The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-29
PROMINENT VISITORS
Astoria Is Fast Attracting
Flattering Attention.
MILLIONAIRE CLAFLIN'S IDEA
Congressman Clark, of Missouri,
Talks About the Columbia Jetty
and the City's Future.
MILLIONAIRE CLAFLIN'S IDEA

Yesterday morning a distinguished
party consisting of A. B. Hammond,
New York; C. w. Hitchcock, New York;
j. C. Stanton, New York; Joseph +. Car
ter, Flathead Indian Agency; John Ciaf-
lin, New York, and Congressman C. w.
Clark, of Missouri, accompanied by Mr..
L. B. Seeley, of Portland came down the
river on the Gatzert, and Immediately
en- their arrival were transferred to the
tug Mendell and taken down to the jetty
at the mouth of the river After a thor
ough inspection of the government work
at that point they were entertained at
luncheon by Mr.. Hegardt, representing
Major Post, who unfortunately was un-
able to make the trip The party re-
turned to the city in the afternoon and
left up for Portland last night
Mr. Claflin, who is a partner in the
millionaire dry goods house of II. B.
| Clafin & Sons, New York, was delighted
with his experience, and for few min
utes before leaving last night spoke
very pleasantly of his impressions to an
Astorian representative. He said: This
trip is, for me, a flying visit indeed, but
have "a happy knack Of making the
most of my holiday tours and remem-
bering everything 1 see. 1T seems to me
that 1 have never spent so pleasant
day as the one just over, and most GER
tainly / have never seen or imagined so
wonderful piece of work as the ietty
Mt the mouth of this river You must
forgive me for not desiring to talk of the
real object of my visit. 1 will say, how
ever, that whatever expectations have
| been raised in me through rep
reservations made to me about Astoria,
its harbor, and its commercial import
ance from a geographical standpoint,
have been if anything, underestimated.
was not prepared to see one-half of the
desirable points that the city possesses.
The harbor, more than anything else,
has taken my fancy immensely. 1t as
founded me to learn from your major OF
engineers that in a brief space OF time
the mouth of the Columbia river has been
deepened from is feet to over 81 feet
five feet deeper than the entrance to our
own harbor of New York City. Such
result is indeed wonderful, and 1t as
sures to Astoria future the possibilities
OF which no man can fathom. / go right
through to South Dakota after. l arrive
in Portland and will there spend three
or four weeks shooting birds and small
game, going on to New York in October"
Congressman c. w. Clark, who at the
| last election was chosen to represent the
second district of Missouri, is man
with very strong personality, and
| spirit of earnestness pervading him that
quickly makes itself apparent. Though
we'll along in years ne has taken on
| himself the formidable task of investigat-
| ing every important government under
| taking in the United States that bears
| on the subject OF rivers and harbors,
with the. expectation of becoming a men,
| ber of the congressional committee on
that branch of legislation. Apart from
himself MIR. Clark is interesting as the
imam who beat Farmer Hatch He
ran In district the most solidly Demo-
| cratic in all Missouri, against candidate
VINO was looked on as tnvincible, and
beat him badly in, the teeth of the great
est opposition. Mr. Clark visited the AS
torian office yesterday to renew acquaint-
| arce with old friends from his home
State. He said to q representative of
the Astorian'
81 am on a visit to the Pacific Coast
for strictly business reasons as l be-
lleve that can not fill in the time before
congress meets better than by thoroughly
posting myself not only on the general
condition of things in the West, but also
| on special matters with which the CEN
| trail government Is concerned. At Va
quina Bay. where l have been staying
for the past week, thoroughly Inspected
the government harbor. works, and was
shown great kindness by Captain Sy-
monds 1t is a pity to have the fact 50
forcibly thrust on ones notice that in
the building of all these great national
undertakings, there are g.aring faults,
| not in the matter Of actual construction,
but in the methods employed. The work
at Yaquina Bay has taken thirteen years
to complete to its present stage, when
three years would have been ample time.
There have been three sroppages with
a break of years between each. and the
whole thing shows plainly on its surface
the result of such a patchwork policy.
l believe and intend to advocate In con-
gress with an my strength in the govern
ment running its business Just IN the
same manner as any level-headed pri-
vate citizen would look after his own in
| terests. why should undertakings Of this
/ character be built by sections. and fits
i and starts. Why cannot the national