose that lay the
golden egg in order te realize all at once
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