Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-28
CORTLAND AND ruE NORTHWEST
ICon. Wheeling IntelIieenoer.l

ICorr. Wheeling Intellieencer.l
PORTLAND. Oregon, Oct. Lon the eve
Of leaving Portland for California, on
tho steamship Queen of the Pacif1c,
which is advertised TO sail at midnight
tcnight for San Francisco, distaDt 7OO
miles. send you some last lines In re-
gard TO this part of the Pacific coast.
have now been on this coast for six
weeks, having arrived here GA the 18th
of August. During that time l have
made various excursions north, south
and east. going north as far a. British
Columbia. outh into lower Oregon, and
east into the Walla Walla country.
have stopped of AT various prominent
points in these directions, visited and
csnversed with many of the leading peo-
pie at their homes and places Of bust
ness. and cleaned all serts Of facts and
opinions in regard not only 10 their
.own immediate local. les, bat also IN re-
gard to other, and especially competing,
localities.
One of the chief subjects of discussion
and speculation, every place you go, IL
ia regard TO the effect of the opening of
the new line to the east, the Northern
Pacific Railroad. Ever since the COM
pfetion of this road was assured the
question has been, will its real terminus
be at Portland, (at the junction Of the
Willamette river with the Columbia) or
will it be on Puget Sound? The road
was originally chartered by Congress 10
terminate on the Sound, and in coming
there to come down the west bank Of
the Columbia. Il was the original plan
to have it terminate at Tacoma on the
Sound.
But Portland was too important a
place to be ignored by its own capital
lists or those of the East. Mr.. Willard
came out here ten years agosas the rep
resentative of German interests in the
Oregon and California railway system,
projected and undertaken by Ben Holli-
day, and while here looking after that
interest he became interested in the de-
veiopment of the whole country west OF
tho Cascade mountains by means OF
transportation lines. He organized the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
pauy, which has become to this coast
what the Western Union Telegraph Co
IL 60 the country at large; or, comparing
things more nearly Of the same class
what the Pennsylvania Railroad and its
leased lines are east and west of Pitts.
burgh, Portland resembling Pittsburgh
as center.
PoRrLAND's GREAT DIFFICULTY.
Portland has one great difficulty to
contend with, the bar at the mouth OF
the Coluabia, which is a very formida
bic barrier to the ingress and exit Of al
steam and sail craft. The Great Re-
publio got on shoal there some years
ago and went TO pieces, and the steam
ship on which / am to sail tonight had
. very marrow escape only few days
ago. Il will take an immense amount
of money and no little engineering sol.
euce to remedy this great drawback.
The fact that Portland is an important
city today, despite of this hindrance
is an argument In corroboration Of the
strength of her natural position. II this
obstacle was removed. now that she Ia a
railroad center, 1t would seem az IL she
unjust bound forward in the competitive
race.
While Portland is practically today
ths terminus Of the Northern Pacific
road. and the center of the lines of the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Com.
spany, and Is also the terminus Of the
dine building to California, yet the
question 10, will the Northern Pacific
bring in, hurtfully, the competition of
st. Paul and Chicago TO vie with her
in, supplying the country east and west
Of the Cascades formerly supplied by
her so exclusively? And ono other
question, Of like important character,
ia, will the wheat of Eastern Oregon
and Eastern Washington move east ward
over the Northern Pacific railway to Du-
auth or Chicago, and thence to the Attain
ito seaboard. or will IL ~ heretofore seek
tho Liverpool market by the Pacific
ocean via Portland?
Shipping wheat 10 Portland from
points 20 to 800 miles distant, and
shence TO Liverpool by way Of Cape
Horn, has been and still ia expensive
and dilatory. II has cost AZ high az 81
10 S23 per ton to ship wheat both from
the Umpqua and Willamette valleys,
south of Portland, and the WallA Walla
country east of IL, to Liverpool, which
Dc say 10 cents per bushel. Ii has also
: consumed four months OF time. with
the expense of interest and insurance
added. All these shipments, thus made,
have pissed through the Portland fun
mel and have contributed materially to
enrich her. Hence IL is naturally a
{. question Of grave concern with her to
know whether this trade, in whole or
part, will be detected In some other
direction.
1t is estimated that wheat can be car
Eies through all rail to New York. or by
way OF Duluth and the lakes TO the
mouth OF the st. Lawrence. and thence
70 Liverpool, for less than the average
cost OF shipping II from Portland for
years past. For instance, IL il. estimated
that Il can be carried to Duluth for
thirty cents, thence by steamer TO Buf-
fnlo for five cents, and thence 20 New
York through the Erie Canal for ten
cents, making Is cents from Eastern
Oregon and Washington to cover the
total expense to New York. Add ten
cents more for water carriage TO Livsr.
pool, land IL IL frequently carried for
much less) and you have a grand total
Gay s. cents from the wheat zelda east
- tho Cascades to Liverpool, and saw.
ing Of tWo-thirds of the time and q oon-
enqeent saving in interest ss we'll ~ OF
Insurance.
The latest charters from this city TO
liverpool, within the last few daya, have
e9<yo6 ~ hW'At l0fty cauitukb Rok WIZ VI
say $l3, or forty cents per bushei. The
railroad charges from Southern and
Eastern Oregon aud Eastern Washing
ton are about q cents per bushel 10
Portland, which would make q total Of
81 cents, which would BE- the maximum
expense OF sending Il East by Duluth
% Liverpool by way Of New York.
not counting the saving Of time and
Interest.
NJ. Willard has built q road 10 carry
- much through freight AZ possible
FROM the east 10 the west, and from the
ycst to the east. He will not want 10
haul empty oars either way. II b.
orings miscellaneous nerchandiae from
che east, he will want 10 carry something
back from the west. Wheat, oate. bar.
lay. hops, salmon and lumber are the
staples Of this country. viii Mr.. Willard
haul these back east q some pytco that
will move them in preference 70 hauling
back empty cArsf This In the question
that concerns Portland today. :
TRANSPORTATION FAcrIIrrxS.
had q talk on this subject today With
ID. Z. Thompsou, President of the Port
land Savings Bank, q native of Harrison
county, Ohio, whe came out hero when
be was q boy, aud who was once Cover
nor OF the Territory of Idaho and 10
one Of the wealthy aud enterprisine met