The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-05-09
YAoUINA.

the Portland port of entry, is question OF
vital Importance at the present time. Since
the secretary of the treasury has recon-
mended that the change be made, the press
of the entire central valley have expressed
dissatisfaction and Indignation at the pro
posed lchange. Porter, OF the Albany
Herald. with his usual enthusiasm In the
interest of the Central valley publishes an
article on the subject, which ws give for the
merits it possesses. He says:
Our citizens feel and know that such a
movement could not have originated from
the honorable secretary himself, or from
any one1interested in the future develop
uaent of the Willamette valley, Eastern
Oregon or Idaho. They feel that no one
ACQUAINTED with the vast resources OF these
regions, abounding as they do in gold, silver,
lead, copper, iron, coal, lumber and other
resources and interested in bringing these
productions into the markets of the world,
would suffer himself to countenance this
scheme of consolidation. And for these
reasons it is generally believed that the
movement must have been set on foot by
the enemies of the great undeveloped ter
ritory that depends upon Yaquina bay as an
outlet for its commerce. That this section
has enemies who would not scruple to in
vent such schemes is well known, The
weight and oppression of their intrigues
during many years past is upon US to this
day The gross Misrepresentation In re-
gard to the depth of water on Yaquina bar
and the possibilities of the Yaquina bay as
a harbor is one of the many deceptions
practiced by them on account of their inter-
.ests in other aud rival sections of country.
The influence of these misrepresentation in
arresting the development of traffic at va
quina bay has been great. Ship owners
have refused to allow their vessels to enter
that harbor. And not until the Oregon
Pacific railroad company took the matter
= boldly in hand, and chartered vessels with
the entire responsibility of loss upon them
selves, did owners of vessels suffer their
preiudices against Yaquina to be removed.
During the past two months number OF
vessels have visited Yaquina and the effect
has been phenomenal The statements of
our enemies have been contradicted by the
testimony of every ship captain who enter
ed. It is now known beyond the posi-
bility of a doubt that the minimum depth
of water on the bar at high tide is twenty
one feet, and in many Instances the depth
ID not less than twenty-three feet. A brisk
traffic of great volume has sprung up and
unlimited tonnage can be easily and cheap,
ly chartered. Hence, when a proposition.
proposing the consolidation of our port OF
entry, in the development of which we
have struggled so long and SO hard, with
another district, it arouses just need Of
indignation. Particularly so, because we
recognize in it the destroying hand of our
ever active and never yielding enemy. And
particularly again, because the result of the
misrepresentation of our enemies furnishes
the only reasonable ground, viz: The lack
of traffic at Yaquins bay, and the sole ar
eument in favor of the consolidation pro
posed.
The district of Yaquina was set apart BY
e an act of Congress about two years ago
Very naturally, on account of the extrava
giant statement published abroad in regart
to the lack of water on Yaquina bar, ant
the doubts and uncertainty necessarily en-
gendered by those Statements the volum,
of custom business during the first few
months was small. Then, too, the work o
improving the bar by the construction o
the government break-water had just beel
undertaken. It was not known what effec
it would have in deepening and widenin.
the channel of the entrance. 1t was no
absolutely certain that any benefit whateve
would accrue from the work, which occa
stoned further misgivings in regard to tn
possibilities of Yaquina, and acted as
damper upon traffic. Now, however. to us
the language of Capt. Powell of the .
s.. Engineers, ''the jetty has only reached
the edge of the channel existing at the tim
of commencement of the work, and the in
crease in the depth of water is twenty-iv
per cent" This fact has reached the ear
of those who doubted, the public confidenc
III Tue IuJuTe VI Is loISNci aSouiS GU
As an inevitable consequence, trade has re
ceived an impetus that is remarkable. l
volume of business has sprung up that
actually immense, considering the undeve
oped condition of the surrounding country
Though the traffic is yet in it's swaddlin
cloths, the actual tonnage entering at tn
port of Yaquina during the thirty days end
ing April seventh was two thousand ST
hundred tons. The dutiable goods entere
during the same period amounted to forty
five thousand five hundred and fifty-tw
dollars. By report published in tn
Portland Oreganian the dutiable goods er
tering at the port of Astoria for the las
twelve months was placed at about on
hundred and nine thousand dollars; or
little more than double the amount enterin
Yaquina in one month. The amount {
free goods entering at Yaquina during tn
thirty days ending April 7th, was one hur
dred and fifty Thousand dollars.
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