The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-01-04

:harge of extended railroad transpor-
ation, are found in your markets, 6
md we are ready to flood your mar a
lets with delicious, pure, and cheap g
wines. But gentlsmen, I must pause, a
,or already within these few days d
nave sadly learned that a citizen of v
The Pacific slope must speak with d
great caution and extreme reserve of f
the enormous resources, almost i'm 6
measurable possibilities, the accus- II
toned associations and conditions of t
his home environments, lest he De Io
charged with gross exaggefation. The f
ordinary facts of daily experience with
him become extraordinary tales Of Is
wonder to people who are accustomed {
to an Eastern standard CT such facts. Ii
But how shall I make the resources {
of the Pacific domain completely avail
able for the benefit of all, and re-
bounding to the solidity and glory of
our nation? The reply is, shortcut
waterway connection between the
Western and Eastern seaboards.
The completion of the Nicaragua
canal, this missing link, this national
maritime highway, is an imperative
necessity for US of the Pacific North
entire Mississippi valley and the states
of the Atlantic seadoard, not only to
the reciprocal interchange among our
selves, but the whole commercial field |
of the Occident.
Now, We here il Oregon are partic- |
ularly interested in the construction |
and early completion of this canal. in
confederation Of which permit ME to
give you few statistics, and in doing
SO will cover the entire field, as we
are not fruit growers exclusively, but
most of us are more or less interested
in other lines.
Our chief product is wheat; our next
greatest product is lumber; our third
fruit; our fourth is comprehensively
fish, wool, cattle, hides, and rich mill
erals. All of these articles are heavy
commodities and some Of them are
perishable. With cheapened freight
rates thousands of acres are in readi-
ness to be converted into vineyards,
orchards and grain fields in addi-
ton to the thousands of acres now
being planted with apple, pear, and
prune trees. But let me particularize.
Take wheat, for instance, and what
holds good in this article applies with
equal force to our fruits.
The present route of our wheat pro-
duct is 1900 miles, from Portland to
Liverpool, and to Havre or the North
sea it is 1880 miles or more. Five
sixths of this shipment goes to the
United Kingdom and one1sixth to
the continent. The Nicaragua canal
would furnish the means of exporting
this in vessels of 5000 tons burden
which would carry so cheap that ever,
farmer in Oregon could reap large re-
ward in the difference Of values of
our present and these future freight
rates via Nicaragua canal. The sof'
wheat of the Southern states, particu
larly of Texas and Arkansas, could b.
mixed with the hard wheat of Oregon
and an improved product manufac-
; tured for Southern home consumption
and expectation to South American
countries. This would create new
market for Oregon, in values proper
toned as five. to one Of the present
market.
To ship a car load of wheat from
Portland to New Orleans at present
cost 45 cents per bushel, while with
the Nicaragua canal finished the
, freight ought not to, and most prob
, ably would not, exceed - to Is cent
per bushel. including canal charges
etc. Here is a case where the benefi5
would be reciprocal; the grain growers
Of Oregon would find an additional
market at remunerative prices for
their product, and every bushel of
. wheat raised in the South, and the
flour made therefrom, would be en-
hanced in value by mixing or blending
of both products.
Then, again, take salmon; this entire
, product is exported and must find it,
, way through the Nicaragua canal, thu
again furnishing to the South, the Mid
die West, md the South American
countries cheap food supply of thi
most royal Of fish, and giving us al
! increased market for it. 1t is a fail
estimate to place the salmon pack a
SOC, 900 cases; the railroad freight OF
. 1000 cases of salmon to New York O
10000 pounds is $780, or 81 per 1O(
pounds. Complete the Nicaragua cana
, and the freight on 1000 cases of 70
900 pounds weight would not excee
10 cents per 100 pounds, or say $2S
as against 500, the present rate. Nov
, let us look into fruit A car load OF
evaporated prunes to New York cost
cent per pound or 5000; to New Or,
leans it costs 1A cents per pound
Or $3.50. A car load of green apple
or pears in refrigerators, to New Yorl
; costs, $3.50, and to New Orleans s5:'
for 10000 pounds. while in cold storage
steamers, through this canal the cos
would be 5000 and $3.50 respectively
for the same quantity, taking as guido
, prevailing freight rates in cold storage
steamers to other points of equal dis
tances. On evaporated fruits tho
freight would not exceed 40 cents per
100 pounds, or $50 for 10000 pounds as
against 5000 and $3.50 for the same
quantity by rail. 1t requires no mi
croscope or mathematical calculator
to see the margin to the producer; nor
is this all; the greatest benefit comes
to the small grower, who cannot ship
in car load lots, and must sell at home
in an open market for whatever may
be offered him. Upon the completion
of this canal the freight per pound on
10 or so case lots, will be the same on
the steamers as on 500 or 5000 case
lots. There will be fifty buyers in
our home market where there is one
now. and if the prices offered do not
suit, you can look up your own mar
llet and ship direct to small dealers,
knowing that in the matter of freight
you are on an equal footing with
Everybody else. Nor is the fruit
grower and general farmer alone in
terested; every man. woman, and
child in Oregon, no matter what their
Occupation, is Indirectly interested in
the completion of this canal, and we
lshould never cease talking it until
lit has become an established fact.
IOur representatives in congress should
be urged to give it their untiring sup