Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-05-20


The editor of the Lewiston Teller has
been down to Portland, and AS the 70
suit he writes as follows:
Men who claim to be posted with Vii
Iard's plans and of the syndicate whose
representative he il. say that both Vii
lard and his syndicate purpose to In
duce the building upon the Sound the
great city of the Northwest. whore they
propose to take all the grain of Eastern
Oregon and Warrington and even OF
the Willamette Valley, for shipment,
that when the section Of the road be-
tween Portland and. the Cascades and
the section betweenP Portland and Ka1ama
are completed grain from Eastern Ore-
gon and Warrington a. veil a. the Viii
lamette Valley will be taken through TO
the Sound at the same price that It viii
be il left at Portland. II this be done,
the prospect will not be very fattering
for real estate advance in Portland.
Whenever the Oregon Valley road makes
its connection through TO San Francisco
a very large portion of the Willamette
Valley surplus products will surely 90
that route, and when the Oregon Pacific
have their road through, as o0ntempiat-
ed, 20 Yaquina Bay, mach of the valley
surplus will 90 in that direction. Again
when the Northern Pacific branch road
il constructed across the Cascades, a
very large portion of the wheat Of East
ern Oregon and Washington and
North Idaho will seek shipment via OF
that branch to the Sound and 80 cOntin-
ne till the time comes when the cost of
shipment directly east to New York
thence TO Europe. shall become less
than via the Pacific. Then Eastern Or
egon and Washington and North Idaho
wheat will 90 in that direction. In view
of these probable facts that are to take
place during the ensuing five years and
| perhaps in less time what is to save the
circumvention and decline of Portland
as the wheat trade and traffic Of the
Northwest! Her present accumulated
capital. if used without stint, can do
much to delay these other enterprises TO
a later period. But unless that capital
can no Improve the Columbia bar and
the Columbia and Willamette rivers a
| to make costs and insurance upon carry
| ing vessels and cargoes that take wheat
from Puget Sound, Portland cannot
command long and hold the grain traffic
| of the Northwest and many of the hea-
| w real estate owners, AZ well as traders,
are beginning to fOresoe this fact and !
am told that some owners of real estate
are seeking to unload themselves oftheir
land. while it is MP, in consequence OF
the uncertain prospect for tho future
growth of the city in tho near future.
To our mind under all these prospects
and predictions, tho good and energetic
people of Portland are by no means in
safe position to bid defiance to Puget
Sound, TO Yaquina bay, or to any other
port of the Northwest. Her policy is to
oxpend her money 70 make the naviga-
ton of the Columbia and Snake, from
the sea to the mouth of the Clearwa-
ter open, and the Willamette from its
mouth to tho head Of the Willamette
Valley open for such freiRhting crafts
as can carry the surplus products of the
sections of country that border these
streams, safely, cheaply and with reason
able dispatch to her docks and ware
houses.