The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-03-12
The Narrow Gauge.

On Monday evening a meeting of our
citizens was called at the Court House, to
take under advisement the proposition OF
Mr.. Reid, President of the Oregon Rail-
road Co., made to this city. The PROPOSE
ton Is, that upon the assurance Of tile pay
ment to the Co. of $45. 600 by our citizens,
the narrow gauge road contemplated bv
the Company on the west side, will be
brought to the bank of the river opposite
this city. Mr.. Reid distinctly says the
Company will not build a bridge, but if
Benton and Linn counties will, he will
cross the river upon it, placing the rail-
road depot at any point or place in the
city tle citizens may direct. Mr.. Reid
aIso agrees to continue the road on to
Yaquina Bay just as soon as eighteen feet
depth of wafer is assured OH the bar at
that point. The payment of the $45, 600
is to be made in three installments. $15,-
600 at payment, and the third or last
payment probably would not be called for
until 1882. Mr.. Stearns, of the Portland
Bee, was called upon, and told in a clear,
forcible manner what lie knew of the con-
by this Company, commonly known! as the
Scotch Company. He stated that the in
tention was to- build lines of railway to
every available roint in Oregon where it
would pay the Company and where the
citizens were willing to aid the enterprise
by putti 1g up for one tenth the cost Of
such line; that is, wherever tiis people
were willing to paw one dollar of every
ten dollars expended in such improvements,
there line of railway would be built
provided the indications were favorable
that such line, when completed, would
pay fair dividend to the Company. Mr..
Mckenzie also addressed the meeting in
the same STRAIN. This matter of building
narrow gauges all over the country
wherever there was II hope of their being
profitable, has long been under advise
ment, and the scheme adopted only after
the fullest information in regard to the
whole matter. The advantages to accrue
to Albany by the building of such line
are osvious-no one disputes or undertakes
its value and should the road continue on
and make connections by which we could
reach the Atlantic States, $4,000 would
be but mere bagatelle rs COMPARED to
the benefits which it would confer upon
our little city and Its people. But should
the line go no farther than this city, The
benefits would not be so great. Then
another question of coin comes in. To
complete the connection with this city,
a bridge would have to be erected, ut
cost of say S45, ,OO0-a total of 500, 900, we
will say. This is a large sum OF money
bur however large it raay appear. our
people can and will raise it whenever it is
made clear that tie benefits to arise from
such a large expenditure will be fiji
ratio. For the privilege OF
being connected with Portlal al by another
line of road, ana that only, we are ex-
tremely doubtful as to the aIaerity OF our
people in putting up any large sum OF
but if they are assured of line
of road reaching to Yaquina Bay from this
city, or to the East, large sum of money
can without doubt be secured.
'Fo sum lie matter up, as we have not
room to discuss this question farther at this
time, we are inclined to think Mr.. Reid
will. upon consideration of all the facts in
the matter, either reduce his figures. or
continuing the line of road to
the Pacific ocean at Yaquina Bay, or TO
with the East. AS the COM
mittee appointed on Monday night to
confer with Mr.. Reid, will doubtless OBJ
tain more complete understanding of the
matter before reporting next Monday even
ing. we shall await that report before /
further comment.