The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-13
TIE FAR N0RTHW EST.
LEADING TOPICS OF INTEREST
On the North pscne COl..-ar Canpb,lps Talks
With the Du,In.Ss Men on Hattsra OF No.
nsBt-rhs Transportation Qasslioa.
The Rival ShippIag Polnts.
Special Correspondence ofAe InteulanetT.

night for San Francisco, distant 700 miles
send you some last lines In regard to thil
part Of the Pacific coast.
IhAve now been on this coast Tor si1
weeks, having arrived here on the 18th o
August. During that time l have made
various excursions North, South and East
going North as far as British Columbia
South into lower Oregon, and East into the
walla Walla country. l have stopped Of
at various prominent pointsin these direc'
tons, visited and conversed with many o.
the leading people at their homes and
places Of business and CLEANED all sorts o.
facts and opinions in regard not only tc
their own immediate localities but also in
regard 10 other, and especially competing
localities.
One OF the chief subjects OF discussion
and speculation every place you go Is in
regard to the effect OF the opening OF the
new line to the east, the Northern Pacific
railroad. Ever since the completion oi
this road was assured the question has
been, will its real terminus be at Port
land, lat the junction Of the Willamette
river with the Columbia or will It be on
Puget Sound. The road was originally
chartered by Congress TO terminate on the
Sound, and in coming there to come down
the west bank Of the Columbia. 1t was
the original plan to have 1t terminate at
Tacoma on the Sound.
But Portland was too important place
to be ignored by ita own capitalists or those
OF the East. Mr.. Willard came out here ten
years ago as the representative OF German
interests in the Oregon and California rail.
way system, projected and undertaken by
Ben Halliday, aud while here looking after
that interest he became interested in the
development OF the whole country west ol
the Cascade mountains by means Of trans
portation lines. He organized the Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company. which
has become to this coast what the Western
Union Telegraph Company is to the coun.
try at large, or, comparing things more
nearly OF the same Glass, what the Pennsyi-
vania Railroad and It's leased lines are east
and west OF Pittsburgh, Portland resem-
bling Pittsburgh as a>centre.
PoRrLAND's GREAT DIFFICULTY.
Portland has one great difficulty to con-
tend with, the bar at the mouth Of the Col
umbia, which is very formidable barrier
to the ipgress and exit OF all steam and
sail craft. The "Great Republic" got on
q shoal there some years ago and went 10
pieces, and the steamship on which l am
to sail tonight had very narrow escape
only few days ago. 1t will take an i'm.
mense amount Of money and no little en-
gineering science to remedy thisgreat draw
back. The fact that Portland Is 81 i'm
portant city to-day, despite OF this him
drance, is an argument in corroboration Of
the strength OF her natural position. II
this obstacle was removed, now that she is
a railroad center, it would seem as il she
must bound forward in the competitive
race.
While Portland Ii practically to-day the
terminus OF the Northern Pacific road, and
the center OF the lines OF the Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation Company, and Is also
the terminus Of the line building to Cali.
iornia, yet the question is, will the North
ern Pacific bring in, hurtfully, the oompeti.
ton Of St. Paul 4 Chicago to vie with her
in supplying the country east and west oi
the Cascades formerly supplied by herso
exclusively. And one other question, 81 q
like important character is, will the wheat
OF Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washing
ton move eastward over the Northern
Pacific Railway to Duluth or Chicago, and
thence to the Atlantic seaboard, or will it
as heretofore seek the Liverpool market by
the Pacific ocean via Portland.
Shipping wheat to Portland from points
200 to 800 miles distant, and thence to Llv..
erpool by way Of Cape Horn, has been and
still is expensive and dslatory. II has cost
as high rs S22 to S23 per ton to ship wheat
both from the Umpqua and Willamette
valleys, south Of Portland, and the Walla
Walla country east oi It, to Liverpool,
which is say 70 cents per bushel. Il has
also consumed four months Of time with the
expense OF interest and insurance added.
All these shipments, thgs made, have pass
ed through the Portland funnel Gpd have
contributed materially to enrich her.
Hence It Is naturally question oil grave con-
ctrn with her to know whether this trade,
in whole or part, will be detected In some
other direction.
Il is estimated that wheat can be carried
through all raj! to New Yo,k, or by way OF
Duluth and the lakes TO the mouth oi the
St, Lawrence, and thence to Liverpool for
less than the average cost OF shipping 1t
from Portland fr years past Nor instance,
1t is estimated that 1t can be carried TO
Duluth for thirty cents, thence by steamer
TO Buffalo for iive cents, and thence to New
York through the Erie Canal for ten cents,
making iity conis from Eastern Oregon and
Washington TO cover the total expense to
New York, Add ten cents aio1e fof water
carriage 10 Liverpool, land II Ia frequently
carried for much less) and you have O
orand total Of say sixty cents from the
whaat fields eaSs OF the Cascades to Liver
mol and saving Of two.thirds ot the time
aoS @ eonspquent saving in interest Sc we'll
as Of insurance. ,.
The latest charters from this city to Ltv.
ernool, within the Last few days, have
been at about forty shillings per ton, or
eay Sl& or forty cents. per bushel. rhe
abroad charges from Southern and East
arn Oregon, and Eastern Washington. are
about tWenty,one cents per bnshel TO Port
land, which would make total oi sixty
ons Gents. which would be the maxamum
sInenso n Of sending It Fast by Duluth 10
IiveIpool by way Of New York. not count
;ns the saving Of time and interest
Mr Willard has built a rnad to carry as
nnch through freight as possible from the
East to tue West and from the West 6 to q the .l
fsast East He will NOT wapt tohanl empty cans
either sitbs way. 1.-The brings miscellaneous 9
from ins boeE s ftom M T ,be West
VIA Whsat oats, barley, hops, salmon and
,"mSsr " are The staples Of this country.
VIII M. Willard haul these hack East st
some n, price that will move them In prefer
ence % to hauling back empty oarsY TINS y
the question that concerns Portland to-day.
TRANSPORTATION rAciLirIEs
/ had a talk on this subject to-day with
n p 'rhompaon, President OF the Portland