Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-12-01
HOW ARE WE AFFECTED By THE
UNEXPECTED DELAYS IN
TRANSPORTATION

Nearly one year ago it was publicly
announced that the o. r. L. N. Co.
would have in reaJine ample means
Of transportation 10 remove all the sur
plus Of the harvest of 1881, 8, soon
as it was harvested. The magnitude
and apid movements of that company
then l@ing pat forward, begot great
confidence in the fultilment of the fore
going announcement. As result Of
this resident producers enlarged their
operations greatly for predicting wheat
and fax, by breaking and seed ng
much more land than usual, and pro-
cur rs machinery for both ploughing,
seeding and harvesting, aud in very
many instances mourning debts for
both labor and machinery and seed,
relying upon their ability 10 pay soon
after the harvest. Beside the then
resident farmers, new settlers in quite
large num' ers were induced by this
announcement to come from abroad
and make locations upon the public
lands as pre-emptor- and homesteaders
and open up ranches and cultivate
them in wheat AID fax and other
grains t" swell the harvest Of 1881.
The season has 'een quite propiti"us
though not so much so as in some
other years. Yet the aggregate crop
east # Texas ferry. which was rsised
for shipment, and which would have
heen shipped had the facilities been
such as were exneeted may res sonally he
estimated at 100000, tons which at the
prices which have ruled in the market
would have returned to the farmers in
the aggregate the snug little sum OF
81. 4S5,00O at an average # As cts.
per hushel delivered along the lines
Of the companys railr ads and steam
boats. But the harvest is past, the
ummer is end d, and but very few Of
these producers have as yet been able
to get their grain shipped, and much
less number have ever received dol.
lar for all their grain produced. And
why9 Simply hecau the O. r. l.
N. Co. have no kept good their pledge
to the producers. Whatever IN, y have
been the causes of this failure, the
fact of their failure is self eviden. If
that company were too confident IN
their ahiIi y to fulfill their pr misses, it
deve opes their weakness of judgment.
If these promises were made with in
-nt to mislead and deluxe, it shows
their villanious purpose towards the
producers Of the country which should
lead the people to miistrust their pied
ges in everything el>e. If hey meant
only that thy ould CORY Oft the
crop of this season provided it was no
greater than last. they have failed to
do that much g.. far this section of
country. Had they KEEP the boats
running as long as they could between
Lewiston and Wallulu or Al sworth,
they could have done somethi - for
our relief and showed SINE good faith
towards this section. But so far we
have been aim st entirely Ignored,
both in up and down freights, save a
few Thousand tons Of grain ttat they
have taken to Texas 10 lay there till
M d winter, and perhaps longer, await
inl the completion of their arrange
ments for transportation to market.
Quite q large feet Of wheat ships have
lately entered the Columbia river for
cargoes of W eat. But there seems to
he hut little if any prospect that any
one Of them will. be loaded with wheat
from this section, unless they remain
in the river till past mid winter.
Walla Walla and part of Columbia
county of Washington, and Umati;la
and Wasco counties of Eastern Ore
gon, have succeeded in getting partial
transp ration for their grain, but
thousands Of tons are yet behind, and
as one buyer told us, some Of it has
lain in huge piles for weeks exposed
to rains and storms along side the
companys road, till it has sprouted in
the sacks, although receipted for As
freight in eo"d condition. The effect
of all this is grossly disastrous to the
country. The farmer whose crop il