Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-04-28
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAIL
ROAD,

ANS" Doiy oHouiuHI, ~
The financial columns of the news
papers of New York, Boston and Phil
adclphia have of late teemed with
items relating to- speculation in the
stocks of the Northern Pacific Railway
and the Oregon Railway and Naviga-
ton Company. These stories, divest-
ed of the coloring giving them by in
terested parties, all go to show that
an INSCRIPTIONS and powerful corpora
tion has arrayed itself in hostility to
one Of the grandest enterprises of the
present day, an enterprise whose spec.
dy completion had seemed assured un-
till within a few weeks, and one that
the whole country was interested to
have finished as soon as possible. This
enterprise is the construction of the
Northern Pacific Railway from Lake
Superior to Puget Sound, and the cor
poration which has suddenly assumed
a hostile attitude toward it is the Ore
gon Railway Il Navigation Company.
A slight knowledge of the situation on
the Pacific coast is sufficient to account
for this hostility. The Oregon Rail
way 4 Navi CATION Company owns a
line of railway Oh the south bank of
the Columbia river and small fleet of
steamboats, which ply on the stretches
of navigable water above and below
the dangerous rapids at several points
on that scream, 1t has also line of
large steamers running between Port
land and San Francisco. 1t has mon
opolized the carrying trade of that en-
tire valley aud become exceedingly
wealthy. The seat of its power is the
thriving city of Portland, in the
growth and prosperity Of which place
it is largely interested. The prospect
Of the early completion Of the North
ern Pacific Railway was anything but
agreeable to the managers Of the Ore
gon corporation. They knew that q
railway on the north bank of the Co.
lumbia river would destroy their mon
opoly by compelling them to divide
the local traffic with competitor, and
to accept lower carrying rates on
reduced volumn of business. More
than this they saw very clearly that
when the wheat, wool and cattle
growers Of the Columbia valley could
reach true ocean port by rail, all
freights intended for San Francisco or
other distant destinations would avoid
Portland and 80 to Puget Sound.
Portland, at presen. the outlet for
that trade, is situated ON the left bank
of the Willamette tributary of the
Columbia-twelve miles above the juno
ton of the two streams and 400 miles
from the ocean. A bar at the mouth
of the Willamette is an obstruction to
ships deeply laden, and consequently
English and other large vessels char
tered to carry grain are frequently com
PEELED, after receiving part of the car
60, to drop down below the bar and
there take the rest of their lading from
lighters. This involves extra expense
in both time and lighterage and is no
inconsiderable tax on the producers
The bars Of the mouth of the Column
bia are the dread of mariners. When
high winds prevail heavy surf dashes
over them, and it often happens that
for several days together no vessel of
any kind can venture to cross them
There have been times when an obser-
yer at Astoria could see steamers and
sailing vessels outside standing on and
waiting for the storm to abate, while
several steamers outward bound lay
at the wharf detained by the same
cause. Nothing like this ever happens
ut any port on Puget Sound. In all
weather steamers and sailing crafts
have free access to the ocean and are
never delayed by heavy winds or dan
gerous surfs. Such are the reasons of
the hostility of the Oregon corporation
to the Northern Pacific railway. I'll
Mr.. Henry Willard and his associates
can, by purchasing enough stock of the
company and secure controlling in
terest in its direction, and then change
its projected route so that it shall here
after be only an outlet for Portland to
the east they will prevent the COMPETE
ton they now with good reason dread,
and they will still hold in their clutch.
es the profitable traffic of the Columbia
valley. But all that they thus gain
will be taken from the people who have
long been compelled to pay heavy tri-
butte to this grasping corporation. The
success of their scheme-If it should
at least be successful-will be a griev-
GUS wrong to the sturdy farmers and
lumbermsn of Washington Territory,
and for that matter to the people and
government of the United States.
There certainly is urgent need for
national anti-monoply league when
snch a scheme as has been outlined is
egallY possible