Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-11-03
vILLARD,e VIEWS.

vILLARD'e VIEWS. |,
Before the Portland Board Of Trade.
ADDRESS OF Mr.. WILLARD.
Gentlemen of the Board Of Trade: T.
l need not say that it is very crafty
ing to me to meet the business men of |
Pc, tland here to-day. Tho board Of
trade was kind enough, on . former
occasion, to express to me in moro for
NAL manner, the kind treatments that |
obtain in this community toward me
and toward the enterprises that I rep |
resent. Let me assure you that full.
y reciprocate your good feeling. ! al
ways had . strong. attachment to your
city. From the time Of my FIRST visit
to this day have always taken great
pleasure in coming here. lregret that
/ never had sufficient time as yet to
become acquainted with you all and to
enjoy more the beauties Of your city.
With your permission I will refer
briefly to the history Of what myself
and the parties who have been ASSOC a.
ted with me for many years in furth-
ering transportation enterprises among
you have so far accomplished. Many
Of you may remember the time of my
first visit to Portland. 1t is little
ovei seven years ago.. I could then
make only a very brief stay. But what
l saw then of the resources of this
state FIRST originated in me the ideas as
to its gradual material development,
and these ideas l have had now On op-
portunity to see a. accomplished facts.
You remember that at that time great
discredit had been thrown upon the
only transportation enterprise in the
form OF railroad in existance in This
state, that il. the Oregon l. California
Railroad Company, and through t'at
ENTERPRISE, upon the state at large by
the financial collapse Of that company.
The collapse was great misfortune for
your state. 1t set you back, as far as
the introduction of foreign capital was
concerned, many years. l felt it more
than any Of you. For, try ng to act
upon the ideas that I had conceived
for the material development Of your
state, l found all but iosurmountable
prejudices created againat everything
identified with Oregon 10 consequence
of this original failure Of the O. l. q.
Company. Still I would not permit
myself to be absolutely discouraged.
continued my efforts as opportunity Of
fered in Germany, and subsequently,
in the eastern states. I first succeeded
in furnishing you with iron ste 'mers
in place of the superanuated hulks
that formed at that time the only
means of communication between you
and the outside world. Then I secur.
cd the means for extending one of the
two railroads that I found in existence
at the time in the state, and finally ]
formed the combination Of the old Or.
egon Steam Navigation Company and
the Oregon Steamship Company. This
combination furnished the real basis
+ for all we have been able to do for tn,
. state in starting new enterprises ars
pushing them as rapidly as any enter
prises Of similar kind have ever beel
pushed toward completion. 1t was tn
success Of the Oregon Railway l. Nav
ligation Company to which myself an.
my associates have been indebted TO
tho fruition Of every other effort W
have since been making But for tn
high credit that the large earnings o
that company gave US in the east, W
should never have teen able to carr,
out the rest of my programme, which
as I remarked. I conceived macy year
ago and have now been enabled to cal
~ to it, full contamination.
do not know, really, whether 20,
;; men of Portland understand what ha
already been done and what is sure t
be done for you in the next few year,
/ wa- talking the other day with
merchant here and incidently fske
him whether he had an idea how muc
railroad mileage was to-day tributar
to the city of Portland. He said h
had never given the subject much RI
Election. And he was utterly surpri
ed when told him that owing to th
= combination of transportation line
/. that I have been able to effect, there
t,-day nearly 1000 miles Of standar'
gauge road, and nearly $50 miles {
- narrow-gadge road tr batary to tn
city. This is but the beginning {
what there will be in q short time
Within three years from to-day 70
will find yourselves here in Portlan
the focus, the center, the very hear
so to speak. of local system Of tran
portation lines, aQgregating fully zoe
miles of standard gauge road. A
plause. And not only that, but Por
land ~ill be the Pacific terminus Of
system of railroads reaching from Oh
cago-I say Chicago-and Lake s.
porior through Minnesota, Dakot
y Montana, Washington Territrry ar