Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-04-08
SALEM TO THE SEA.
Is Portland GridirOning the
Willamette Valley.
LET SALEM NOT BE CUT OFF.
Time for the Capital City to Make a
Move TO Secure a Road Across
the Valley.

! It is high time TO take hold Of the
project of building a railroad from
{ Salem to the sea. If Salem would
maintain her proud record as the
second city in Oregon, and retain
the ascendancy already gained over
rivals. No city in Oregon to-day
has a brighter future before IL than
this capital. We urge our monied
men and large holders ofreal estate
to take advantage of the situation
and still further advance that as
cendIncy by securing a second rail-
road already projected, and for
which other communities are only
waiting that we may take the lnitia-
tive, and push it 10 success.
A local company should be or
ganized and incorporated at once to
put surveyors in the field on line
from MehamI to Salem, McMin-
vile AMI the sea Active steps
should he taken to secure right Of
way and local support which is
rendered all along the line.
From interviews with people from
all parts Of the country, we are
satisfied that almost enough aid can
be secured to construct such II line,
and that more aid will he given to
an independent company, than
could be got for q branch of one of
the old Pacific companies, or line
that is only to be feeder Of Portland
mOney-shavers and produce sharps.
The farmers want an outlet from
this valley to get their produce to
market without subjecting them
selves to the stock watering and
stripping processes now in vogue
with every thing that originates in
Portland. The projectors of an in-
dependent railroad to the sea would
meet with the most cordial support
all along the line.
WHAT PORTLAND Is DOING.
Portland capital Is evidently max
ing rapid advances in "A secret and
underground manner to corral the
whole willamette valley trade, and,
by securing control Of II network OF
railroads already in the valley and
connecting them in the interest of
Portland, farther placing this rich
region In a position where it will
have no other choice but to render
tribute to the self-constituted
money ceasars of this nothern
Gotham of the coast.
The work that Is going on IN this
direction at present Is to convert the
narrow gauge through this county
into II broad gauge and connect it at
Silverton with II new line to Port
Portland. According 10 the Oregon
ian, surveys have been made for IA
proposed railroad to Silverton to con-
meet with the Oregonian railway |
there, which il to be made II stand
ard gauge, and extended from its
present southern terminus at Co
burg, TO Springfield, and thence up
the middle FORK Of the Willamette.
across the Cascades and Southeast
ern Oregon to connection with some
other road, thus forming transcon-
tinental line, the plan being to leave
salem oil to one side.
The effect of such system upon
the welfare of Salem cannot now be
stated. That IL would draw Off
rich trade now tributary to this city
no one can doubt, and our capitalists
and would-be railroad projectors
will do we'll to consider this careful
ly. THE JOURNAL had hoped
to convey some definite
information before this In regard to
he proposed route from Mehnma,
via Salem to the sea. We believe
that line could be built ut an early
DAY and that it is the only line that
would really give this valley any
protection against monopoly of
commerce at Portland. Such
line would cross all the other lines,
have n large local traffic, get bust.
ness from every line IL tapped as
well as from the river connections.
Il would have good business be-
fore II reached the sea. IL would
penetrate rich farming region aud
be big lumber and mining line In
lime. Almost enough local aid
,ould be procured TO construct IL.
There are millions In II to the pro-
eotors, There Is no doubt but that
great prosperity has awaken. ,
,d strong feeling of Jealous rivalry
n Portland, and that city will USE
Ia utmost endeavors 10 handicap
salem by draining OIL all her SUR
'ounding territory aud covering the
whole country with u network of
railway systems.
-
II uMoRs REMOVED. Alvin Bag
ey, u student at the university, has
lApn aunoVa1 hV tina .frnVvth nf tkv.I