The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-01-09
THE OREGON PACIFIC.
[Oregonian, January IL


from Yaquina bay, on the Pacific ocean,
about 100 miles south of Astoria, across the
center of the whole state of Oregon, 5ridg-
ing the Snake river not far from the Oregon
Short Line crossing and proceeding east to
a terminal point at Boise City, the capital of
Idaho.
The Willamette Valley & Coast Railroad |
Company, ian Incorporation dating from
1874, when it's first legislative charter was
granted) is the owner of the franchise, thrice
confirmed by the legislature of Oregon, in
1874, 1878 and 1885 under which the Oregon
Pacific is working. The two companies
| Joined in the issue of bonds which have
| yielded the funds from which the road has
| been built, and have the same management;
although the corporate organization OF each
is and always has been distinct:
The located line of this railroad in effect
divides Oregon from east to west through
the very middle of the state, and cuts at
right angles all the existing north and south
railroads in Oregon as well as the other
channel.of traffic, the Willamette river:
The Oregon Pacific connects at Corvallis
with the West Side line to Portland of the
Southern Pacific, and at Albany with the
| East Side line of the same roasl, running
north to Portland and South to San Fran
CISCO The value to Oregon of this connect
ing link between the West and East Sile
systems Of the Southern Pacific has been
just now exemplifel after the recent Lake
| ,l
their through trans between Portland and
all points south of Albany were, by the
courtesy of the Oregon Pacific, transferred
by the line of that company between Cor
Wallis and Albany, and the through traffic
of the Southern Pacific was continued by
this means. without interruption.
THE RIVER IND OCEAN CONNECTIONS.
At C,rvalis and again at Albany, the
Oregon Pacific touches the willamette river,
, on which the company maintains a line OF
,, handsome, convenient and swift river stern.
Wheel steamboats,, plying during the nine
or ten months of the year that river naviga
ton is open between Portland on the north
:. and Ha risbrrg on the south, a distaEce oi
$50 miles. This lime is of immense impor
tance both to the merchants of Western
Oregon for the transportation of goods of al
+ kinds to the large and increasing population
e of the Willamette valley, and also to tkt
producers of the same wide aud fertile regio,
for carrying eiShsr to Portland direct, or til,
. San Francisco market by the way of va
n quina, the grain, potatoes, hops, fruit, wool
( hides, cattle and horses raised OH tkei
) farms.
! The railroad, river and ocean uteamshi
q communication between Oregon and Cali
5 fornia owned; operated or connected wit
% the Oregon Pacific, has for the past FL
. years, proved of untold benefit, not only b.
n the freit hs and passengers actually carried
but by the lowering and regulating of freigl
20 and passenger rates introduced as a conse
3 queuce of competition. Considering sa,
ing on wheat alone of from five to ten cent
N per bushel, apd proportionate diminut'o
IS of fares and freights all other traffic.
70 Is not vain boast that tt,e Oregon Paciti
% or rather the Willamette Valley Coa'
NJ Railway, has already 6.ved to the Peep
L9 OF Oregon a sum greater than the capitalize
3 value for twenty years of the exemption
= the property of the road from taxation,
effect, conferred by the legislative acts
le 1874, 1878 and 1855.
1T rHE LINE AS NOW OPERATED,
VI The Oregon Pacific is now operated fro
Yaouina bay through the Coast range
ia Wren's, thence across the Willamette valle
in it's widest p,rt, by Corvallis and Alban
to Bates, where it enters the valley OF I'll
North Santi,n. and thence along the Mort
Santia;n valley into the outlyiag edge of Il
Cascade range to place called Htlste'
The distance ;laily operated for passenge
3 and freight is 223 miles. Beyond this I'll
road is completed and track layed for fou
= teen miles further, and still in advance tt
E. grade is practically completed and tt
of bridges ready for erection eighteen mill
nd further yet, thus reaching to within abs'
VIZ VI. twenty miles Of the summit of.the Cascade
he Still further, considerable amount
work is partially completed on both sid
of the summit SO that without large e
~ penditure IN time and money the Oreg'
Pacific can be taken across the Cascades al
INTO crook county In Eastern oregon.
For ninety continuous miles, from Lyo
n, station in Fox valley to the other side
,us the Cascades, the road crosses the great til
I'll ber belt of the Cascade mountains. T
~ wealth in timber, of fir, cedar, pine a
N hemlock, of this district is utterly uni'
agineable to those who have not been fe
ext tunate to see it for themselves. The fgur
nd nd representing the value of timber in a b'
A'' ten miles vide OH either side of the Greg
Pacific are simply too great to be credite
Some idea may be formed when it is stat
its, that careful examination shows in one
no cality enough timber on one square mile
,si- run fol twenty years mill cutting l50.C
1t feet day.
or WHAT WAS DONE DURING THE YEAR.
During the year 1890 construction wo