The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-12-10

as having been received by your house
lin Monday mornings mail.
This circular contains attacks spe1s The
Oregon Pacific Railroad Company, some Of
which give evidence of long preparation, and
all show apprehension of calamity to the
interests of the writer or those who en-
ploy him, from the success of the new en-
terprise, and great recklessness of state
ment in his effort to avert danger.
Overlooking it's anonymous, therefore
cowardly, and presumably false character,
I have from regard to yourselves carefully
read it, snd respectfully return it, and
/ in reply to your inquiry submit the fol-
lowing remarks upon such parts of its con-
tents as seem at all to Justify notice at the
hands of the Oregon Pacific r. R. Co., or
myself, even had the same statements en-
Ianated from responsible source, instead of
Irelying for shadow of claim to attention
|on the fact that they had obtained admis-
sion under an assumed name to the columns
fact that that journal in admitting them,
ldisavowed all responsibility for the state
Imcnts made, and accompanied them in the
same issue with our prospectus and the
statements of our financial agents printed
lin full, in contrast with this anonymous at
tack, which, as there published, had no
part of the offensive introduction and head
lines it bears in the. circular you send, and
which was issued by its authors here on the
l4th, having appeared in Oregon on the 9th,
and the quickest mail time not allowing the
arrival of the paper containing it here un-
til the 18th.
; Regarding it, remark, first, that every
statement in the Prospectus attacked by
this circulars true, and if stated as matter Of
estimate, or opinion, is a fair deduction
from known facts.
This'is intended to apply to any state
} ments in the circular not especially noticed
hereinafter.
] The Oregon Pacific is not claimed to bt
a completed railroad
Its mortgage properly covers all the rail
I road and other property it intends to con
. struct and acquire, as well as that now con
lstructed and in possession of the jointly
t bound Willamette Valley and Coast Rail
road. or yet to be acquired by it.
1t is proper that the latter should be 81
e bound, for it is to receive important aid
q aud its most valuable charter and franchise
). Icontain features which assure security t,
u the holders of the whole bonded indebted
q ness its immunity from taxation on all it
property for twenty years being of incal
c Iculable value and a complete and suffcien
o reason for constructing and operating unde
!, it's charter, instead of under that of the new
q organization needed for the enlarged enter
fl terprise and it's wider field.
!, leave the 4th paragraph of the circula
to show the falseness of the I'd, as t,
# the amount of construction and propert,
in possession of the Willamette Valley ant
y Coast Railroad Company /; but remark, tina
Il the statement that the same has been vain
), ly offered for sale is utterly fale.
! The grant of lands from the state to tn
4 latter company is not limited, as stated il
the circular, to those around Yhquina Bay
Z but in the language of the act covers ali th
t tide and marsh lands in Benton county
which fronts on the Pacific OCEAN for it's en-
: tire western boundary. Yaquina Bay ant
Q Alsea Bay lie wholly within this county, tn,
former being navigable for 25 miles, ane
the latter penetrating nearly as far, making
r altogether, line of over 100 miles washed
g land ten inches.
oil Back of this line are lands as fertile as ar
to be found in the state.
Fl VIII any intelligent honest man fail t.
e appreciate at it's proper value a statement
by whomsoeyer made, that this propert,
has no value and never will have no mat
. ter how many railroads are built to it,"
I may quote here from letter under dat
lof October oath ultiIno, addressed to tn
7 Oregomian, and appearing in that paper tn
following day. from Mr.. Sol. Hirsch, presi
dent of the state senate of Oregon. an ca
n ger partisan of the Oregon Railway ant
Navigation Company and champion of th
supposed local interests of Portland. il
4 which he says the grant to the Willamett
Valley and Coast Railroad includes 'tgreate
: privileges and immunities than were eve
n granted to any railroad company by tn
!, state"
The fifth paragraph of the circula
t thinks it worthy of notice, that the Ore
gon Pacific Railroad Company proposes t
9 repay the Willamette Valley and Coas
e Railroad Company portion of it's outlay!
! cite this puerility, but do not propos
. to answer it. Only one capable of an an
= onymous attack could have written it.
4 The prospectus says nothing about tn
= land grant being received direct from tn
p United States government
s It says the lands have very great value
which is absolutely true, and against the state
Y lment of this anonymous scribbler on thi
point, cite the report of the commissions
of the United States general land Office fo
a 1870, page l57, and subsequent report
. from that office. and as to the @valne an
general character of the belt from whicl
# they are selected, I refer to statements G
ri eminent authorities cited in the pamph' e
dated $780, and issued by the Orego
n Railroad and Navigation Company, especia
. attention being asked to the statements o.
pages 81 to 40.
K Many volumes could be filed withou
!, Iexhausting the evidence of like character.
The statements about the price original
:, paid on the purchase of the lands are al
4 Isurdly false, but if true, would no more re
. Hate to or affect the present value as state
:, truly by the prospectus, than the abor1gins
UlsaIe of Manhatten island for S22.
The statement that they are mostl
g mountain wilderness will, when it is reco
,e llected that they are selections from a bel
containing twice the quantity runnin
lacross state of unequalled average fer
Utility, be seen to be in harmony with th
general character of this anonymous libe
pass the criticisms made upon the Ore
lyon Pacific map accompanying the prospet
tus, merely asking you to verify the .prae
. lnant story it tells, by comparison with tn
" limited States land office map of 1879, an
with reports of the United States land o.
ID Ifice map of 1879, and with reports of tn
n United States surveyors in Oregon fror
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