, 1876-03-11
THE FREIGHT QUESTION.
To tile preslden, Of ,,o y,u

Az 'lie PRESIDENT Of Ihe Valley Ra.,ro,,,
DEAR SIR BE n firmly ;nnr.s,ei nh,
'he belief that the prosperity OF Walla WaTIs
ci'y and valley lies with you 7 off, s.
iaots ior Your consideration. Judge Lewis.
IN MS speech at the City Hall, about a ,e,r
ago. remarked that the highest cbsryes te
knew oi by rail was five and a half o-S,.s ,,,-
nile Ton, but 1t would pay US 10 aive To-
ahd u hall OF three dollars Der ton IN \V,U,I.
II We could get the valley railroad IN WI,
Nai!a. This all recognized as A fac, n
Farmers thought that the bright dav b.5 -
last began 10 dawn on them. sna in p,.,rI,,
/ every direction could be seen the nl,Um,,,
turning The grass sod under; iu fact, tryip,,
20 oflbg every available acre under culfiva-
ton, and 10 demonstrate 10 the world ,b,,
inns country could produce millions of bu.b-
els Ut cereals. The idea was to let rst,Is
growing and pork packing 20. and m,ka
grain growing speciality.
The merchants who Contributed % I;r.-.yI.-
TO get the railroad Completed 10 town. b.
heTed that with the completion of the road
Nalla Nalla would be the great central rr,.d-
ing point tor the Columbia basin. It WIS
reasonable 10 suppose ihat with the advent Of
the railroad and cheap freight, the business
OF Walla Waiia would soon quadruple.
1hls, Ar- President, was the outlook 4
year ago :; really the prospects looked bright
Tor all but, alas the delusion What Is
the outlook to-day Half of the business
h5uSes On Main street are vacant, the farmers
look cast down and suil,n. a paragraph N
the Halia WaIla URt14 Of last week EXPLAINS
1t all; the charge ON a ton of grain To Wal
lula, distance by railroad ot 81 miles, is TO
be five and q half dollars; fifty cents more
Ihan the business men Of Walla Wana pa!G
the teamsterS Tor delivering ton of grain or
hour ou he q. 5 y. Company's wharf boat
at Muilula last spring Taxing the distance
from here 70 Na!!uia TO DO thmty-Uue miles,
the charge Is over sixteen cents pur ton per
mile tgon Waluia 10 Portland by the o. ).
y Company boats and railroad, two hun
drei and twenty mI!es, the rate per ion Is a
small fraction over two and thTre-qusrter
cents per mile. You know, Mr. President,
that the Company WAS denounced a. d soul
. less corporation. The q. ). \. Company :
rate per ton from Portland 10 Waliula Is SO,
or a traction LEES than eleven and a quarter
J cents per mile and yOn MIR. President can
bear witness that he Company has been de-
Aounced for rUbbing the country by their ex-
/ :,rtionate charges, vet the valley road charge,
1 "a very small fraction lrSs thLn l3 cents per
/ ton measurement ior the same freight
( " Let ;hen build good wagon road, and
/ LET the caIs run empty, says ihe paragraph
J alluded to III the Jfs.oa. is 1t possible Ne
/ VIII have 70 Iall back 10 wagons To get orr
( grain taken cheaper to Wallun Can it be
/ that you are going to adopt policy that
/ viii force all the .Srain, aUar, and ihe trade
( Of 'he Touchct und Dayton country 10 20 IL
/ the way OF Snake River, instead OF over Your
railroad? Must tn farmers OF this ueightor-
+ hood haul what grain thry can to Waiinla.
/ and turn the rest iu'o bacon and haul It TO
/ Walluia in the spring. rely forcing the
/ farmers to deal at Portland, instead Of here ?
/ Let it BE- known that you intend 70 charge
/ more than three times as muca AS tho Union
/ Pacific, OF more on down freight han the Q.
/ 5. ). Company does on mp freight, and uot
. AN Immigrant Will be veriant enough 20 put
/ his foot IN Walla Waila. \ ruwn viii be
/ started SOme place on Snake River that viii
catch all The trade north # here, ard Walia
/ Walla will b. ruined Thesa are unpleasant
/ facts, Air. h.,sIG,nr. for an old clrizen to
I view, and hoping you wall give the matter a
I serious thought. praying that yon viii adopt
+ uUllcy thai will Le Il rrul benefit To Wa,li
. Walia and the surrounding country, That
you VIII adopt liberal raritf-une rhet viii
encourage all TO patron.za tie valley railroad
is the humble p-ay~r Of
TMoruV SOuTILIEK.