The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-04-11
OREG. CENTRAL & EASTERN.
The Oregon Pacific to be Re-
Organized Under the Above
Name.

sdAllc Suuuuy ditSfAOUn, dCCOhupduACu Wy
Manager Stone and Superintendent Clark.
Since his arrival Mr. Hammond has been
familiarizing himself with the detail work
ings of the road and intends remaining
along the line or in Corvallis for several
days.
MIR. Hammond is pleasant appearing
gentleman OF about 40. He came to tho
Pacific coast during the COS and has since
been prominently identified with the inter
tests of the Northwest. He was first in
terested in Oregon and Washington, but
later went to Montana, where he became
associated in business with A. t. Bonner.
The firm is well known in that state, hav-
ling been one of the most potent factors in
they were large contractors on the Northern
Pacific and built some 300 miles of its line
and have since built and are now operating
two distinct lines of railroad in Montana,
that is by no means the only business i'll
which they are engaged. Merchandising
and numbering have each received deal of
their attention. Being familiar with tim
Der and the numbering industry of the
Northwest, Mr.. Hammond sees the advan.
tages that will accrue to the road by the
the line. To 4 GAZETTE representative he
Expressed the belief that the timber along
the Oregon Pacific was unexcelled and that
the numbering business would soon form one
Iof the leading enterprises of this section.
Tuesday morning MIR. Hammond, accom-.
panied by Mr.. Stone, Superintendent Clark,
F. j. Raster, San Francisco manufac
Iturer, and the railroad commissioners, passed
over tbs road on tour OF inspection. Be-
fore leaving for Yaquina, however, the
party were shown through the carriage fac
tory. Mr. Hammond and Mr.. Raster
were each surprised to find an enterprise
of such magnitude located at Corvallis.
To a GAZETTE man. who boarded the
special, MIR. Hammond stated there was
nothing pertaining to the affairs of the
Oregon Pacific that he desired kept from
the public. "We came here" he said, ''to
do business openly and in this desire the
hearty cooperation of your people. At
present, we are unable to proceed with our
plans, owing to the litigation now pending
in the supreme court in regard TO the con.
firmation of the sale made to us last De-
cember. 1t was our intention to have be.
gum already the improvements which
we have in contemplation. To place the
road i'll such q condition, physically, as 1
desire, will require the expenditure Of at
least $4,000. This sum was provided for
some time ago, but we do not feel disposed
te make any unnecessary expenditures un-
til we are certain of acquiring title to the
property. The purchase price, 500, 900, is
only.a very small portion of the capital which
must be invested in the plant to make it a
paying property. The road is and has been
losing money, and to place it on paying
basis, it must be moro fully developed. y
4 Regarding extensions, he said: "The
lappeal now pending has handicapped our
movements, but should that be decided sat.
lisfactorily, we will at once place the prop.
erty in frst-class condition, after which the
Iquestion of extensions will be considered.
am informed that the people of both Sa-
lem and Eugene are prepared to give some
substantial encouragement for the building
of a line to each of those towns. If we
find that the business will justify it we
will build these branches
As to an extension of the road to an
eastern connection, Mr.. Hammond said;
"We will do that as fast and as soon as the
business will admit. and eventually expect
to connect with some .transcontinental line.
In Portland I was informed that the eastern
end of the road amounted to but little, but
: / found this untrue. From personal inves
, tigation am prepared to say that no rail
road of the same length in tie United
States offers SO much tonnage in sight as
) that portion of the line between Albany
r and its present eastern terminus. There is
r probably ten billion feet of lumber along
the North Santiam, contiguous to the line Of
the road, which sawed up into lumber
would load train of cars eight thousand
miles long. It is part of our plan to un-
on largescale. This will necessitate the
chartering line of schooners between Sar
Francisco and Yaquina and will require ad-
ditional wharfage facilities at the bay city.
When asked if he contemplated any diff
q Guilty in securing the necessary capital fol
prosecuting the work, Mr., Hammond
!. laughingly replied: ''We have abundan
money with which to carry cut our plans
u however, it will be spent in only limited
< way until the appeal case is settled.
:. propose taking a trip over tas route cas-
and will then determine how and when tn,
+ extension will be commenced. AS tn,
n grading is partially completed from th.
Il end of track as far as Independence Prai-
rie it is probable that an extension of tn,
line to that point will not be long post
poned. With wagon road over th,
mountains the volume of our busines
+ would be materially increased. Each yea
1--WE will expect to build some line until ou
, plan for making an eastern connection i
. finally carried out. 1 realize that a grea
y traffic awaits the advent of railroad int
g Eastern Oregon.
"The report that Mr.. Bonner has severed
= his connection with the Oregon Pacific pro
ject is unfounded. He. however, is not in
terested with me in the Astoria enterprise
Incorporation papers are now being pre-
pared looking to a reorganization of the
Al L