The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-02-06
CENTRAL EASTERN OREGON -YAaUINA
BAY TIE NATURAL OUTLET.

greatest wheat producing country,
rivalling the famed Willamette in
yield per acre and excelling every
known locality in quality, and while
capital is flowing freely to this new
section go rich in products the de
mand for which is world wide, capital
to facilitate transportation and in
crease the golden harvest, are we
citizens of Central Oregon fully alive
to the situation we occupy? Let us
see allowing Portland, 100 miles
freme the sea, to be the terminal
point for a railroad to Eastern Ore
gon, and Yaquina Bay Improved by
an appropriation this session of Com
gress) the terminus of the William
cite Valley and Coast r. r. Three
hundred miles by the latter road
takes you 100 miles east of Prineville,
through Corvallis, Albany and Leha.
non, through the very center of Ore
CONS oldest settled and richest valley
connecting all that vast section of
county around Prineville with sea-
port where only one handling of freight
from the cars to the slips will be re-
auired. There is no railroad even
talked of now reaching this part of
Eastern Central Oregon from Port
land; but suppose there was, the dis
tance from Prineville via. Columbia
river to Portland would be greater (at
least 200 miles), and when the pro-
ducts of that country were placed on
wharvcs of the " maritime city"
WEsTsIDE of course, there is just
TWO HUNDRED AND TwENTY-oNE
MILES OF water carriage to make be-
fore point opposite Yaqnina Bay is
reached. 1t must be apparent to the
most careless observer that financial
ly the routes present still greater
difference the W. V. and G. r. X.
runs first through a fertile, healthy
mountain district, thence across the
thickly settled, wealthy Willamette
valley; thence through the Cascade
range, fertile and attractive out, into
the sage brush plains of Eastern
(CentraD Oregon, plains no longer
classed as grazing lands, but plains
producing the finest yield of golden
wheat, developing along its line vast
natural resources. How is it with
the Columbia river route? 1t must
follow the river, expensive at every
step, so narrow in places as to admit
of only one roadbed, a dangerous
owership for the people to consider,
parallel with navigable river COM
peting for the trade. Passing in It's
long line, through no agricultural
region, near no thriving towns, finally
reaching a point 12o mile from the
sea with uncertain navigation winter
and summer. Eastern CcntraD
Oregon, growing rapidly in popula-
tion and wealth, needs reliable line
of communication, one free from all
natural obstacles, particularly such
as are uncontrolable;. the general gov
ernment is interested in securing
short certain route to this part of
Oregon, growing empire in itself.
The people of that section are today
laboring under many disadvantages.
Mr.. Breyman, merchant of Prime
vile told that some of his customers
came 100 miles southeast of him to
trade, and that he hauled his goods
from the Dalles taco hundred miles,
or the exact distance from Yaqujna
Bay to Prineville it cost him $50
dollars per ton from Portland to
Prineville. If the press of Portland
can encourage the Oregon Navigation
Company in building railroads to the
small valleys on either side of the
Columbia to secure trade, how much
ought we to do that all these points
of practicability and economy may
be realized? If the Willamette val
ley expects to reap any of the bene.
fits of commerce sure to follow the
development of Eastern (Central)
Oregon, she must do as Portland is
doing, work, work, work. Keep the
eyes Of the public on the picture; we
must not sit idly by and see these
golden opportunities lost; that tide in
the affairs of men is nearly full which
leads on to prosperity. Combined,
effort is required. Lead
ing papers and prominent men should
present this important subject and
press it on the attention of
Congress. r. A. B.
Newport, Jan. 27, 1880. /
UNrRUE.-The Sunday Welcome,
of Feb. lst, says that Corvallis
people are praying for $4,000 to
build railroad to Yaquina Bay"
This statement is absolutely false. A
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