The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-01-04
Fortland's Disappointments this
Year-Where Will the Men
Come from to Build Rail
roads?-Political.

anthetlcally, never will come-here,
and rail connection with The Dalies
was not made. That the Scotch COM
pany did not finish and put into oper-
alton their surveyed line from the
junction of the east and west side
divisions, opposite Rays landing, to
the foot OF Madison street in this city,
is matter Of serious regret, not only
to the people of Portland, but to the
farmers of Willamette valley and to
the British gentlemen who inaugurated
the enterprise. The latter were too
hasty in allowing the road to pass from
their control, and now
SEE THE ERROR.
Last May Mr.. P. NJ. Cochrane, Il
capitalist of Dundee, one of the man
aging directors of the narrow gauge
road, came here to exercise general
supervision of affairs. One trip over
the lines convinced him that the road
would yield handsome dividends. but
before his report reached his col
leagues at home, they had concluded
negotiations with MIR. Wizards agent
for a lease. Two days before the
directors meeting at Dundee, which
was to formally ratify the contract,
Mr.. Cochrane telegraphed them,
urging postponement until full re-
port from him was received, but nego-
tiations could not be broken off. nor
even delayed, without breach Of
honor. Mr.. Cochrane remarked often
afterwards, eff my colleagues had only
been here, or if | could have talked to
them half an hour, Mr.. Willard would
never have got hold of the road" He
SHOWED HIS CONFIDENCE
In Oregon by investing during his
summers stay. little over $500
of his private fortune in Portland rea |
estate.
Scarcity of men alone prevented
completion of The Dalles division, and
Portland will have to wait till next
September before they ride east of the
mountains by rail. The great ques-
ton now agitating the minds of those
who want to speculate in real estate
and their name Is legion is the loca-
tion of the o. r. &; n. Co.'s depot.
1t will be built either on the south
Portland grounds, at Albina, in Holla-
days addition to East Portland; in
East Portland proper, or in Couch's
lake west of Alnsworth dock; to be
more specific. somewhere between St.
Johns and Oswego. just exactly
where, no one knows except the man.
ayers. and they won't tell.
This scarcity of men is very seri-
Gus problem. Whatever may be the
feeling of those interested with re-
gard to legislation in the matter of
freight charges, every one wants rail-
roads built. The o. R. & n. Co. and
Northern Pacific at no time this year
had half the number of men they
could proftably employ, and next
year they will be worse off. They
want to complete 300 miles of the
main line up Clarks fork toward Mis-
souri; $50 miles across the Blue
mountains to Baker city; a brancl
from the big bend of the Palouse tC
Ritzvill, 80 miles; one line northwest,
and one southeast from Colfax into
Idaho, ag2regating 60 miles; the linE
from Portland to Kalama, 40 miles
the extension from Roseburg to Siski
you mountain, 100 miles; the uncom
pleted portion from Portland to the
Cascades, 25 miles-775 miles in
seven working months! They car
get powder, machinery, tools, provis
ions, horses and engineers, but moi
the II 900 or $1,000 men required
| was told by gentleman in posit.
ion to know, that the managers were
seriously contemplating the expedi
ency of sending two of the new col
liers, lumber laden to Hongkong ant
each return with 1000 Chinese whicl
number steamer can conveniently
carry. 1t looks, in the light of thu
past years experience, as though sucl
a step is absolutely necessary.
Portland to-day is no better prepar
ed to accommodate the trade which
the Northern Pacific railroad vii
bring than it was two years ago. O
this will speak in a future letter. Still
there is mnch room for congratulatior
on New Years day. Neither the
small rox, scarlet fever nor diph
liberia assumed epidemic form, though
at times each seriously threatened this
community. Holders of real estate
have made money, and merchants ART
aatislied with fall sales ALL the news