The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-02-07
"PRoeRESS OF Oregon"

growth of our young State during
the last decade. This interesting and
exhaustive review ofthe rapid growth
witnessed, from 1868 to 1878, in pop
uiation, production. exports, ocean
and river trade, fisheries, value OF
lands, increase Of live stock, public
Improvements, etc, occupies over
three and a half columns of fine type
in the Daily Oregonia,a Of the lst
inst. It is too elaborate for our col
nmns, but well worthy careful peru
sal. Mr.. Reid's facilities for procur-
ing reliable data eminently fits him
for writing understandingly upon
these various subjects:
In speaking of the railroads built
and in progress, Mr.. Reid has the fol-
lowing, which is of special interest to
our readers:
4 system or network of railroads located
in an agricultural country will certainly
bring future prosperity. The people OF Ore
gon, and ally the farming community,
whose farms have increased SO much in value
by the present railroads, should feel much
indebted to the pioneer railroad men those
Germans who now control and have invested
many millions of dollars in the Oregon &
California and Oregon Central railroads.
These two enterprises in 1870 opened up and
developed Western Oregon, making what
was considered prior thereto wilderness,
one of the most favored valleys in the Unit
ed States. The systematic manner in which
the gentlemen now in charge of these rail
roads attend to the wants of the people, and
decline to interfere with the politics of the
State, charging as they do moderate freights,
is very commedable, and entitle them to the
respect of the people Since 1871 no. new
railroad has been constructed In Oregon ex-
cept the Dayton and Grande Ronde narrow
gauge road, which has opened up to Port
land fine farming country, and which road
is now being built to Dallas, in Polk county,
q distance of 36 miles. The intention of the
owners of the west side railroad is to con-
tinue that road to Corvallis from st. Joseph
this year, a distance of 80 miles. while on
the east side of the Willamette valley a
new road is projected on the narrow-gauge
system to extend from Springfield i'll Lane
county along the foot hills of the Cascades
on to lem, distance of Is miles-open- :
ing up country which has suffered hither-
to for want of transportation facilities, and
which railroad will eventually be continued
to, Portland via Oregon City and the west
side. These railroads will in no way com
pete for freight, because wide apart from
each other, while the enhanced value oi
lands and the increased products to be de-
rived from the various farms located in the
district through which these roads pass will
swell our annual exports and commerce with
foreign countries and increase our popula
Il - -, 81
from Corvallis to Philomath this year, which
tbroad gauge) Railroad when constructed tc
Corvallis. A railroad marrow gauge) is alst
projected from Umatilla to Grand Ronde val
ley, Union county, 10 miles which is mucf
needed to open up one of the finest agricul
tural sections of the State. Various Other
narrow gauge railroads are proposed, but
have not demonstrated their plans to The
public. One instance of the benefits con
ferred on Doug las county by the Oregon ant
California Railroad to Reseburg is the fac
that in 1869 only los, 600 bushels of whea
and oats were raised in that county, where
as, in 1877 the quantity raised therein wa!
673,6 bushels. But beyond these loca
enterprises the greatest need to Oregon i.
direct railroad communication with the At
lantic States, the prospects of which in th'
near future do not seem so favorable as we
should like.
1t will be noticed, in the above ex
tract, that in speaking of the Corval
lis and Yaquina Bay railroad, Mr.
Reid simply mentions it as "ter
mile road" from Corvallis TO Philo
math, and does not speak of Yaquins
Bay, at all. Perhaps this was al
oversight on the part of the writer
or perhaps he is not aware that va
quina is an officially surveyed harbor,
and one of the best between San
Francisco and Puget Sound. We
would also sug rcst to Mr.. Reid, in
this connection, that Cape Foul
weather, the point extending farthest
west into the Pacific ocean, has been
surveyed. by government and is, be-
yond all question, the best and most
practicable location for harbor of
refuge on our crock bound" coast.
1t cannot be possible that a gentle
man of such extended information as
that possessed by Mr.. Reid, can be
ignorant of the. advantages of va
quina Bay as an outlet to the Will
lamette valley. A glance at the map
must convince him that this is the
most natural and direct outlet for the
produce of the Willamette valley.
Corvallis is destined, in the near fu-
ture, to be one of the most thriving
business places sonth of Portland,
and one of the grandest elements in
her future success is found in her
proximity to Yaquina Bay. "Fac,s
are stubborn things and no sophis-
try, or aggregation of capital can
thwart Nature in her grand designs
That "ten mile railroad" instead of
being simply feeder to the Ore
gon Central" will eventually become
a trunk line. to the sounding Sea"
Portland and Astoria to the contra
~, notwithstanding. The William
cite valley and Coast Corvallis and
Yaquina) railroad, is a fixed fact.
The iron and rolling stock have been
ordered for the first, ten miles. which
we hope will be completed by the
4th of July-and the remainder will
follow IN due time.