The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-12-14
A RAILROAD. SCHEME.
How to Build 1t Without Outside
Pe,3.

Skipanon, Or, Dec. II, 1893.
Editor Morning Astorian:-
While we are waiting for some on,
to come and build railroad for us
would it not at the same time be
good idea to study out some way by
which we can build ourselves shoulC
no one come to our assistance. Suppose
| everyone who has any idea on the sub
ject discuss the question through the
papers. l will lead off by giving my
opinion on how it may be possible fol
US to build it ourselves. My plan Is
this: We will raise a subsidy of say
three thousand acres of land, and as
much money as possible. We will then
incorporate a subsidy company and
also railway-way company; the in
corrolators being the subscribers to tie
subsidy. Then, from the incorporators
we will select five men to appraise the
value, at the present time, of the
land contained in the subsidy; ali
lands beng decided to the subsidy com
pany by warranty deeds. When the
appraisers have set the value on the
land, the proper officer of the subsidy
company and also the railway COM
pany, shall issue to each subscriber to
the subsidy, one share of stock, in each
company, for every one hundred dollars
appraised value Of his subscription to
The subsidy.
would also have the present owners
Of the Seaside branch of the Astoria
and South Coast railway, sell said
branch to the subsidy and railway COM
panies at the price paid by them for
the same; they to take their pay in
stock in the subsidy and railway COM
panies on the same basis of the sub
scribers to the subsidy, one share IN
each company for every one hundred
dollars value. | would also have the
Gobel Railway company sell their right
of way, profiles, maps, etc, at the ac
tual cost to them for the same, they to
take their pay in the same way as
other subscribers to the subsidy. l
would have the subsidy in land APP
praised at what would be a reasonable
value after the railway is built, and
sell stock in the subsidy on that valu-
alton, giving as before, one share of
stock in each company for every one
hundred dollars paid in.
l have given you my plan, now l
will give my reasons for thinking it
can be carried through. The men who
subscribe to the building of the road
will have the management of it, and
as they will all be Clatsop county men,
bought off. Some people have said
that we have no men capable of build
ing railroad. / consider such re
marks SANDER on the whole commu-
nifty. Once let us get things on q bus-
ness basis, put business men at the
head of it, and depend upon our own
efforts, instead of being Micawbers,
and we will have the road built and in |
operation before you know it, AS the |
to the subsidy get stock |
in the subsidy. and also in the railway |
1t is more a business investment than |
4 gift, for considering the present val
ue of the land contained in the subsidy |
% be one hundred dollars per acre,
the subscriber gets for one acre of land |
one share in the road, which when fin.
shed win be worth at least par o.
ne hundred dollars; end one share ir
he observation-disclosures subsidy, whicl
Will be worth at the completion of The
ioad, five times its present value 5
ne would in reality, be getting for his
and six hundred dollars per acre.
This may seem rather visionary al
irst glance, but where is the property
,wner around Astoria who would not
consider his property worth five times
IS much with, than without railroad
md who is there that thinks stock il
/ road 10 Astoria would not be worth
,ar?
1T would be good investment Tor the
lwners Of the Seaside branch, for they
re all large subscribers to the subsl-
Iy; besides, their shares in the sub
idy and railway companies viii be
worth five times the present value Of
heir road It will also be good in
cstment for the GObel road company.
or most of them are large property
wners in and around Astoria. You
ee, it is a double investment all The
;ay through. A subscriber to the sub r
idy not only gets a share in the sub s
idy, which will be worth more after i
he road is built than his whole sub Il
cription is worth at the present time,
ut he also gets a share in the road :