Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-01-17
PORTLAND Is DISTURBED.

towns? 1t is said that parties in that
city are losers to the amount Of between
six and seven million Of dollars by dab
bling in the Willard stocks, aud that they
are sick and down hearted. To add to
this the change i, the administration Of
the Northern Pacific has brought with it
the unwecome intelligence that that com
pany have, by resolution, determined,
anew, that Tacoma shall be the western
terminal point Of their railroad, which
has produced great connection among
business men in Portland, and that they
are now preparing, by scores, to move
their locations to the new city which is
in the aseendancy. Had the good people
OF Portland reason to expect otherwise
from the logic of the original founders of
the Northern Pacific and the orisina
charter granted them? 1t was an enter.
prise that congress lent its aid to in a
very liberal degree, upon conditions that
had to be fulfilled in order to secure and
retain that aid, unless it should be re
tanned through dishonor. The charter
originally provided that the main line
should cross the Cascade mountains to
Puget Sound and branch should 90 to
Portland. This, in great measure, in
duced the settlement of much of the
country along the Sound and inspired
the hopes of the settlers, Who but
Portland and the people Of Oregon, when
Corbett was in the senate from that state,
induced the change of the main line to
Portland and the branch to cross the
Cascades, to the disappointment and set
back of the people Of the Sound as well
as that of Eastern Washington? Who
but the people of Portland and Oregon
induced the building of the kalama and
Tacoma section of the Northern Pacific,
a. the first outlay on the Pacific side, in
stead of expanding the money in build
ing directly across the Cascades, so as to
connect Eastern and Western Washing
ton directly to the great advantage OF
Oregon and Portland and to the great
detriment of Washington and the North
ern Pacific company, whose lo5 miles of
railroad, between Kalama and Tacoma.
for seven years never did pay the expense
Of operation 1t simply connected no
where with Tacoma and could only be
utilized as an aid to the Oregon Steam
Navigation company and Portland, to
convey few tons of freight aud few
passengers who did not like the river and
eea voyage around to enter the Straits de
Fuca. Nearly all the merchandise traffic
for the Sound went by steamships and
sailing vessels, direct from San Francisco
to the people of the Sound. Had that
expenditure been made upon the
road directly across the Cascades towards
Eastern Washington, the summit Of the
mountains would have been reached and
that much would have been accomplished
in fulfilling the original purpose and de-
sign Of the road, and no one would. have
had reason TO be disappointed, and far
less opposition would have been made to
the continuance Of the N. p. land grant.
Portland had more to do in preventing
bhe original design than all others, so as
to bring trade and traffic to that city, in
stead of deep sea city on the Sound
In this respect her selfshnoss overcome
her judgement, and the true policy of
The Northern Pacific as transeontinen-
tal line, and ut the same time robbed
both Eastern and Western Washington
If their just rights and expectations.
Again, they make friends with Willard
md assisted him in getting the control of
he y. 5. N, company, and in forming
he o. r. 4 N, company and the Oregon
Cranscontinsntal, and getting control of
he Northern Pacific, for the sole pur-
'ose of bringing trade and traffic to Port
and. We do not say that this was not
as selfish policy for
'ortland, but it was to the disadvantage I
{ Puget Sound and Eastern Washington $
s well as against the true interests of ,
he Northern Pacific itself Portland i
lhuences and those of the Q. Il. & n. t
'mpany, before they got control of the ]
Iorthern Pacific, induced the Northern t
acifc to build their road through the 5
Dor lands from Ainsworth to the Pen d i
reille, instead of up Snake and Clear f
alter and through the Bitter Root, where a
icy would have tapped the best lands of {
re northwest; and why did they do this? t.
ecause the o. r. & n. company intend CO
to absorb this coed country themselves al
their boats and projected railroads. W
ence the road from Walla Warla to al
Al, l. = n