Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-06-19
A sxrxe .ssu.
lWalla Walla Union !


Lately the Portland papers havs baen
admitting that the great .boom. vhich
prevailed there q few months AGO i
dying out A few days ago the Oreoon;sr.
which seldom admits to its oolunns
anything against Portland, mid: ssrAe
real estate markes of lats has hem
rather dull. Although it cannot be said
tnas there Is any real decline in the
prices OF city property, yet saies are
comparatively few in number, and capi-
taiists are somewhat chary of investing.
a real estate agent IN speaking OF this
matter yesterday attributed the dullness
OF the market partially TO uneasiness ia
regard to the attempt to place an in
junction on the building Of the railroad
Dfldge, and partly on account of work
having been commenced on the Cascade
divisson OF the Northern Pacific Rail-
road"
referring to the speech made by Mr..
Willard at Portland, We find that in
speaking of the proposed railroad
prioge In the northern, or down river,
part OF that city, he said: "And do
not hesitate to say that, NO matter what
expenditure has now been incurred, il
there was danger, or question even, of
our being prevented from making this
connection by bridge between the ter
mlnal facilities on both sides of the
river, l would Immediately stop these
Improvements and quietly wait the time
when there would be no opposition
Since that speech was made, since
that threat was uttered, legal proceed
ings have been instituted to stop the
construction of the bridge. and the en-
tire population Is excited over the mat
ter. 80 far as tho public know, Mr..
Willard has not ordered the improve
ments stopped. Bot they are not being
pushed. The big hotel and depot are
stall plans. In tho meantime other work
IN other regions is Being hurried, and
there is no sale for Portland real estate.
The P0rtlanders are in a great guam
dairy. On the one hand the railroad
company wishes TO build bridge which
will obstruct navigation and make tho
city railroad center. On the other
hand many business men wish to keep
Portland commercial emporium. q sea
port. The general run of the people
cannot understand Why Portland can
not be at once railroad center and a
great commercial sea port. Few of
them seem to realize that before snow
nies the railroad company will have
lGO miles Of road in operation between
Portland and Seattle, and that, as soon
az that time arrives, few deep sea going
vessels will accept charters to "a sea-
port" one hundred and twenty miles up
river, except at rates higher than the
rate to Puget Sound. with railroad
charges added. A still less number re-
alize that q railroad corporation can
not afford TO allow l60 miles Of road,
representing an investment Of "a, ,0OO. 900,
to lie idle in the interest Of any CITY.
When the Portland kalama link is
completed. and it is possible to run cars
between the Willamette and Puget
Sound, grain dealers will fin such rates
given them by railroad managers and
ship owners that it will pay them to
load vessels ON the shores Of ''the finest
body of water in the world" in harbors
never closed by ice, instead Of half
loading them on the banks Of narrow,
shallow, crooked river, which freezes in
winter, towing them down to Astoria,
completing their cargoes from barees,
and then waiting. possibly for weeks,
before 1t Is possible to CROSS one of the
most dangerous distinctions to naviga-
tion on the globe. One need not be the
son OF prophet to see that the days of
Portlsnd's commercial supremacy are
numbered. Within decade she will
have great and powerful rival ON Pu-
get Sound.