The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-10-18
Talks of His Plans to a Cor
respondent.
ENTHUSIASTIC ON ASTORIA
Believes in AstOria's Future-Says
Time Has Now Come for the
Realization Of All Hopes.

The Following Getter received from Mr..
Samuel Dsmore, who Is row In San
Franci5so, WIN be found Of general inter-
est:
San Franclsco, Oct. 12, 1895.
The very best friend Astoria and Asto-
rlans have AWAY from home is certainly
Col. A. B. Hammond, the president,
builder superint endent, and promoter of
THE Astoria and Columbia River Railroad.
Coz. Hammond is in this city just now,
and up in hfs rooms on the fourth floor
OF the Palace Hotel ne Is at home for
visitors, who find his apartments literally
covered with mlaps OF the regions near
the mouth of the Columbia River. A
great big map of the town of Astoria oc-
cupies the place OF honor and any num-
Der Of drawings of smaller sizes are scat
tered an around.
Conversatfonaliy, Col. Hammond is full
of enthusiasm about mis- enterprise and
he is ever willing Ito point out how rus
completion will mark the commencement
OF new era of prosperity for Astoria,
the pioneer city, and Of the Columbia
River country. But Mr.. Hammond roes
not like Ito ltaflk for publication. He mas
no fear OF being quoted, be 1t understood
but he is modest and likes better TO De
hnOWn Wy nlS dclieNoheHte uH"ii W 4''
talk.
However, in talking to your correspond
ent last night, he consented to forget
for THE time being that his conversation
may be used by newspaper and eX-
p.ained the Status OF the road up TO
date
"Our road win be completed surely next
year" he said, "and when the first train
runs over the line ASTORIA win be direct
| ly connected with the following great
trunk ZINES: The Southern Pacific, the
Great Northern, the Northern Pacific, and
the Oregon Railway and Navigation Co.
| This means tErat our trains wifi form q
| link In a chain which will make Astoria
a port of both deep and fresh water YES
seGls in direct communication with the
whole world"
Explaining the work which has been
accomplished by the United States gov
ernment since 1881, when congress appro-
prlated $3,OOO,0OO for the Improvement of
the Columbia River bar, Colonel Ham,
mond pointed out that otter an e1pen-
diture Of only $2,2OO,0OO the narrow chan
mel which formerly was only twenty feet
deep and prohibited the passage OF deep
sch vessels, has now been widened to
| seven-eighths of "a mile and mas 1 depth
uf thirty deet, permitting the coming
and going of the largest grain and lum-
ber vessels THAT ever sail the ocean.
Just imagine" said he, ships have
now TO go to Tacoma to load Columbia
River grain, Gtmber and ealmon, etc.,
| rrlal1lng a detour of fully six hundred
miles but when our road is built they
will lie IN the Garbor of Astoria instead
and do their loading there. We viii have
side tracks running from all the can
| nerles and lumber camps direct to our
| main Cine, and lthe salmon packer Will
have Through car service so as to avoid
| breaking bulk as he has to do now His
! goods will reach, therefore, the markets
| in better shape and reflect more credit
on his establishment, besides the saving
! of money and time he MN enjoy"
| AS far as tine lumber interests are con-
cerned, Col Hammond is positive that
Astoria will be the greatest coming lum-
ber port of the Pacific Coast, II not OF
| the world
He backs up this opinion by referring
| to the immense richness of the forests
near THE BORDERS of the Columbia and
the great facTEbies whiSh Astoria's great
seaboard VIII afford to bring This vast
mass of almost virgin lumber directly t0
the great markets
Henry Wizard in his wisdom" con-
Guided Mr.. Hammond, pointed cut to
me more thhn ten years ago that Asto-
| ria the oldest town in the Northwest
Will also be the greatest city of tha1
region In the future, and his prophecy
is now about to become true"