The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-12-01

ENTERING AN EMPIRE
From Astoria a Favorable Route to Con-
RGCti0n at Ogden.
AN OLD TIME SCHEME REVIVED.
A Rich Region of Country Which Will
Support the Line.
AN OLD TIME scHEME REVIVED.
A Rich, Region of Country which viii
CROSSING THE CASCADE RANGE.
Time to Begin the Work of Preparation
for Vast scheme of Developments
Other News.

ASTORIA, Or, Dec. 1.-The Examiner
has taken up the old subject of a railway
direct to Ogden with much more possible
hope of success than when the scheme
was talked of years ago. The country is
ripe for such development now. Then
it was not. The construction of a rail-
road from this city to Ogden would GER
tainly find itself crowded with golden
| posi- bilities, were it to traverse our
growing state in the natural direction OF
such indications as give promise of the
greatest amount of traffic. railroad
from Astoria, with Ogden as its terminus,
would doubtless have to go as far south
as Albany, as it is directly west OF there,
at the head of Rock creek, that the first
and most feasible pass through the Cas-
cade mountains is found. This would
open up great bodies of timber which lie
in the southern portion of Clatsop and
our more southerly counties, as well as
bring about the development of the ag-
ricultural valleys and improvement of a
vast amount of land tributary to this
city. In reaching Albany the fertile and
prolific Willamette valley is tapped
After crossing the Cascade mountains,
this yet imaginary railroad would enter
Crook county, and following in the lines
of the greatest amount of traffic, would
run eastward to the Des Chutes river,
cross the same and continue on the north
side of Prineville, the county seat.
Prineville is live little town of some
800 people that has not yet, owing to its
isolation, outgrown some of the features
which formerly characterized the frontier
trading posts. From Prineyille this
road would continue directly eastward
to Canyon city, the county seat of Grant
county, a thriving little town that leads
its western neighbor merry race in
point of size, its population being but
trif1e less. Canyon city is situated on
the John Day river, and the road would
have to cross to Prairie city, thence
wend in northerly direction and cross
route north of Britten station.
Thus far, wonderful and promising |
country is traversed. Hemmed in by
the Blue mountains on the east and the |
Cascades on the west, within this state,
comprising Crook, Gillian, Grant and |
the southern portions of Wasco and
Umatilla counties, is an empire whose I
area is greater thar the combined area
of New ampshire and Massachusetts,.
A vast country virtually without trans
portation facilities. The numbering
stage-coach and cum bersome freighter's
wagon offering the only modes of travel
and transportation. The nearest rail-
road point to Prineville is The Dalles,
l20 miles distant and the nearest rail-
road point to Canyon city is Baker city,
ninety miles distant.
Within this empire lies the great
future wheat district of Oregon. Here
miles of rich grazing lands and fertile
prairies await the sword that has under
gone the. peaceful metamorphosis of
agricultural drift. Countless heads of
sheep and cattle are at present growing
tat upon the rich grazing of this verdant
empire. OF the 100000 pounds of
wool annually clipped in Oregon, three
fourths are produced within the coun-
ties named, and principally in that
district which the Ogden road would
traverse. This alone would be an i'm
portant item in the amount of traffic
which would await the railroad at the /
outset. 1t is estimated that 100 car
loads of livestock are shipped from this
district annually. Entering Baker
county this road would encounter heavy
but not impossible grades, and enter the
Sumpter valley, passing through one of
the richest mineral belts in the United
States. Within this belt apparently in
exhaustible mines of copper are found,
which owing to the lack. of railroad
facilities, have not yet been developed.
5sme of the richest gold and silver
Quartz mines lie within this district
ready to pour an immense volume of