, 1879-08-02
GOuld's BOldcSf Scheme.

SEOuhu y kDUiutSi lNAVulSs
The announcement that Jay Gould and
-,srtI.ers have bought out the entire prop
er.y and franchises u tie Oregon Steam
Navigation company viii quite ast0nish
most people, who were hardly aware that
the Union Pacific had any intention OF
connecting with the ocean over line OF
It's own. By this purchase the Union
Pacific has already half completed Its
work, and il only remains for 1t TO spar
the interval between Umatilla and the
Utah Northern at the mouth of Black.
foot, when it viii virtually be indepen
dent Of the Central Pacific and prove a
powerful, if not 4 successful, competition
for the business that the Northern Pacific
has considered its own, to be taken at It's
leisure. Portland now becomes the proper
terminus of the Union Pacific, and may
be expected to prove no mean rival oi
San Francisco before many years ere
gone. The Northern Pacific loses one
part Of its Pacific connection, and must
now content itself with terminus on
Puget Sound, where. in course of time,
it may build up third rival for the COM
merce of the Pacific.
1t looks strange to us that the Northern
Pacific has suffered itself to be thus out
done and driven from the line Of the
Columbia river. 1t cannot bnt seriously
cripple the operations reported as begun
by that company in building east from
the head of navigation on the Columbia.
1t has no through connection with the
coast except by this transportation Lille,
which has now gone into the hands of It's
rival. All It's iron and materials must
pass by this route, or labor suspended till
the line is brought up through Washing
ton territory from Puget Sound. Even
tually, when the government canals are
completed to the Cascades and the Dalles,
there viii be free navigation on the
Columbia, and the Northern Pacific may
catch share of the trade from Portland,
bat this will be Years hence, and mean-
while the Union Pacific will have strength
ened itself SO that il cannot suffer from
rivalry.
Never before on tins continent HIS
there been such sharp playing for high
stakes between rival railroad companies.
The prize Is the commerce "f the Pacific :,
the claimants ase tie Central, Northern,
and Union Pacific, and the latter, with
the least natural advantages, seems at
this moment destined to WIN the lions
share. Ne may naturally look for live
ly race to win the prize, and also Il Ii i,ciy
competition between these lines when
completed. We may expect within two
wears to see the cars running between
Ogden and Umatilla, and carrying freight
Srom Portland to New York. 1t viii be
2-elnea race between this line and the
Central Pacitc's Southern connection
through Arizona, Wv Mexico. These
through lines to the Pacific are all Of
them sure OF being good investments, and
there is plenty cf capital in the country
ready for Just such enterprises.
1t is greatly to cur advantage that such
agencies are at work TO force the North
ern Pacific into action, at the peril OF
losing lis best trade and customers
Though tie line FROM Ogden to tmatiila
viii he of Iiarrow-guage at first, II Viii
SE>l-.,ls,-ty Bt C.Id!i-Cu 10 a. lu.I bIOdl-
2Uage. Oar p-cp!e viii soon have offered
them a chance To cJnncct On very favor
abe terms with i trans continental line,
and within two years, if We viii, we can
have cars running iGto the heart Of Mon
tana that VIII connect with New York,
San Francisco, and Portland This con-
nec.iou once made viii give rs the best
commercial facilities that We could ask
for. We are united forever by iron and
steam with the three great cities Of the
fntara on the Pacific, and TO the east by
,wc trunk roads, bosides the Missouri
river. Thanks 10 fortune, events beyond
our control have brought us the oppor-
tunity for short, safe, cheap, perpetual
delivery, and it only remains to be seen
whether We can be 50 blinded as To neg
Icct chance that is worth millions to us
and never viii come again- We may be
absolutely certain that if we beekon for
ward the Utah & Northern Pacific to our
midst within the next year. the Northern
Pacific VIII be here two years earlier thai
it otherwise could, with direct outlets
both 10 the east and the west.-Herd!d.