The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-07-23

of the locks at the Cascades III 1876, that
10 lS92-after sixteen years-they are still
uncompieted; that that work IS OF END
that engineers have been accumstOmed to
construct for generations. and all its details
are familiar, common knowledge; and that
the estimates for the locks were at first
much less than that made for the boat rail-
| way, and then say how long this boat rail-
way scheme would secure control tor the
Union Pacific.
| Thirdy, There is ample room for this ex-
| perimental railway on the scush side OF the
river alongside the Urion Pacific line, and
better opportunity to make the experiment
| there than on the Washington side; but to
| locate it OF the south side would leave the
Columbia Railway L Navigation company
the Mohr company-in possession OF its
right of way aud IL might 60 on and bn:ld
the portage railway; whereas, 20 seize its
| right of way for the boat railway would
render impossible ali competitive enterprise
| on that side, there beng DO room there, as
there is on the south SIDE. for two roads
Fourthly, Senator DOip,i has been closely
| Identified for years aud years VIII. ths
Union Pacific Railway company. or the o.
| r. & N. Co., which is tn, same interest;
and no one can fail to know that the Union
Pacific considered the boat railway measure
to be In that company's interest.
Put all these things together, consider
them nationally aud dtspassioaately, forget
ting, if possible, that Dales City would be
locally benefited by the disbursement OF
the money used i'll a.aking the boat railway
experiment, and how does the case look?
| But let it he borne in mind, I am expressing
no opinion, one way or the other, regarding
Senator Dolph's motives. I am simply
| stating facts.
Now look at the position OF the Columbia
Railway & Naviga ion company. 1t has
done large amount OF work along the
north bank of the river, whether your
! ouin,on that the amount is over estimated Is
correct or not. 1t has built some road and
at point where the work was very expen-
| sive. 1t has done good deal of grading
and rock work beyond the end OF its com.
pleted road. 1t has paid considerable sums
| for right of way. It pays taxes on its road
| bed just as other railway companies do. 1t
has acted Just as other railway companies
| act when they are building and mean to
build roads. One of its principle promoters,
Mr.. Mohr, has been IN New York for some
| time past with two burdens in his hands:
first, to provide funds for carrying forward
the enterprise; and second. to prevent the
con6scation, or appropriation of its right OF
way for boat railway experiment to the
great advantage OF the Union Pacific mon
opoly.
The good faith of the Columbia Railway
& Navigation company is also shown IN the
fact that short time ago-less than year
ago-it made public and definite PROPOSE.
ton, through the Portland Chamber of
Commerce, to bind itself up with any rea-
sonable guarantees for connecting boats
above and lelow, and for carr, ing the
frelghts between the upper country and
Portland for rate lower by half than the
Union Pacific tariff, as q consideration for
the raising of part of the funds needed for
completion of its portage. Does that look
like scheme to perpetuate the present
monopoly?
You, Mr.. Editor, whom know to be a
candid and fair-minded man, will agree
with me, when you consider al the facts,
that you were hasty and inconsiderate in
your accusation against Mr.. Mohr and his
associates, whatever you may conclude the |
evidence indicates as to Senator Dolph's ob- !
Ject in urging the seizure of the right of
way held by the only prospective competitor |
of the Union Pacific company, and holding |
1t indefinitely as an experiment station OF |
the government-to be used as ''appropria-
tions may be made from time to tlme"-say
SlS7, 900 at time for, say, twenty or twen-
five years.
/ should not ask space for this article, but |
that know personally your charge against
Mr.. Mohr and his associates-snd incident
ally against the portage railway enterprise
is wholly unjust to him and to Hon. A. nj.
Cannon, the president of the portage COM
pany. I may say 1t Is unjust also to all the
members OF the board of directors. of whom
I happen to be one. And do sincerely be-
lieve that whatever is done by newspapers
or individuals in the way of diverting at
tention to side schemes and experiments to
prevent the building of portage railway
by private enterprise OF by the state. is in
the interest of the present monopoly, and.
whether so intended or not, helps those
whose dearest wish is that the day OF the
deliverance of the people may be postponed
The river should be opened,
not made field for experiment for quar-
ter of century, to ascertain whether it can
be opened in some new.fangled way. APP
parently relief must come from portage
railway; and it Is not so important whether
it come through individual enterprise or
state action. as that in some way it come,
and that too, within the life of the present
generation.
Very Respectfully,
" IArp Hrrr