The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-10-30
COL. HOGG AND THE o. P.
SOME CANDID FACTS ABOUT THE FUTURE OUT.
LOOK OF THE ROAD.

The Herald has on several occasions re
Gently given expression of the sympath,
common in this community for the faithful
trainmen of the o. P. railroad who have re
mained at their post for SO long a time, with
out the payment of their wages, says tn,
Albany Herald.
| But this must not be construed into an,
i, hostility against the road or its management
The question necessarily has two sides, an
to be perfectly just, they must both be con.
sidered. Col. Hogg projected and declared
the feasibility of this road more than twenty
years ago. lie then commenced and has
ever since been engaged in demonstrating to
financiers of the world the practicabiIity OF
his project. For that purpose many years
ago, he visited many of the capitals of Eu.
rope, and by his address succeeded in en-.
listing considerable European capital in the
scheme, and this with the early subscrip-
tions made in this valley enabled Col Hogp
to buy the first iron for the road. Later he
succeeded Ill enlisting large number of the
ablest and most sagacious financiers in New
York and other business centers, and there
by the success of the project was assured.
But this road was entirely independent of
all combinations with other roads, now so
common with AL competing roads, and for
that reason IN, re &. y anything else Col.
Hogg has encountered ,nuch opposition. If
this road is madc.a a'.@"eSs, on the basis of
its present maEaseei,iciiL, it will always be
in position by the reasnnableness Of it's
freights to command largely the traffic of
both Eastern and Western Oregon, and thus
detract from the business of other lines that
are ready to combine at all times for the
purpose of robbing the shipper. The expert.
ence of every shipper in this valley will ver-
ify this statement.
Freights have been greatly reduced and
steadily kept at low figure, and the farm.
ers particularly have thus realized thousands
of dollars more for their wheat and farm pro-
ducts every year than they possibly could if
this road had fallen under the control of
some of the great continental lines.
The road like every other enterprise in
the country felt the pressure of hard times
which have within the last year prevailed
everywhere, and as consequence many of
the financial engagements haye not been
kept. But many Of the greatest roads and
enterprises in the world have felt the same
shock and have been. forced to the wall.
There is reason to believe that these tempo.
rary reverses have neither discouraged Col
Hogg and his friends or caused them to
abandon their enterprise or to change their
plans. They undertook to construct this
road across the state to an eastern connec-
tion and we expect to see their enterprise
success at no distant day. With the success
of this enterprise the prosperity Of this city
is inseparably linked. The city's growth is
no difference what company may
complete the road, but it would come more
surely if the road continues under the pres
ent management. The reason is obvious.
Col. Hogg and his associates have large pri-
vate interests here which must necessarily
be developed with the growth of the city
and under these circumstances it would be
but natural that they would not overlook
their own affairs.
The reason for the belief that Col. Hogg
and his associates will secure control of the
road is plain. It is easier for them to pur-
chase the other four millions of bonds than
for the Blair faction to buy Col. Hogg, Mr..
Coe and their associates eleven millions,
and if the accounts from New York are cor
rect this is about the way the bonds are
held.