The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-02-06
Enthusiastic Demonstration
upon the Arrival of the
First Train.
JUDGE F. A. cHENowETH DELIVERS THE
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
HoS. J. N. DoLPH, OF PORTLAND, RESPONDS.
The first passenger train that ever came
into Corvallis, reached our city at $50 P. M.
Jan. 2S. Among the passengers from Port
land were Hon. J. N. Dolph, vice President
of the Westrn Oregon road Paul Schulze,
land agent; T. DeClarke, superintendent OF
construction Harry Habbersett, road mas
ter, and an Oregonian correspondent. The
train was under the charge of Conductor A.
K. Colburn, Mr.. Jennings handling the
throttle to Independence, and Jack Evans
from Independence to this city.
A large ceowd, numbering about eight
hundred, including many ladies, awaited
the arrival of the train at the depot,
about half a mile from the center of
town. The house of DIR. Bailey in the
northern portion of the city was brilliantly
Illuminated. A loud cheer went up from
the crowd as the train pulled up to the de-
pot. Messrs. Dolph and Sehulze were met
by committee and escorted to the city
hall. Here more than half the inhabitants
of the city We're assembled. After STIR
ring piece by the band, DR.. Bailey called
the meeting TO order, and introduced Judge
+. A. Chenoweth, who addressed Mr.. Dolph
as follows:
JUDGE cHENowETH's SPEECH.
NJ. Tice President Dozph: The people of
Corvallis desire to congratulate you on the
completion of this great enterprise. To the
people of Benton county this works the
most important era in her existence. This
is step from her rudimental existence to-
ward higher condition in civilization.
There was time when existence, COM
fort and refined enjoyment were attainahle
without railroads. But that period in the
march of improvement is passed. The
completion of this road opens to Benton
county new era in her unfolding. Oregon
has been considered IL slow coach, and from
her slow development many have underval-
ued her worth. The difficulties in the way
of getting a population, her remoteness from
the over populated states and countries, and
the rough and frowning mountains standing
between us and them made immigration slow
and difficult. Added to this the small
stream of immigration setting in this di-
rection was turnd aside in lS4S by CLEANS of
golden sands in California, by means of
which the young Oregon boom came to
an untimely death. As often happens, the
unpretending merit of our lovely state gaze
way and was ignored and sighted for the
dashing glare of our more pretentious sister,
California. But solid merit will in time tell
and demonstrate its true worth. lap
planse.
Though we have long waited for the iron
horse, yet this waiting has had some re-
wards. The farmer has grazed his stock on
the nutritious and Injurious grasses in the
parks of our dear uncle until that treasure
is fully enjoyed and fully exhausted. The
grain growing period having arrived railroads
are indispensable. It is only now that we
begin to see the vast capabilities of the web
foot soil. But slow as we are we have no
trouble in noting progress. am reminded
of an incident that occurred in 1864 here at
Corvallis. A few of us got up popular
demonstration in the interests of railroad.
Our mass meeting was duly published. The
circuit court being III session large collec-
tion of citizens assembled at the court
house. The amount of sneers and taunts
from the knowing ones-men that could see
ahead was considerable. To give respecta-
bility to the meeting we invited the circuit
Judge (who was both gentleman and a
scholar), to preside. But no. He could not
make himself ridiculous by taking part in
a farce. Besides he was conscientious and
could not give his countenance to matter
that any sober, well balanced man knew was
impracticable and impossible. That Oregon
was not adapted to railroads, that the Will
lamette valley never would produce enough
to load train of cars, and to talk of rail-
road was simply absurd. This simply shows
how greatly our wisest aud best men under
rate. Only six years from that time the
money of our German brethren placed the
iron horse upon the track. The farmers
went to work and soon long trains of cars
laden with golden cereals were coursing their
way down through Linn and Marion coun-
ties. Land rose from five to ten dollars per
acre, and from ten to twenty and thirty dol
lars per acre.
But Oregon has just begun to unfold her
self. We are as ignorant of what lies ahead
of us now as our circuit Judge was in 1864.
On the completing of this road we may say
the first blow is struck on the west side.
These railroad men are like Moses. They
smite the rock and abundant fountains-not
of water-but bread and meat come forth.
[Applause.J
We hope shortly to have a trunk line from
here to the Yaquina Bay over which our ,ce-
reals will be shipped to the sea, and thence
to foreign ports. This movement is perhaps
in its infancy, but it will soon manifest its
strength, and the Yaquina road will as
surely be built in the near future as that we
exist. We are on the eve Of an eventful
epoch in the history of our development and
natural growth. can but counsel little
patience-on the part of our people, and in a
short time we shall meet here under like
to start the first train over
this road to the seaboard
But the lateness of the hour forbids our
lilating on the effects of this grand enter-
prise. It's not saying too much to assert
that this is the first of large number of
railroads that will soon center In this city.
Now that the road is done the question is
often asked who is the most benefited? OF
course everybody is benefited. But there
IS one class of citi1ens-the far1ners-pecu
arly benefited. To them it is more than
IN empty compliment. It adds so per cent. |
20 their land in $50 pieces. To the mer-
,hant it may be only source of comfort |