, 1876-07-22
& Craving Town.

Tor years We have been accustomed 10 regard
As:oril as one of the dead towns the coast and
SUPPOSED AT i was past resurrection This opinion
r,Inaire! unisiu;bei unit. in the curse of pleas
me trip made 10 the mouth of tie Columbia River
LIST week. We learned thgt Astoria had woke up from
her Rip Van Wmke sleep, and = inieed one Of the
" Iet towns on the coast. Al! this progress too,
has a.en made without newspaper no;s',iety,
sort TO Tie ysaa e putting that charaeterizes towns
o. mu-hauou .aowth.
Tie revival OF ;he town, rs we learn from our oil
friend, D. C. ireland, editor OF the Is'ariln, dates
some three years back, and mainly attributed TO
the f-heries that within that period have assumed
Immense Importance. The grain trade, also is graz
,.aly Ier. concentrated at the mouth OF the River,
and these two riu-nces combined have served to
restore tie .otuue- Of astoria and madei; active
business town, with the prospect of becoming the
commes eial emporium of the Northwest coast.
The opening Of the Columbia River by means ofa
system o. locks and dams, must greatly contribute
10 the importance Of Astoria, and make that town
tie point Of export or the grain and produce of the
great interior basin. With the improvement Of the
River, as Contemplated in the bill now fore Con
eress. hoats will load grain at Waliuh and dis
charge a; the ships siies at Astoria This arrange
ment complete the charge for freghtins grain to
tie-wat viii not exceed 81 per ton. Our producers
viii tL-n reap a far reward for Their labor, and
tbs VIII become tie most prosperous country on the
coast.
We refer TO flis outlook slowing that our inter-
ests are largely Identified with the prosperity OF AS
,oria and that tie growth of reacts benecially
yp5n the other The present system of freighting
.r,in M the Willamette river and then down again.
i useless tax upon the proluoeEs OF this country
that amounts on an average 20 6 cents bushel on
each aud every bJsel o: grain that Is shipped abroad
BY following the natural channel to tdewater, this
.v Will be avoided. AMI that much be added to the
gains of the producers.
TIE gentlemen in contro! OF the o. S. y. Com
many ev lently contemplate this change IN the ship
ming arrangements Of the o,untry, as is evidenced by
tIs f,o, that they have quite lately secured over
ssvrn hundred feet OF wafer frOnt at Astoria, and
,, NON, arranging for the building Of wharveS and
WI 0sss n on an immense scale. Inc interests OF
tb,sn gentlemen are largely bound up IN foru ihd
but "a. acious and fur seells, they reoshhe @ tihit
tra IN tie iiear future l. 10 be the great gram
csr-rs Of the Northwe,t coast, and hence they are
l,,lv .s,rin, for the change that they know to
te inevitable. al, :; .,.;
That Tie pft1De OF AStOiAt AdNc 49,
- ! il}r,str I'd in the immense expenditures they
ave making IN the sh Pc OF street
llilliuss etc Miles of streets are beng S'Lls me-
in ami park,G and nearly all the oid lana mar ss
-. - familiar 70 travellers have disappear ed
ne bs in the rear Of the town are beng aug away
- An IN the front streets, and these aIe being p'anEsd
- ~ r-rfect hive Of industry, aud reInin':s
o. nj early dsys in California. when towns were
built " ts If by masle .,, -,..,, - ,,,as-
80. - - IN. s-reat town Of the North Pafihe ana
'''' ~ m lirttions point to Astoris a- the
80. Sfu,;ei at the mouth of the great River OF OF
i5e West with harbor in which ali the i ressfo o 9l
tbe Mold conii ride IL safety aud the natur, a. Igs rns
!tt iuI tis ,, h. strange indeed II Astoria fails to
',1rl-s',' rle sr., pin: OF trade and commerce