, 1881-10-29
A NEW ERA.
For the Benefit Of Washington
Territory.
Facts for the Reader to Consider.

Returning from our trip in Western
Washington, the editor Of the STATESMAN
brings back with him the good tidings
that new era in the shipment OF our pro-
dncc is inausaraied II has been known
for long time that the ship Dakota has
4 carco IF Walla Walla grain on board
under charter for the United Kingdom,
bur OWING 10 the temerity Of the pap'rs
Of the Sound and the well known Jeal-
ousy Of Portland, but very little promin
ence has been gwen TO the circumstance,
which will reyolutioLize the present
method If shipping grain from this IN
terror To potts on our own tide water
front, and by that means keep III our own
territory the money which has been lav-
ished in adding to the wealth OF the
greedy Portland capitalists for over a
quarter Of century.
We made it our especial business TO
pass day in New Tacoma for the pur-
pose Of obtaining at first hands all the
Information We could respecting the ship
ment of graiu from east Of the Cascade
mountains to- this port, and now that we
have this information We wonder and
wonder why IT never occurred to our ship
pers before had the proper steps been
taken this cheerful old Territory Of ours
would, to-day, he ten times as prosperous
rs she now is, and our oSn towns would
have benefited by the wealth which has
built lp the now trembling Portland.
TO Captain Gilkcy If the good ship Da-
kota is the country indebted to the new
departure which will be blessing alike
To- all those "who 90 down to the sea IN
ships, as well as to every producer IN this
orrat wheat growing empire
Every one knows Of the dangers OF the
Columbia river bar on whose sands many
a tall ships bones lie bleaching, and after
even these terrible perils are passed there
remains the treacherous shoals and bars
inside the Columbia, and up that river
and the stream on which Portland is stu
ated, for l20m miles from the sea, the weary
mariner is beset by constant and c"ntin-
ned dareers and extortions which amount
to robbery.
Tho Dakota was loaded with railroad
iror and bound for New Tacoma, and
when out at sea, thousands of miles away
from port, the thought entered the mind
Of the shrewd Captain that he would
save all extra expense, danger and risk II
he could obtain whatever cargo he reqnir-
ed at his port Of discharge, instead OF
having 10 shift ship at an enormous ex-
pcnse
So upon his arrival he Immediately
took view Of the situation and found
that all the risk and danger could he
avoided in very simple manner If he
couid only induce the shippers at Port
land to forward cargo to New Tacoma.
Now III order to give proper outline
Of the situation, We will state that the
river willamette on which Portland is
situated, Il miles from its mouth, which
anain is nearly 100 miles from the mouth
# the Columbia, is well adapted as a CON
Meeting link for conveying grain III barges,
steamers or otherwise, down 10 kalama,
where a branch Of the Northern Pacific
railroad connects with the deepest and
safest harboTs of the known world, and
where a ship of even the tonnage Of the
Great Eastern can be brought alongside
the wharf where she can discharge and
load right from the cars, rs is done At
Sandridge, Melbourne, in Australia
la an interview with the captain Of The
Dakota he was FIRST requested to give us
an itemized account of the expenditures
A ship would have to pay from the time of
her arrival outside the Columbia river bar
to her arrival IN Portland, which he gave
us As follows, but which does NOT
include the possible and even probable
expenses of having to wait, as is often
times the case, days, weeks, and even
MONTHS before a ship can reach either the
sea OF the harbor. For large ship these
expenses are 500 per day, making e
probability of ali expenditure Of $1,000
over and above the charges as are here
appended below:
Cost # taking l.: 200 ton ship drawing 70 feet
irom sea, outside the Columbia river bar, to
Portland:
rilntase over hsr. - per foot up Ia
u feet Observation-Disclosures. lO w
Over = feet SIl ,er foot 10 90
Towsse t. Astoria over har. r..------. DO %
pil"tage up river to Portland Al $50
per IoSit- ~ W
Tnwase M river Ia Portland. -. 261 %
lightering ship l,l00 tons at l2j