The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-04-15

What remains then as the bone OF
contention between these two mag
mates? Just the little bit of railroad
across the Cascades, which Mr.. Bill
ings tells us is 100 miles in length,
and this, remember Mr.. Willard al.
mos: shouts, in his eagerness not to be
misunderstood, he does not propose
TO prohibit the Northern Pacific from
building, ut only desires, nay year ms
for shems to postpone until, as he puts
it in one place, the growth of the
country shall justify multiplication
"of existing transportation facilities"
or, as he phrases it elsewhere until
the best "intersets of the company
may require, Again we ark, why this
eagerness Can it be just because
this link of 100 miles Is all that is
wanting to let the Northern Pacific
through to deep water at Tacoma !?
Can it be that thus there will be Isl
miles saved in distance from Aims
worth to the ocean? Can it be that
thus ships will have a real honest
choice between the dangers Of the
Columbia bar, the delays Of the Co
lumbia aud Willamette mud banks,
the impositions and exactions of the
Columbia tugs, the loading, lighter
ing, unloading and towage. to get to
Portland on the Que hand, and the
safe approach, the cheap and easy
access to the Tacoma wharves, on
the other !?
Can it be that all these fireworks
are let of to keep matters where they
are for just three years, only a poor
little three years longer? Can it be
that Mr.. Wizards blind pool, and all
the rest of his efforts to ''control" the
Northern Pacific, are just SO many
searecrows set up to frlghten the
Northern Pacific off its real road?
Can it be that all this display of the
strength of the o. II. N. monopoly
about to be prickedr
Didsyou ever see or hear of "Rn-
pert drops? Glass is melted and
dropped into water. The pretty lit-
tie toy is SO strong. Shaped like
pear, you may pinch and squeeze it
and it seems as stout and strong as
steel. Break but one tiny bit off the
slender stem, and it flies into a hun
dred pieces The o. r. & N. mon
opoly is the "Rnpelt drop" of Ore
gon. The Northern Pacific completes
it's little link across the Cascades, and
10, the stem ia broken and the glitter
ing toy lies in fragments at the feet
of the people.
Contrast all this web-spinning. this
balloon initiating business, with the
straight forward dignity Of Mr.. Bill
lings' reply. He gives us the key to
the confidence he has inspired in just
two sentences: 81 must do nothing
that can be even construed into dis
loyalty to the enterprise or to those
who have followed me-" l would
not have it said 81 was ready to let
the enterprise go the moment l could
make lot of money out oft"
Believe it there is some loyalty left
in the world. There are some men
who having put their hand to the
plow will not look back. To one or
two at any rate, purpose undertaken
is purpose to be followed, to the
death it need be. Here and there
plan conceived and adopted becomes
SO much a mans own child that dol
lars will not tempt him, threats territy
him, allurements seduce him, or diff
culties force him to let it go. True
such meu are rare: when found they
are the men it is safe 10 follow and TO
wait for to the end. The Northern
Pacific is not the only enterprise to
which these words apply.