The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-07-26
..MoTHER PEANUTS,

EDITOR IEDEPENnENT:-Tn recent issue
of your paper / read an article oensuring
the Oregonson for the animosity it shows to
man who has shown himself to be an ac-
tive and most worthy public servant re-
ter 20 ex-senator j ii. Mitchell It is al.
ways sorry sight TO zee great journal So
entaely carried away by personal spite. The
following is 5 copy OF . letter which wrote
to the 0re00aidn and mailed March 24th,
this year. 1t is needless to say that it new
er appeared:
Id. Oree0aidH will You kindly permit
a snbsuriber to call attention to one side of
two questions, now of great interest to q
majority Of your readers I refer to the
railroad question. 50 long aud earnestly dis
-cussed, and also what points or advantages
should be considered necessary TO recon-
mend any place as . site for the proposed
harbor of refuge.
As regards the railroad question there is
one side which I have never seen in print
and which, fear. disagrees with your views
and those Of Portlanders In general. You
have frequently expressed the idea that
Portland would become great seaport in
the event Of the success of the N. p r. R.,
notwithstanding that that road would have
line terminating At some place on the
Sound. Such hope would never be realized.
Ny opinion in the matter is based upon the
following proposition: lst. A ton of wheat
raised in I6aho, or Eastern Oregon could be
laid down on the Sound - cheapiy % at Port
land, and not be subject to crossing g dam
gezous bar and paying high river pilotsge
and towage. ID No great overland rsilroad
could prosper and compete with the e. P. r.
II. Of California with no better seaport
than Portland as it, terminus. Sd. With
the n. p. r. r. completed as an overland
route. having & terminus on the Sound and
another at Portland, that city would be
PLACED In the same position as Sacramento
occupies in California. The great distribu-
ting point would be ct deep water on the
sound suppose Eastern Oregon and Idaho
cares but little for the individual success Of
either Portland or Seattle, but will ship by
such route as their interests dictate. Now,
IL above propos itions are correct, then Sena-
tor Mitckeil's views are also correct, to-wit
Either . railway terminating at Portland
og,lu. or no railroad at all OF tranaconti-
mental character. My belief is that your
city would do far better If the N. P. K. K.
should not touch the Columbia st all at any
navieable point, but that instead OF it,
number of short local lines Of railroad were
made TO center there, with perhaps line to
the Coast at such place as shall be selected
for the harbor OF refuge, to secure shorter
and swifter passenger route TO San Francis
co. Also build up your river trade and pre-
vent the portage from being used as a lever
Of oppression
The remarks made on harbor matter I
win here omit, as the time for discussion ON
that head is about past. But it is we'll
known il v e ever have such habor on our
coast we may consider it largely owing to
the sfBsrts made by Mitchell, and his good
Judgment in railroad matters is nearer very
cation than most people suppose. Very re-
spectfully. yours, w. c. LARENTzER,
Port Oxford, July 11th, 1875.