The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-04-27
NEW ROAD TO THE DALLES.

The project Tor new roaQ TO Inc
Dalles, mentioned in this paper some
time ago, is not dead by any mefns
neither has it been sleeping. Wood Gil
man has spent considerable thought on
the matter and has succeeded in work
ing up quite sentiment in its favor,
not only here, but throughout at least
half of the county. It is now time for
others to get in and help.
Those who have never given any
thought to the matter have no idea of
the advantage such road would be, not
only to Fossil, but to Mayville and Con-
don and surrounding and intervening
country. A preliminary survey has
been made over a direct route from
Fossil to 30-Mile, thence up the hill on
the other side of the John Day river to
the table land in Sherman county, where
connection is made with a good road
running direct to The Dalles. By this
route it is but seventy miles from Fossil
to The Dalles-or only ten miles farther
than from Fossil to Arlington. Mayville
and Condor can make connections with
this road that will bring them also with
in 70 miles of The Dalles.
This week Mr.. Gilman interviewed the
leading business men of The Dalles, who
agreed to give substantial help in build
ing the proposed road. He also saw
prominent business men and farmers of
Sherman county, who stated that Sher-
man county wouldshelp. He is satisfied
that if Gillian will make the road in
this county, Wasco and Sherman coun-
ties will build the grade on the other
side of the river. Private subscription
will do good deal toward building the
road in this county, but Gillian county
should make an appropriation for this
purpose-say one dollar for every dollar
that is raised by subscription. The
county court has practiced this plan to
some extent already, with good results.
As to advantages that would result
from such road, they are so apparent
that it is not necessary to say much con-
cerning them. Once it is built, goods
can be laid down as cheap in Fossil and
Condor as in Arlington, as there is some
90 cents difference in the average price
of freight between Portland and The
Dalles and Portland and Arlington, in
favor of the former point, whose water
competition has cut the railroad rates
One-half between The Dalles and Port
land. This SO cents would haul the
freight from The Dalles to Fossil or
Condor. Before long, when the locks
are completed, The Dalles boats will be
even better prepared to compete with
the railroad, as there will be no breaking
of cargo between there and the seaboard,
and The Dalles should then be able to
supply interior points at Portland prices.
Grain at present brings 10 cents per
busbel more in The Dalles than in Ar
liDgton. This being so, the Mayville
farmers can well afford to haul their
wheat an extra fifteen or twenty miles
for the extra 10 cents per bushel, and
several of the largest farmers of that
section are strongly in favor of the early
building of the road.
Over the proposed road we could have
daily mail route, and man could
drive to The Dalles in a day with light
rig, and he cannot travel to Arlington in
less time. On a trip to Portland he
would save about $5 in car fare alone.
These are but some of the advantages
that would accrue to the people OF
Gillian county. Sherman county would
be benefited by the increased travel
through her territory, and through the
fact that the timber surrounding Fossil
is considerably nearer to large portion
of Sherman county than her present
source of supply. But The Dalles would
probably reap the greatest benefit of all
from the road, as it would get large
trade that now goes to Arlington, and
might just as we'll as not, especially az
terminal rates are promised her in the
near future, which means that freight
from the East will be laid down there as
cheap as In Portland, get the entire
trade of the merchants of Fossil, May.
vile and Condor, which now goes prin-
cipally to Portland.
In the near future we shall have more
to say concerning this project, which
deeply concerns considerably more thar
half the population of Gillian county,
FOSSIL Journal.
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