The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-10-09

divided between the two lines. at price.
cheaper intending freight. than can nos
sibly reach Portland elsewhere: in ship
ping cedar and fir lumber to the eastern
states, and finally enabling the Southern
Pacific and narrow gauge lines to de-
liver their valley grain and produce on 4
shorter baul for ocean shipment at As
toria to the point of the Southern Pa
cifc's connection near Hillsboro with
Astoria and South Coast road at the
same rates of freight they now receive
to Portland, giving this company an ad-
ditional dollar per ton: large iron and
steel works as now proposed are to be
erected at a point on the Astoria road
from the Southern or Northern Pacific
lines near which are the coal and iron
beds. Both coal and iron will find do
mestic market, III the city of Portland
and the Willamette valley towns, cheaper
than are imported to those places from
other sources, and thus mutually divide
freights.
1t is admitted. however, that the larg-
est foreign shipments of coal, where de-
veIoped, will be made to ocean ships and
steamers at Astoria direct over the AS
toria and. South Coast road, because
only an average haul to Astoria of $50
miles. For the like reason will be
shipped from Astoria equally, to the
same extent, the foreign cargoes of ce-
dar and fir lumber coming from our road
to Australia, China, South America and
various California seaports. The through
passenger traffic between the Astoria
and South Coast road and its own sea-
side resorts, whether carried via South
ern or Southern Pacific lines, to and from
Portland (which is large today must
develop considerably with the future
increased population of Portland and
Astoria, and from immigration now be-
ing located in western Oregon, while the
Seaside coal traffic between Astoria and
the Clatsop sea bathing resorts, practi-
cally suburban for 16 miles, will be
powerful feeders to the local passenger
trade.
The logging camps being located, not
only in one vicinity, but all along the
line of the Astoria and South Coast road
for over 60 miles continuously, will make
considerable local passenger traffic to
and from the cities of Portland and As
toria, while the interchange of carrying
of feed, supplies lhay, oats, eto., for horses,
with the -four from the Willamette
traffic of some value, as was fully dem
onstrated on the Portland and William
cite Valley railroad on a much smaller
scale. The Astoria and South Coast
railway company, also contemplate to
place one steamer carrying 1000 tous to
run economically from Astoria to Victo-
ria and all Puget sound ports, the time
employed being only "a hours.
1t is believed to be 80 years before the
finest of the cedar and fir timber, tribu-
tary to the Astoria aud Sonth Coast road
can be exhausted. 1t must be particu-
larlly borne in mind that such timber
lands are composed of incest soils in
western Oregon, free of rock, and after
an experience of II years thereon, have
been proved, on aconnt of certainty of
sea rains, the most productive hay and
dairy lands when the timber is cut off
on the northwest coast, consequently
permanently yielding to the Astoria and
South Coast road large local produce
and dairy traffic, after timber removed
to supply the two growing cities of
Portland and Astoria and the seaside re-
sorts.
ESTIMATE OF LUMBER.
Lumber being the greatest local traffic
the question arises can the latter on the
Astoria road compete with other sources
of supply. Timber along the Columb bia
river is so poor now, and so exhausted
that logs cost Sc per M feet, both at AS.
toria and Portland, (our two terminal
points,. The virgin cedar and fir for
ests on Astoria road are of much supe-
rior quality contain So, 300 acres in Clat.
sop county, nineteen -twentieths excellent
timber, and in Columbia county 56S, ,OOt
acres, nine -tenths timber, so that while
timber near Columbia river is now ex
hausted, logs high in price and inferior
that along our Astoria line is superior
and practically inexhaustible. The ia
cilities for its production alongside {
railroad for SO many miles continuously
render the future carrying trade III lum
ber so near Astoria and Portland Ger
tainty. The only question remaining il
to estimate where to and what are tht
demands,
COAL AND IRON.
Those of the coal beds OH upper Neha
lem according to our own mining en-
gineer's report, which have been taker
up by owners, he estimates to exceed 81
millions of tons. The quality is reported
to vary, but certain beds are to ten fee
thick, and similar in quality to the Ros
lyn coal of Washington. His analysis ot
| this upper Nehalem coal shows 43 pc
cent of fixed carbon. These miues have
not yet been sufficiently opened up t,
demonstrate the quality for steam pur
poses or to what extent the carryIn:
trade will be for same, but there is III
| question that the quantities are unlim
| tied. So with the iron ore, n company
to operate which and to erect works up
on large scale contiguous to the AS
toria and South Coast railwayis now be
ling organized, the assay having demon
strated the ore to yield 81 per cent of or
| iron.
These coal beds have been found neal
the head waters or rather beyond tn
south fork of the Lewis and Clarke
and adjacent to main land of railwa
now being constructed, extending from
thence to the Nehalem river ore of first
class quality, and their distance, 50 t.
40 miles from Astoria, renders this or
valuable for cheap shipment to Sal
Francisco. An analysis of the coal ha
been made, not only by the assayers o
the U. S. Smithsonian Institution, a
Washington, D. c., and by them is re
ported excellent, yielding 48 per cent O
fixed carbon, but the following report o
an analysis made by Henry G. Hanks, o
San Francisco, indicate that these vein
of lower Nehalem coal will eventually b
of more value to Astoria, when deveI
oped, than all the grain trade of Oregon
REPORT OF AN ANALYSIS OF THE COAL.
l find this lower Nehalem coal to b
remarkably good. 1t has black streal
of powder in, which it differs from th
common lignites of the Pacific coast.
cokes finely and has but small ash. 1t
only objection is 13 per cent of water
which will be less as you 60 down tn
vein. There are peculiarities about thi
coal that lead me to believe that it