The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-06-17
THE WEEKLY INTEi.IlGENCER
Official Press of King County,
Monday, June IL, 1878.
A NEIGHBOR'S ENDORSE
MENT.

The Victoria Col0nist, commenting on
our article on "The Narrow Gauge Rail-
road" says:
The Seattle "ISTELLIGEScER" is agi-
tating the importance of building q
narrow gauge railway from Seattle to
Walla Walla. The distance. We
believe. is 200 miles. through a country
that does not present heavy engineer
ing difficulties, and it is thought that
such road, if built, would make Seat
tie the granary of the North Pacific.
All almost insuperable barrier to snip
ping is presented by bar at the mouth
OF the Columbis River. The crossing
Of this bar in the stormy months Of the
year is considered hazardous by ship
masters. Vessels have been known to
lie several weeks at Astoria fearing TO
venture across the rough bar. Last
Winter almost insessant gales swept
along the coast Columbia River bar
was in state of chronic ferment from
December to April, and the expense
and risk of crossiDg-grest enough in
ordinary seasons-were much increased.
Colum bia River, it is well known, is
the principal outlet for the cereal wealth
of Oregon. Annually upon the broad
bosom of that stream float seward
millions Of bushels of grain seeking a
foreign market 1t is important that
this grain should be weighted with Is
little expense as possible TO tine shipper;
that charges for freight, demurrage for
detention, pilot fees. ETC.. should not be
20 heavy as to cause the grain to be
sold at loss at its destination. Puget
Sound people contend that Oregon
wheat cannot compete with California
wheat in the English market, because
of the expense that attends its shipment
by the Columbia River. and they fur
ther contend that line of railroad
from Columbia River to Seattle would
convey Oregon wheat to a shipping
point on Puget Sound at one-third the
cost of sending cargo to sea via the
Columbia river bar during the most
favorable season. This Is an important
contention, and if true. the fact cannot
long escape the attention of capitalists
or those largely interested IN shipping
grain to Europe. Puget Sound may
be approached and entered in at ell
seasons and in all weathers. 1t abounds
in good harbors, where the largest ships
may load with perfect security. A
broad gauge railway would cost to build
$4,000 u mile. A narrow gauge rail-
way may be built tor 1000 to $4,000
per mile. A writer says that q % ton
narrow guage engine will haul as many
tons of paying freight as forty ton
engine on the broad guage railway
and that the former can be operated a.
cost of forty per cent. less than the
latter. This is worth looking into. II
q narrow gauge railway will transport
cheaply, safely and expeditiously wheat
from Oregon to Puget Sound. where it
may be placed on ship-board and sent
to sea without having to bear the
tremendous charges that place Oregon
wheat at disadvantage. Puget Sound
will early be called upon to surrender
one of her ports to tho wheat feet that
now frequents the Columbia River. We
have long been of the opinion that the
natural seaport of Oregon exists some
where on Puget Sound. and the projec.
Of narrow gauge railway to bring the
points of production and shipment to-
gether strengthens that opinion.