The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-06-03
VITAL BENEFIT 70 THE DALLEs.
The Increase in Business From the
Currant Creek Grade.


Since the establishment of the boat
line there is no more important question
before the people of this busy town than
the building of good roads. The Dalles
is emlnently commercial city and upon
the trade of the surrounding country de-
pends its sustenance The advantages
of freight rate competition have made
The Dalles much better market for the
products of the interior than places
farther Eastward and our merchants
reap the benefits from the increase in
traffic. Fifteen years ago we did the
business for all the country south of US
as far as California. With the building
of the o. R. & N. railroad, stations
sprang up along its line which diverted
great amount of trade which heretofore
had been exclusively ours. The loss
was not severely felt as the country inn
mediately around The Dalles was fast
developing and at that time the railroad
shops were here, dispensing $250,0O0
yearly among our merchants.
Now they are gone and we must not
count upon their coming back. So it is
to the land south and east of here that
we must look to maintain our suprem-
acy and efforts must be made to secure
again and firmly hold the trade
with places that now are sending their
grain and wool to other markets.
The southern portion of Gillian county
Is justly tributary to The Dalles but of
late most of its business has gone to Ar
| lington. But with the knowledge that
The Dalles is the largest wool shipping
point in the world and that the competi-
ton among buyers is greater here than
anywhere else, the people of Gillian
county wish communication with US.
The abominable condition of the roads
has heretofore prevented, but with the
building of the Currant creek grade
closer relations will now be possible. A
gentleman from Mitchell called at THE
CHRONICLE Office and told of the efforts
the people of that section are making to
improve the highways of travel. Mr..
Shearer has built the grade up the Cur
rant creek hill and is now going over the
road again, smoothing and leveling it.
The hill is over six miles in length and
yet team hitched to a buggy can trot
the entire distance. The roadbed is very
solid, in some places being of blasted
rock. Part of the grade is through an
opal bed which, considering the times, is
giving the work a rather rich setting.
The merchants of The Dalles have res
ponded literally to the building of this
enterprise and no better Investment
could have been made. Already this
year freight teams have come in which
formerly have gone to the railroads at
other points and this is but the beginning
of long trains of teams that will wend
their way hither. When the work is
done Mr.. Shearer intends pushing farther
south and build the road into the Mitch
ell country.
By reason of the work that is already
done there will be saving this year of
20 cents per hundred in the freighting
charges from the country tapped by the
new grade to The Dalles and a proper
tionate saving will be the result as the
road is extended farther south. A great
saving will also result in freight on the
merchandise taken from The Dalles. The
farmers of the localities that are bene-
fited can afford to subscribe literally to
the new road, as the bread that is cast
upon the waters will surely return many
times increased. They can afford to do
nate as much as they will save the first
year and the saving of succeeding years
will be clear profit