, 1875-06-12


spendor and eaborateness of detail ecipsed all pre-
vious demonstrations of the kind given in this place
Wednesday evening, at 9 O'Clock, the committee
ana tluSe who were invited assembled in the main
parlor Of the Hotel, where they found Capt Aims
worth, and Messrs. Thompson, Reed and Brace. Of
the o. : y Company. Accompanying the gentle
men of the o. S. y. Company WAS Mr. a /. PritcI-
ur!, Treasurer, AMI Gen. J. w Sprague, General
Superintendent Of the North Pacific An hour was
spent very pleasantly in converse with the dstin-
gsi,hed visitors, relieved by music furnished by
Prof BoulOns band.
THE EASQUEr.
A. 10 O'Clock, an adjournment WAS had from the
paror to the main dining room where a table magni
frently ornamentei was set for fifty persons Mayor
McAuliff took the head Of the table, with Can't.
Answurth on his right, and next \. L. Pritclmrd,
PSI, Col. r. Il. Thompson, 5. c. Reed, Esq, Gen.
j. W. Sprague, and Hon John Brace, seated in the
order in which they are named Among others liv-
in; outside the city we noticed s. ". Wait ESQ. of
Dayton, and Hon. T. X. Mccoy, of Umatilla, Ore
gpD. Hon y. I. Cation presided at the foot Of the
table, and acquitted himself an excellent toast master
After DOING full justice to the inviting collation.,
und at time when the wine was flowing freely,
Mayer McAulif called fox the first regular toast, In
r rsTonse w. H. Newell rose to his feet and announced
that he had been selected 10 present the toast of the
evening, aud as Is customary nlulged in a few pre-.
tltory remarks. He referred to the Columbia
River the natural outlet for the great interior
basin. and claimed for the distinguished guests the
merit OF having been The first practically TO utilize that
mighty stream aud chain it to the car of commerce
n
ing the raw proIucts of the soil than rairoa
or any system of land communication yet devised.
brief sketch Of early travel ON the Columbl. WIS
gwen, and the first steamboats, that stirred the waters
of the great River we're described rs small in SIZE
lacking in power, and giving little promise of the
floating palaces owned and operated by the o.
:. = Company. Tie portag at the Cascades first
made by shank's mare, and subsequently, by means
Of little wooden railways. 1t IN this way under
circumstances at times greatly dIscOuraging and in
tie face Of GItt tultcs that would have appalled,
OF less stoGt hearts, the present chiefs of the line had
worked tlieir way up until they found themselves
the undisputel owners of one Uf the most rnagnh-
cent systems of transportation kaown 10 civilized
man The gold excitements of ls6l-G2 were refer
rel 10 lay ng furnished the means to build and
rluip the line. The money 10 accomplish all this
had been made off of miners, and the line had
in any practical sense been upon the farming
interests The necessity for ccap transportation was
referred TO- lnl the opinion expressed that he men
who hal overcome so many difficulties would prove
! equal 30 the emergency.
| Sp,akin, 70. Nallt Walla it stated that she
asked no lIvorS. All size wanted a fair field in
the race :or the trade OF the greql. interior BASIN 80
located ~ 20 I've the natural centre FOR the trade OF the
count, y a wise policy dictates that II there Is to be
Discrimination it should lie in favor. 4 large
commercial town with large houses, having abuu-
d4ut capital. Will transact the business OF the country
cheaper than small towns and smaller traders The
speaker eferred TO lis long and intimate aequaiut-
aacs with the projectors and owners of stock IN the
O. s y. Company, and said it gave him great pleas
ure to propose the
| FIEsr REGULAR TOAST
TIE Orsgon St,rna NGcigatioH Company, one of the
great combinations peculiar 10 the age IN which
we live: have here O-lnght our honoreI guests
the men who hal the brains 10 plan and the energy
| TO carry through a chain Of land ani water eommu
nir.tt!On perfect itself and without parallel III
the history OF commerce
The rer,ling of this t0rst was followed by great
ap,lause, after which music by the band. Capt
Aiusworth was then called to respond:
! CAPT. :. c. AIyswoRTH's REMARKS
Capt. Aiusworth acknowledged the com
pliment paid him and his associates IN the
toast Just read and 50 fuvOrably received, and
then proceeded to notice the points made by
the speaker who had just taken his seat
He referred to the inpossibihty of carrying
the produce of the country at less than tht
present rates of freight on account OF the eH
i4nSes of-the line, amount of handling, etc
II. then referred to the great cost of the line,
the difficulties under which 1t was built, th(
risk attending its construction, and the pre-
1ir,ious Of its failure. In building the line
larga debt was incurred that bore heavy
: rate of interest, and at times threatened t
, swallow up the earnings of years. fortun
a,taly when the CompaDy's affairs were al th'
lowest ebb, the discovery OF rich mines mrs.
in the Nez Perce country, and later IN boise
Montana and British Columbia, attracted al
immense throng of miners, and OH the trave'
thus developed the Company realized In,
means 10 extinguish their Indebtedness anG
nlaced the line upon solid financial Dasis'
r. The character of the company improve
e rneuts was referred to, and the fact tnat theS
. had never had an explosion or serious dama6,
, 70 person. This immunity from danger had
been secured by liberal expenditures 1or th'
/ very best machinery, and the employment. Q
a none but first class engineers, and careful
! steady officers. Had the line merely oeei
run for the purpose of making money WIN
out regard to the safely OF lie OF property
1 large sums could have been saved III the e., EN-
: nloyment of a lower grade of labor. Ih
aim Of the Company had always been to sc
cure safety, and TO that end they had oeei
liberal in their expenditures. >,
e The managers of the Company by the CIT
: cnmstances OF their position feel an lntehs
, interest in the country East OF the Noun
tains recognizing the fact apparent 10 a
that the prosperity of the country secures !.
= the COMPANY a profitable business, and IL
It asd9t and aalrioyatioE brings disaster ah
! ruin 10 their property. and prospects :,
He showed that the money that original,
I built up the line came almost eAclIai's- -
It from the Miners, and that they haa never u -
d duly taxed the farmers or producing class. y
4 The policy Of the Company Is 10 foster - =
agricultural interests of the country, aI ~
"a when DR.. Bakers railroad Is completed' u
of people of Walla Wella Valley Will De as coi !,
as yeuient to the markets of the world as ;, u
PRODUCERS of the Upper Willamette taiie!
u He smoke of the Companys facIlltles II
moving freights as in advance OF me cou
~ mercial wants of the country :.
u The GREAT expense OF running and maL
N t,;r;ng the line was adverted TO, and u
l. fact stated that the business was only prom
sbIa SIX months in the year; during
winter months the Company he represen
$ "a mn;farrnlv lost money. He also spo