The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-07
FROM Mr.. HAMMOND
win Start Things in Motion
About the Fifteenth.
NO TIME FOR HESITATION
All Should Do Their Part to Finish
the Good Work Good Story
of Ancient Opposition.

Yesterday Mr.. Goslin, Mr.. Hammond,
agent mere received letter from tina
gentleman In which he stated that h
wouid arrive in Astoria according t
schedule and that he expected matters t.
De IN readiness SO that he could com
mence operations at once. He particu
larly desired that the right of way cues.
tlon De In such shape that the engineers
would not be delayed longer In their
work.
Now Is the time when those who ara
amply able should step forward and as,
sist the committee in raising the needed
funds-a paltry few thousand dollars
with which to prosecute the finishing of
the work so well carried forward up to
the present. 1t is safe to say that per-
maps railroad was never contemplated
Where the right of way cost SO little
money. The people realized that 1t was
10 De road for the benefit Of the peo-
PIE ana that to secure 1t the people had
TO furnish the right of way The citi-
zens of Astoria have spent several thous-
ana dollars in securing deeds, and NOR,
Will have to be raised. The people along
the line have done all they could In Civ.
ing their deeds. Those who would not
donate, of course, will not aid finan-
cially. There are still some expenses TO
be met-not a very large sum will be
required-but 1t must be raised imme-
diately and the rich should not throw
the greater burden on those not SO
well able to stand it. The common good
OF the entire community is at stake and
hesitation should no longer rule the hour.
Should this opportunity be lost years
would not repair the loss Seattle would
have finished her fresh water harbor and
with her characteristic snap and enter
prise would have gained control of the
shipping of the Northwest, before an
other railroad scheme could be conceived
and put into operation.
A prominent business man Of the city
In expressing these views of the situa-
ton stated that 1t reRinded him Of the
following story which comes from Col
umbus, Ohio:
Alexander Wells, an old citizen of our
neighboring town Of Wellsville, Ohio, has
in his possession a copy of an interesting
and novel document issued by the school
board of the town of Lancaster, this
state, in 1923. The question Of steam
railroads was then in its inc!plent stages
OF agitation, and club of young men
had been formed foi the purpose of dis
cussing the points at issue, and desired
the use Of the school house for the pur-
poses Of debate. This was looked upon
~ the members n TIE sch 1ol board rs
an innovation bordering upon sacrilege,
as indicated by the reply of the body to
the request, which is the document in the
possession of Mr.. Wells. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
You are welcome to the use of the
school house to debate all proper ques-
tions in, but such things as railroads |
and telegraphs are impossibllities and |
rank infidelity. There is nothing in the |
word of God about them. If God had !
designed that his intelligent creatures !
should travel at the frightful speed of
fifteen miles an hour by steam, He would |
have clearly foretold 1t through his holy |
prophets 1t is device of Satan to I
lead immortal souls down to hell"
Such sentiments possibly reflected the |
feeling to some extent in the days of |
sixty-five years ago, but they sound
strangely at the present time when the
device Of Satan" is daily carrying peo- |
pie over the land at the rate Of sixty
or seventy miles an hour. The world has
somewhat since 1928