The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-10-14
THECASCADE PORTAGE.
A Good Road Constructed for the s6O,-
600 Appropriations CAM Handle
600 Tons Every Day.
Superintendent Farley Says That the
Opposition to Him Comes From the
Moody Faction at Dalles City.
5oregonian.

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Ioregonian.
All of Eastern Oregon has been talking
about the state portage road at the Cas-
cades since the letter signed "One of the
People, was published in the Oregonian
on September 23rd. That letter has
stirred up the liveliest kind of row at
Dalles City, and the air is filled with
ordinations and recriminations. 1t
charged Superintendent Farley with in
competency; that none bnt disrated
railroad men could get employment un-
der him; that the states funds had been
wasted in various ways, and that the
purchasing officer, Superintendent Far
ley, had received large commissions.
Accompanying the communications was
private note to the editor. Since the
authorship of the communication has
been denied by the man whose name is
signed thereto, it is interesting. 1t
follows:
CASCADE LOCKS, Sept 20, 1s91.-[ED-
IToR OREGoNiAN.l Noticing the article
referred to, and being upon the ground
here, in position to see and learn of the
operations of building the state portage
railway, have written the inclosed in
hope to call attention of the board to the
incompetency and rottenness of the
present officers constructing the road.
Unless different men are placed in charge
no benefit can accrue to US of Eastern
Oregon, They have already engaged
officers whose salaries will amount to
more than the road can expect to earn.
By what authority they engage officers
is not known, as their appointments
were only for construction. Respect
fully yours, TURNER, F. LEAvENs.
LEAvENs DEN les THE LETTER.
Superintendent Farley got on the track
of Mr.. Leavens and asked him to sub
stantiate his statements. He says that.
Leayens assured him that he did not
write the letters and that the handwrit-
ing was not his. Farley has now
come to the conclusion that the
article was written or inspired by En-
gineer S. P. Lowell. with whom he has
had trouble. A reporter went to the
Cascades the other day to look at the
portage, and the first one he saw was
Mr.. Leavens. He lives in little house
not far from Superintendent Farley's
Office. He is tall, slender man about
35 years old, has small features and has
not the appearance of being a strong,
positive man, to put it mildly. When
the visitor stated why he had called Mr..
Leavens motioned him to seat and
went on to say he did not care to add
anything to the statements he had al
ready made, but would be heard from at
the proper time.
care you ready to substantiate the
charges in your letter of Sept. 20 to the
0regoniana'' Mr.. Leavens was asked.
II know nothing about it," he replied.
Ibid you write it?'
mo"
"Sign it?"
NO"
''Did you authorize any one to write
it or sign your name to it?"
mo"
'.Did YOU see it before it was sent?''
NO"
LEAyESs ExoSERATEs LOWELL
Mr.. Leavens when here told that
Superintendent Farley had expressed
the opinion that the author of the letter
was engineer Lowell, and that he (Leav-
OASJuAu DtGI Iildue II IOOl OF III GD6 use
of his name, and that if the statement
was not true, he owed it to Engineer
Lowell to deny it. To this Leavens said
he did not know who wrote the letter,
but did not think that Engineer Lowell
did. "By the way said Leavens, "did
you read my other letter in the Oregon
ian few day ago?'
In that letter he simply said that the
charges made in the letter with his
name signed to it were true, but did not
say that he wrote the first letter.
Leavens was then asked if he would
substsntiate the charges made in the let
ter published September %. They were
repeated to him one by one, and he said
he could offer no proof then, but might
at some future time Finally he made
direct charge that the east incline had
not been properly built. A great deal
of questioning elicted the answer that
the fender posts were not high enough,
and that in high water the boats would
be in danger ofcolliding with cars stand
ing on the incline, and that the piling of
the incline had not been driven deep
enough. He wound up by admitting
that the road had been pretty well built
and the state had q good pice of property
fer $50, 200. This Was in answer to =
point blank question
Superintendent Farley says that he
tGanftencd on Second Peae.l