Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1889-05-23
AN INSIDE VIEW OFT.

The D4llcs Times .Nouataineer
makes these remarks, viz:
Portland is being stuns by the scrpcnt
which 1t has warmed into lite by the heat
OF it, own hosom. When the Oregon &
Transcon'inental COMPANY was formed
the capitalists If the Willamette metro
polls invested largely in the stock, and,
IN fact, controlled this modern credit
mob'lier of the Northern Pacific. I'll
could never have sprung into lite without
the aid of the Portland capitalists, and
they thought with the Northern Pacific
terminus in their city, it would be an
avenue ct wealth to them. Bat how
matters have changed Willard was
then welded to the mud flats of Couch
addition, and now his second love is
given to the pine clad hills of Tacoma,
This Oregon & Transeontinental is being
used to capture the Oregon Railway &
Navigation for the Northern Pacific, aud
Prince Henry Willard is the chief actor
in the scheme. The people OF the Inland
Empire will view with The utmost com.
placency this fury of the gods, aud
smile when they see Portland writhe and
twist under the plan caused by the sting
of the serpent which it warmed into
existence.
All this is merely amusing to those
who know anything about the facts.
The o. & r., YVES not "warmed into
existence BY Portland nor did "the
capitalists of the willamette metropolis
control this modern credit mobiier of
the Northern Pacific" There were
some subscriptions to the stock here
les. than 100000 in all. This sum
was but an insignificant fraction OF the
capital of the Q. g. The whole thing
was blind speculation on the part of
the snh-". bers to the stock, undertaken
solely IN "a hopc of personal gain, and
not at al .l,h the idea of influencing the
railroad policy Of the Northwest.
Portland, therefore, warmed NO serpent
into existence. The career and fate o!
the O. h I. would have been the same
had Portland people never touched it.
Their subscriptions were but as drop in
the ocean. Nor is Portland in fever
or fright over the present situation.
She is not mere way station on a single
railroad.
Mr.. Wizards position is very pccu.
liar one. He and his friends are large
owners in the O. r & N, in the N. p,
ard in the 0. & r. His effort is to use
the O. and IT,, to make combination
between the N. P, aud o. R. g. N. He
wants to put a stop to the "invasiou' by
either company Of the others territory.
lie maintains that this would be best for
all the roads and for the country tor.
Ia this effort he is resisted by the
Wright party Of the Northern Pacific
and by the Smith party Of the O. R. h
N. In joining those Who oppose the
Willard scheme, Portland is not merely
fighting his own battle, but tho battle of
the greater part of the Northwestern
country. We do not want to see the
consolidation that Mr.. Willard is trying
to bring about. We would prefer that
each company-the o. R. d N, and N
P.--should pursue its own plan OF
operations, SO as to bring about the
largest possible development Of the
country. through the most extensive and
best possible railroad service. Mr., Vii
lard's plan proposes division Of terri
tory, and this is resisted here on The
ground that it would be against tht
interests of the country at largo, not les'
than against those Of Portland.
We think, moreover, that Mr.. Willard
will fail to control the Northern. Blu
his effort to control it may, in the result
hamper the 0. r. l. N, and prevent i
from rendering the country the service i
ought. Should the effort succeed, j
would stop the extensions that boil
companies have undertaken or projected
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