The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-07-25

The news of the decision of the supreme
| court in affirming Judge Fullerton's opinion
was made the occasion Of an enthusiastic
celebration on the part of citizens of Coryal-
+ lis Monday night. There were fireworks,
firing of anvils, music by the Marine band,
and an address by Hon. John Burnett, from
the balcony of the Occidental hotel. That
the people Of this section should manifest
their approval of the decision is bat natural.
Sinca the fall Of 1891 the road has been
involved in litigation that seemed intermin-
able. This has materially retarded its use
fitness, and the benefits that would have
otherwise accrued to the people living along
the line have been correspondingly dinI!a-
ished. With the decision comes the knowl-
edge that the property has been divorced
from the courts, which, in itself, is regarded
as most fortunate circumstances to the citl-
zens of the Willamette valley. With them
the personnel of the owners of the road Is of
little consequence. They are interested In
having the property operated by railroad
men of acknowledged ability who have the
business sagacity and capital to make the
enterprise a success, and who will at all
times be mindful Of the best interests of the
section through which it is operated.
Messrs. Bonner s. Hammond the people
generally believe to be such men, yet the
demonstration Monday night was not intend
ed so much to celebrate the victory scored
by the purchasers of the road, as to show
the feeling that existed because the property
was no longer to be operated under the
management Of a receiver.
Judge Burnett addressed the crowd for
half an hour. He referred briefly to the
early history of the o. P. Railroad Compa-
ny, paying tribute to Col. Hogg for the
great benefits he had bestowed upon the
Willamette valley in securing the construc-
ton of the road. He then spoke of the fact
of the road going into the hands of receiv-
er, commenting on the different receivers
that had controlled the road, paying glow
ing compliment to Charley Clark, the last
receiver, which was received with great
applause. He stated that Mr.. Clark had
taken charge of the road when it was in
the slough of despond" with mountain
of debt upon it and had performed almost a
miracle in making it pay running expenses,
thereby preventing it from being closed
down and perhaps abandoned. The judge
briefly sketched the attempts to sell the
road, and their failure; the anxiety of Judge
Fullerton to save the claims of the men who
had worked on the road, if possible; the
utter inability of the court to do anything
with the elephant until Bonner & Ham
mond appeared on the scene and purchased
the road. He complimented these gentle
men for the manner in which they had i'm
proved the road and made it safe for the
immense throng that passed over it last
Saturday and Sunday. He also compli-
mented Judges Bryson and McFadden for
the able and thorough m amer in which they
had presented the case for Bonner & Ham
mond in the supreme court of the state,
proving that the legal talent of the Corval~
lis bar was second to none. He then turned
to the future Of the road and pictured in
glowing colors its prospects-when it should
become transcontinental road, extending
its feeders north to the Columbia river and
south through Eastern Oregon to the Cali
fornia line, making it the grandest and best
paying road in Oregon, to reach its full
development and usefulness when our own
great state becomes the home of three mil
lions of happy, prosperous people. He
closed with an earnest appeal in favor of the
early construction of the Nicaragua canal in
the interest Of the Northwest.
At meeting of the board of regents of the
State University, held in Portland Tuesday
afternoon, q number of changes were made in
the faculty. Two additional chairs, one of
biology. and the other of political economy
and history, were created. Prof. E. l..
Washburn, of the Agricultural College, was
selected to fill the former, and President F.
G. Young, of Albany College, the latter.
Professor E. B. McElroy was transferred
from the department. of English literature to
that of ethics. Professors Bailey and Col
lier, who have been connected with the
| university for many years, were retired.
Prof J. D. Letcher, of this city, was elected
to the chair of mathematics, formerly held
by Prof. Bailey. The grade of the iastuti-
ton was advanced one year, which will
place it on an equality with Ann Arbor in
the grade of studies taught. Prof. Letcher
is an able mathematician and a thorough
and competent instructor. His election to
the important chair of mathematics will be
of advantage to the Institution.