Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-03-20
OREGON PACIFIC,

Sometime ago when everyone was won
dering what company the surveyors be.
longed to who were surveying in the
Malheur country, we said they belonged
to the Oregon Pacific. But others said
they belonged to the Oregon Short Line,
the Boise Statesman among the number
Last week we republished part Of what
was given in the Statesman, as Wash
ington correspondence of the Statesman,
and designated as irregular This cor
respondence claimed that Gould had
privately informed the writer, that the
Oregon Short Line would be built in two
directions from the mouth of Burnt river
to the coast. One via. Snake river to
the Sound and the other via. Harvey
Lake to Yaquina Bay. We then doubted
that Gould had made any such con6den
tial statement to the writer, that Gould
was not in the habit of telling his plans
SO far in advance. 1t seems the Oregon
ian people are much exercised about the
movements Of the Oregon Pacific, and SO
soon as Col. Hoag, the president Of that
company reached Portland the other day,
the reporter of that paper, sought out
Col. Hoas to interview him and the fol
lowing is what he obtained:
"Our intention" continued Col. Hoag,
sis to build thence to Snake river at the
earliest practical moment. We will not
rush the work into injudicious expendi-
ture Of money, but will build as rapidly
as economy and good business manage
ment will justify. Cost Of construction
thus far has been at the minimum, and
it will be kept so. We want to make
freight rates so low that settlement along
the line of the road will follow quickly.
Low rates cannot be given by railroad
hurried to completion at great extra cost.
But we do say that we will complete the
line to Snake river and to junction with
trunk line to the east. The surveying
parties in Eastern Oregon, about whose
movements there has been SO much mys-
terry, are ours, not the Oregon Short
Lines, as has been reported. The survey
has been at the expense Of the Oregon
Pacific, and for its use exclusively.
"Have you adopted that liue?" asked
the reporter.
mo. VIC are not committed to the last
line surveyed; nor to the one surveyed
two years ago, nor to the one four years
ago. 1t may be either one of these, or
compromise, or an entirely new one
The reporter approached his next ques-
ton with some caution, and prefacing it
with the remark that the query had been
made thousand times here since work
on the Oregon Pacific had been resumed,
asked: "Who is furnishing the money
for all this?'
Col. Hoag answered politely that it
was not necessary to mention names of
those who had advanced the money. awe
have enough money in bank, he said,
Sat this time to finish and put into opera
ton the western division Of the road, and
a great deal more than enough. There
are no debts against the company now,
and every bill will be promptly paid.
Beyond this, the public can have no sort
of interest
at has been generally rumored that
the Oregon Short Line is backing your
company" suggested the reporter in the
hope Of getting an answer to the previous
question. 81 understand you now re-
piled Col. Hoag emphatically. "You
may say that this money is raised wholly
by the stockholders and bondholders of
the Oregon Pacific, entirely Independent
Of any other company. You may say,
further, that our tockholders are among
the very strongest people, financially, in
the United States, The private wealth
of the men holding Oregon Pacific stock
is not less than $500, 100000"
While the reporter was present Col.
Hoag received telegram from Yaquina,
saying that the schooner Nora Hawkins,
from San Francisco, with railroad mater
ial, had crossed in at high tide and found
twenty-one feet of water. He leaves for
Corvallis this morning.