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

that tweniy-three centuries ago true ship
railway, with polished granite blocks as rails,
existed and was worked across the Isthmus of
| Corinth, where IKE Construction of a ship
canal has just now only been partly effected
and subsequently abandoned for financial
considerations, In I7IS the weil-known
Count Emanuel Swedenborg constructed
road and ''machines" for carrying laden YES =
sells from Stronstadt to Iddefjord in Sweden,
a distance of ID miles across rough country;
and the successful use of this work by Charles
XII during the siege of Frederikshall led to
Swedenborg being regarded not only as a
national benefactor, but as mechanician OF
no mean ability, for at least d century after
his death.
Such railway is now building across
the isthmus of Chignecto between Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick, and it
was stated in the original report of the
government engineers to congress that
boat-rail ways were not experimental.
The statement that boats of differ
ent dimensions would be required tor
the upper than for the lower river is
refuted by facts within the knowledge
of many Several boats built at Ce-
lilo, and running for years between
that point and Lewiston, Idaho, are
now in the trade from Portland to
points On the lower river.
1t would be impossible to build the
ship-ralway on the Oregon side. be-
cause Lasaltic bluffs now approach the
Union track to dangerous limits, and
the government road would, on the
north bank, not injure Mr.. Mohr's
railway, because the amendment pro-
vided that his company could use the
government track.
The only evidence that Mr.. Hill
furnished to prove his implication that
Senator Dolph was identified with rail-
road interests, was.oecause he favored
the boat railway. If this is conclu-
sive, his colleague, Mr.. Mitchell and
Senators Allen and Squire Of Wash
ington are IN the same category. In
fact, as the U. s. senate has passed
bills twice appropriating liberal
sums for this scheme, the great
est minds of the nation are
liable to the same charge. But an ex-
animation of the fact will prove this
fallacious. The Union Pacific can COM
pete with a portage railway much easier
than with boat-railway, for the
simple reason that the former requires
breakage of cargo. with the consequent
waste and expense in handling, while
the latter transports the cargo intact
from the place where it is loaded to its
destination. Much cheaper rates can
be given by continuous river trans
portation than by river and rail com
bined, for the reasons stated. Mr..
Dolph severed his connection with the
o. r. q N. Co. when he entered the
United States senate, and, although he
may have since acted as attorney for
or against railroads before the supreme
court In Washington City, he did SO
simply in professional capacity, and
by so doing was no more identified
with corporations than lawyer IS
with crime when he defends or prose
cutes a murderer or robber.
For nearly ten years past some work
has been done on the north bank of the
river, near Columbus, WASH, and SO
far there are only about three miles of
rails laid. 1t seems to have been a
strategical point that some railroad
company desired to claim, in order to
debar any other from occupancy.
If the Columbia Railway & Navigation
company desired to relieve the produc-
ers of the Inland Empire of oppres-
sive monopoly freight rates they could
have built their road years ago.
Eastern Washington, Eastern Ore
gon and Idaho are interested in an
open river to seaboard, and desire to
transport their grain and other produce
to seaboard without breaking bulk.
This can only be accomplished by the
locks at the Cascade and the boat rail-
way at The Dalles, and no private
corporation building a few miles
of road will help matters in the
least. The locks will be finished in a
few years, and until the permanent
improvement east of this city Is com
pleted by the United States, the people
of the inland empire will expect the
state of Oregon to build and equip
portage road at this point.