The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-02-27
NEW RAILWAY ENTERPRISE.


On the Goth inst, "The Oregon
Railway Company, Limited" was in
corporated in Portland. VIM. Reed,
d. Macleay and E. G. Hughes are the
incorporators. Capital stock, $2,ooo,-
900, divided into shares of 500 each,
with power to increase it desired.
The business of said corporation is
to construct, equip, operate and man
age a railroad and telegraph line
from Portland to and across the Cas-
eade mountains to Goose Lake, in
this State. This is to be narrow
gauge and it is the purpose of the
company to construct line 100
miles in length, beginning on the
Willamette river, in Marion county,
opposite Rodgers landing, across
French prairie, and through Silver
ton, Sublimity, Scio, Lebanon and
Brownsville, to Springfield in Lane
county, and finally down to Portland
on The west side of the Willamette
river by way of Oswego. This COM
pany has also purchased the entire
stock of the Dayton, Sheridan q
Grand Ronde railway company, and
designs to extend this line to Dallas
and into Kings valley, in time to
move the crop this fall, and no doubt
ultimately the intention is to cross
the Coast Range and make New
port the terminus. We cannot have
two many railroads, but just now
this move is designed to check-mate
the Yaqnina road, and either prevent
its being. finally built or to draw
from it a large portion of its legi-
innate traffic, and thus to indirectly
aim hard blow at Corvallis.
We do not desire to raise an alarm,
yet we do firmly believe that this
move is made by Portland capitalists,
not only in selfprotection, but also
to induce capital away from our road
to Yaquina Bay, and the eonse-
quent development of our city and
the countryi along the line of this
road. For it must be apparent to
the most careless observer, that when
the Yaquina road is built, as it surely
will be, and Yaquina harbor i'm
proved, which is also foregone con-
clusion, that Portland's shipping in
terests will be materially affected aud
its commercial position and business
greatly reduced.
OF course we must not be so blind
to our interests as to suppose for a
moment that Portland does not see
this, in the near future, should the
Yaquina road be at oEce built and
Newport harbor made accessible for
the largest sailing craft, and they are
seeking by this new enterprise to avert
the results above Indicated. Can our
people see it in any other light ? Is
there any other reasonable explana-
tion of this rather sudden activity
among Portland capitalists in this
new undertaking? 1t is only few
days since this company sent an
emmissary here to purchase the iron
already bought for the Yaquina road
and now in Portland. We believe
their agent did not meet with a veiy
warm reception by the board of di-
rectors of the Yaquina road. In short
we believe they refused to SELL Now,
then, gentlemen Won did just right ;
but you must do more, and do it
now. 1t is important that you act
promptly, energetically, and wisely,
go right ahead, lay down the iron
and put on the rolling stock on this
road, as far as it is graded, and work
necessarily to build this road at once
to the Bay. We must not delay
longer. Let us have a little more
activity and the glorious results to
be attained by the completion OF this
much needed road will be ours. To
falter longer is to endanger our high
est interests. We are decidedly in
earnest in this matter, and we cannot
rest easy unless we warn you that
longer procrastination in this matter
is likely to cost rs the long coveted
results, that are now within our grasp
but may be suddenly snatched
from us.
Hon. ALFRED GRAY, Secretry ofthe
Kansas State Board of Agriculture
died at Topeka on the 23d ult. He