The morning call., 1894-01-01
BUILT UP A STATE
Capt. AinsWOrth's Career
in Oregon.
lie Founded the Principal Transport
tation System of the Pacific
Northwest.

Captain John G. Ain sworth, who died
Saturday at his residence, Roselawn, in
Oakland, at the age OF II. was the founder
Of the principal transportation system in
the Pacific Northwest, and did more TO
develop the resources Of the great C0um-
bia River basin than any other man or set
of men in Oregon.
lie was Mississippi River pilot ard
natural steamboat man. In early DAYS he
went to Portland, pursuing his vocation
and saving his money. He made alliances
with other skillful men engaged in steam
boating upon the Lower Columbia aud
Willamette rivers, aud in few years
owned aud controlled small coats.
In 1861 he conceived and established a
transportation scheme, which, if he had
been able to carry II OUT alone, would have
made him the richest man in the State.
As III was the enterprise made more than
S1O.000,0t0, which was divided between
Captain Alnsworth and three associates
i here ale Two distractions to navigation
in the Columbia River one rapids known
as the Cascades, sixty miles east of Port
land, the other The Dalles, forty miles fur
Their east For the first there was wagon
portage five miles long, anu for the second
another nine miles long. Captain Aims
wOFth'S plan was 10 build railroads around
these portages, run steamers above, below
and between them. and thus monopolize
the carrying-trade between tide water and
the rich en- Dire east Of the Cascade Noun
tains. There was no danger from compe-
tition. because lie occupied the only pass
in the mountain chain.
He associated with himself w. 5. Iadd.
X. X. Thompson and 5. q. Reed who put
100000 into the ENTERPRISE known as the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company. The
Salmon River 1daho) mining excitement
broke out soon atterwarC, ana at its height
steamer would often earn its entire cost
with the receipts Tor one round trip. The
passage from Portland, Or, to Lewiston.
Idaho. was Sl25. and freight was $40 10
500 ton.
When the mines died out the residents
of the inland empire began converting the
bunchgrass plains which had hitherto
served as cattle ranges into wheat fields
Their products furnished heavy traffic to
the navigation. which grew steadily, reach
ing such proportions that in 1880 a feet of
twenty-five steamers could not get the
crop to market within three months after
harvest.
Dividends were enormous. The exact
amount has never been made public, but a
low estimate places the prufits for twenty
years at S6,000.000 over and above the cost
OF new steamers, repairs and renewals.
And yet the rates were never so high as TO
occasion complaints Of extOrton from
farmers. But the company had it all, Ii
took toll from every bushel of grain which
left and every pound Of freight which came
into Eastern Oregon, Washington and
Idaho.
Captain Ainsworth was the brains of
the enterprise and had its exclusive man
agement he was a fine discipinarian:
yet no man was more kind and lust than
he. IL was his boast that he never gave an
order which he himself would hesitate to
execute, ana he mad the respect anu adj
miration OF oYery employe.
In 1880 the Oregon Steam Navigation
Company was bought by Henry Willard
for S5,000,000, which the four men before
mentioned divided. Captain Ainsworth
was still vigorous and not without am
Dltlon. but decided to retire from active
work on account of periodical prostratious
weeks would send him to bed and baffled
the skill of the best physicians in Europe
aud America. lie sought the more genial
climate OF California, and soon after the
sale took up his residence near Oakland
At the time Of his death he had large real
estate interests In Portland and other
northern cities,
1t is worthy 20 note that three of the
four men who became milliUnaires in Cap
tain Ainsworth's enterprise after living
thirty years in Oregon should have chosen
to spend the remainder of their DAYS in
California. r. r. Thompson came to San
francisco Immediately alter the sale of the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company, aud
s. G. Reed moved 10 Pasadena short time
since. The fourth partner. ". 5. Laid,
died about one year ago, leaving an estate
valued at $4,000. 000