The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-10
So Say a Dozen Prominent Coast
Newspapers.
AsToRIA's COMING GREATNESS
Not All the Jealousy of Portland
and Her Public Bodies Can Hold
Back Our Destiny.
sToRIA's COMING GREATNESS

The following are a few opinions fror
various coast newspapers in the contro
versy in which Major Clarke, of Nilsson
versy in which Major Clark, of Nilsson
I'm regard to the Columbia from Port
land down, 1 wish to say that it woul,
cost much more than the government vii
ever appropriate to make a channel t.
the ocean. At the jetty at the mouth
the river is only three miles wide, whil
above Astoria it spreads out and become.
an inland sea fourteen miles wide. Thi
width is maintained for severel miles VI
the river toward Portland. At the jettN
there is 81 feet depth of water, Will,
at the wide reach of water above AS
toria the depth is only eighteen feet. TX
| build a jetty fourteen or fifteen miles II
length, so as to increase this depth o.
water, Is almost impossible, in view o.
| the enormous expense that the worl
would entail. I would be glad to see
| Portland moved to the sea, so that she
could be on deep water, but you cam
bring the sea to Portland in my judg.
ment, as nothing will justify the building
of the channel.
My idea about making river improve
ments is simply this: That by making
such Improvements and maintaining nav
igab.e waterways opeE for boats and
ships we will hold the railroads down
to a reasonable charge in freight rates
and so help producers. For this one
reason alone / am in favor of river i'm
provements, and when the reporter for
the Oregonian made me say l was not
he manufactured the statement out OF
whole cloth.-Tacoma Ledger.
"Congressman-elect Clark, of Missouri,
appears to have effectually stirred up a
hornets nest about his ears by denounc-
ing the further improvement of the Col
umIbia by the national government. Ac-
cording to the ideas it is quite impossible
to maintain a ship channel for deep
draught vessels, and otherwise quite I'M
necessary to attempt 1t farther, since the
building of a railroad to Astoria, which
will obviate the necessity of ships going
up to Portland to load. Mr.. Clark's views
on the subject may be all right and
proper, but they have aroused the ire
of Portlanders generally, and the Orego-
nian especially. ."-Yaquina Bay News.
SO
Portland is usually wide awake, but
she was taking a nap the other day when
Congressman Clark, of Missouri, passed
through town, down the Columbia river,
to see Hammond's new townste, beyond
Astoria The Portland board Of trade
will be kept awake many night scratch
Ing to get an appropriation for the Col
umbia river which Col. Clark now gives
notice he will oppose This August nap
will be expensive as well as annoying."-
Hillsboro Independent.
"Tne government is said to have a
snag boat somewhere in the river below
Sa.em-but as usual it is too far below
to be of any benefit to us."-Post
Congressman Clark, of Missouri, who
hopes to have place on the river and
harbor committee in the next house, has
been inspecting the Columbia river ana
the harbors of Oregon, and tells the Ore
gonian very plainly that he shall oppose
appropriations for deepening the river
between Portland and the sea, because
he does not think either the state or the
national government or both, can afford
to maintain a deep sea channel for Port
lands benefit. The practical thing for
Portland to do is to build the proposed
railroad from Goble to Astoria and load
and unload its ships at the latter place.
Mr. Clark is a practical railroad builder
and jetty builder, and his opinion on this
subject is no doubt valuable, though Port
land people may not think so."-Tacoma
News.
Senator Mcbride says Astoria ana
Portland must cooperate, for in cooper
alton both towns will be benefited. To
be sure, but Astoria seems to fear that
cooperation up to date ha sheen a one
sided affair. 1t may be taken for granted
Portland will grasp every opportunity to
advance Portland and 1t is not to be
wondered that Astoria is jealous. The
Portland hog is a wel-developed, able
bodied animal "-Statesman
ns%
Congressman Clark, of Missouri, has
stirred up veritable hornets nest in
Portland by his frank declarations in
regard to the practicabillty of making
a deep water channel in the Columbia
river between that city and the sea, by
government appropriation The Orego-
nian sneers at him editor.ally Senator
reviews his argument in a letter
and several residents of Portland assaii |
his position assertively discursively and |
more or less Bitterly in interviews. All |
this indicates that Mr.. Clark has pretty |
nearly hit the bulls eye in the shot he |
has taken at Portlands pretentions. He
has said much that all his critics are COM
Delled to admit is wise. He ds a man
IF experience in river improving ana
railroad building, and when he talks
lbout what is practicable and what Is i'm
practicable in such matters, his eXpe-
'ience and reputation go far to sustain
hin. His fault, If he is at fault, Is in his
rankness. He has been telling Portland
people what they already know, bur
what they are loath to admit and what
hey have been credulous enough to hope
he word at large would never find out,
md that is that their town is simply a
way station between the source of not
,ery navigab!e river and its mouth
Tacoma Ledger.
Portland is on the defensive. Con-
FRESHMAN Clark spoke lightly Of it as
10 rbor, and the Oregonian is up in arms.
That paper which has taken so much de-
light in having Yaquina slapped knows
low it is now to get hit in the face
tself. ALBANY Democrat
49, l
"The Oregonian is somewhat disturbed ,
ver the pretensions Of Astorians to fu-
ure greatness when the railroad to the
mouth of the Columbia shall have been
completed and the necessity for MAIN
aiming a deep water channel to Portland
hall have passed away. No doubt the
uilding of railroad to Astoria will as
ist in the development of that place
cry materially, and 1t is likewise prob
bile that an all rail route from the
fheat fields to the sea win divert a good
art of the shipping which now rides an
nually on the river. All this may come
o pass. but it is difficult to see how It (
Ill sensibly interfere with the growth Of
'ort.and. or deprive her Of the command
ng position she now holds The Oregon
ian maintains that Portland is the prin-
ipal business center Of the Northwest,
nd 1t would be idle to deny it. A rail-
DAD to the mouth of the Columbia will
id greatly to the population and power
I Astoria. but there is no more danger
Portland going to Astoria than there
) Of Glasgow going to Greenock. The
Istoria railroad ought to have been built
)ng ago and probably would have been