, 1879-12-08

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up and wheat down. Thanks to the
perfect arrangements made by the COM
pany. and to the skill and faithfulness
and hard work, day and night. and con-
stant watchfulness of their officers and
agents, pursers and clerks and engineers
and deckmen and wllarfmen, everything
moves with accuracy at every station ON
boat and railroad car. Seldom is packs
age mislaid or lost of the tens of thous-
ands handled eight times over every
week. Tho same energy and faithfulness
brings thousands of tone of wheat every
week from Walla Wa!la to this point,
and goods up on the railroad so oppor-
tunely built and equipped by Dr. d. S.
Baker, and added by sale to this line OF
commerce. The farmers, too, are glad to
get off their crops and receive their cash
Tor larger enterprises next year. But the
rush Of freight to the Walla Walla ware.
houses puts every team in line, and every
consignment IN its turn on the books of
the receiving clerks. One agent said tina,
now over 5000 tons are registered for
transportation, which probably must re-
main till spring at Walla Walla. All the
treights, which are now known to amt
to IL, 600 tons, must remain till April in
the counties bordering the Snake river.
NO doubt the farmers there need the cash
fer their crops. At present high rates
for wheat and flour, their delay of ship
ment is loss not only of time but of
tens Ut thousands of dollars of hard cash
For exam pie, 10000 tons is the estimated
amount to be held back by rapids, reefs
and rocks. These obstructions can be re-
mored IN a .teao months if Congress acM
grant The funds. The loss on these 99u,-
OOO bushels by delay may be so cents per
bushel, or $495 900, which falls upon tae
settlers in one year alone. If our dele
CATION in Congress will by hard work
secure hnlf this sum tor improvements
next year, that entire amount can be
promptly in autumn put on ships at
Portland and Astoria, with other larger
harvests In prospect and sent to Asto-
ia"
This statement of facts presents an elo-
quent and conclusive argument in favor
OF railroad from Snake river to Pupet
Sound. The distance to the Sound from
any point ON Snake river is less than to
Portland. A railroad to the Sound. sub
Ject to no obstruction or interruption of
trade, could be constructed for less than
the estimated cost of opening free navi-
CATION on the Columbia river, including
the removal of low-water obstructions
and the building of locks. subject to
freeze up" which can not be estimated
at less than one month in every year, and
delays at the Columbia bar, which not
untrequently extend to thirty or forty
days to ships loaded and ready tor cea,
which is very heavy tax upon com.
merce. No such delays occur from any
port on Puget Sound.
DR.. Atkinson estimates the cost of de-
lay to not over half the crop of wheat at
nearly a half million OF dollars. The
saving in cost of transportation by rail-
road direct to seaport, with two hands
i'ngs instead OF eight as at present. would
certainly be not less than half million
dollars upon the whole crop. The dis
tance from Seattle or Tacoma to Snake
river by surveyed railroad lines is less
than zoo miles. The cost of construct
ing and equipping a narrow guage rail-
road would not exceed $4,0OO,OOO. Here
we have saving to The farmers of that
section of 25 per cent. year upon the
cost of the read in the single product of
wheat. The saving on return freights,
including lumber and fuel, can he rea-
sonably estimated at $1,OOO,OOO. This
would make difference to the farmers
of the upper Columbia and Snake rivers
Of 81. 100000 annually, which would paw
tor the road in two years. This, with its
interchange of freights, would be the best
paying line of railroad upon the cont,
nent for Its cost; and yet the people are
too psor to build it. all the capital on
the coast is controlled in the advere in
| terests OF Portland and San Francisco
and :he General Government takes no
=! heed of its colonial dependencies which
have no representation LII Cor rress or