The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-03-03
Ho FOR THE CASCADES.
Uncle Sam Asked to Cooperate In
Building Portage Road.
Portland Oregonian

OEt8Sc hOau.
Portland Oregonian.
The commission intrusted with the ex-
pend1ture of the money appropriated for
bridging the chasm at the Cascades with
portage railway consists of his excel
lency Governor Pennoyer, Secretary of
State Mcbride and State Treasurer Phil
Metchan. The amount appropriated is
$60, 900, and how best to expend this is
the question for the commission to de-
eide. Furthermore, their decision must
be in the nature of a recommendation
that is conditional upon the action of the
government, for without the cooperation
of the federal authorities the $50, 900 will
fall short of accomplishing what is
wanted at this point. The commission
held an informal conference in this city
Saturday evening, and will meet again to
further consider the question at 2 O'Clock
this afternoon.
What the commission will recommend
is that the government build a track on
the wagon road grant alongside of the
locks. A portion of a track is already
built at the upper end, and it will not
require much money to extend it across
the lower end. The track is narrow
gauge, and was built for the purpose of
transporting material used in the con-
struction of the locks. AS the work
progresses the extension of the track will
become great convenience, if not an
absolute necessity, to the government
engineers having the construction of the
locks in charge. The recommendation
of the commission will, therefore, not be
an unreasonable one, and will doubtless
meet with the favorable consideration of
the government authorities. The road
will serve a two-fold purpose-transpor-
tatiOn facilities both for the government
and the pent-up commerce OF a large area
of tributary farming country.
The matter will be laid before Major
Handbury, of the United States engineer
ing corps, and if the proposed plan meets
with his approval he will be asked to
make this Recommendation to the Sec
retary of war. Upon the decision of the
secretary of war depends the execution
of the plans outlined by the commission.
If the track is built by the government,
the state will build the necessary in
clines, pontoons and rolling stock with
the sec, 900 appropriation in the hands of
the commission. The building of boats
to run in conjunction with this portage
system will be left to private enterprise.
THE GOVERNOR FEELS CONFIDENT.
A reporter yesterday called upon Gov
ernor Penuoyer to learn any additional
facts that might be in his possession re-
garding the plans of the commission.
''Of course we can do nothing" replied
he, without the assent of the secretary
OF war. If the recommendations meet
with bis approval, and he can have no
good reason for opposing them, the ques-
ton of transportation at this point in the
Columbia Will be solved. The $60, 900
appropriation will be sufficient to build
the inclines and pontoons and enough
cars for carrying the freight. 1 think
Major Handbury will agree with US re-
gard,ng the feasibility of such co-opera-
ton, and make the necessary recommen-
dations to the secretary of war. We ex-
pect favorable reply, and in week or
two we will be better able to let the
public know just what we intend to do.
AS the matter stands, we are powerless
to act, and must await the reply of gov
ernment authorities.
81 am satisfied that the portage rail-
way system is the only practicable solu-
ton of the Instructions to navigation in
the Upper Columbia. The locks, of
course, will prove great benefit to the
country when completed, but the magni-
tude of the work makes it evident that
they will not be available for some time
to come. Something has to be done to
relieve Eastern Oregon and Washington
of its surplus resources, and portage rail
ways at the Cascades and The Dalles sug-
gest the only expedient.".