The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-06
Straws Which Show the Direc-
tion of the Wind.
pREPoNDERANcE OF EVIDENCE
Indicates That He Will Have a Hand
in Northern Pacific and o. R.
an, Despite Denials.

That Mr. Hill, president of the Great
Northern, is contemplating some great
move on the Pacific Coast is well evil
denced by his recent visits In Portland
and Seattle The following extracts
from interviews with him reported In
the Portland papers, with the dispatch
from Seattle published in these columns
yesterday, are straws which show the di-
rection of the wind:
"A1r. Hill believes in steamships. He
has made the Great Northern a power
by the aid Of ships he has built to ply
the waters Of the great lakes. The fleet
Of vessels owned by the Great Northern
too, are models of naval architecture,
They have a great carrying capacity es>
pecially those that ply between Duluth
and Buffalo, and make fast time. 1t has
always been Mr.. Hills ambition to put
a line of ships on the Pacific to connect
with the Western terminus of the road.
Then, with. water lines feeding both ends
of his great system of railroads, he
would be in position to be satisfied If
He said that the Pacific ocean has been
a sort of -boneyard" Of old ships.
when vessels can't pay their oper-
ating expenses on the Atlantic, they are
sent to the Pacific" he said. "All the
Old vessels are sent out here. This is not
right. When put my line on, If 1
ever do, will have ships built especially
for the trade that any port of the world
would be proud Of"
Mr.. Hill was told that great many
people have been predicting his financial
downfall, and that a number of railroad
men were always intimating that 1t would
not be very long before the Great Nor
thern would be in the hands of re,
ceiver, like others Of the Western lines.
During the past 20 years 1 have heard
rumors concerning my financial condi>
tion that were not altogether comp,i>
mentary to me-" replied Mr.. Hill, Slow
ly. "But the Great NortherIE has no
floating debt, and has paid dividends dur
ing the hardest times ever known by the
railroad world. The Great Northern is in
good condition financially, and there is
no danger of a 'eceivership."
''Do you think the general business con-
dition of the country is improving?"
Eyes; I know 1t is There is a most
perceptible change for the better"
"TIas the free coinage of silver agita>
tlon- hurt this country"
Decidedly. 1t has impaired credits.
Our credits are not very good now, and,
If there Is ever danger OF II free coinage
bill being passed by congress, there Will
be a financial panic.
Don't you know, the silver mine own
ers will suffer as much as anyone eise,"
exclaimed Mr.. Hill, ''lf they get free
coinage? All the gold in the country
would be driven out Of the market, ana
silver would eventually be worth MOTH
ing. The Great Northern Railroad sys-
tenn would be benefited more than any
individual or corporation in the country
by free coinage. Our line runs through
the great silver belt, and we would haul
most of the ore But free coinage would
ruin the country, and 1 dom want It,"
Mr.. Hill was asked If 1t were true, as
had been published, that he was about
to assume control of the Northern Pa
clfic.
1.-THE Northern Pacific will be reorgan,
ized." replied the president, slowly. "It
will be reorganized and placed on sound
basis This is about all 1 know about It,"
"Will you have the management OF
the road after its reorganization"
Il DON want to talk about that; win
have nothing to say, further than the
Northern Pacific will be reorganized and
placed on a sound financial basis" re,
piled Mr.. Hill, not evasively, but point,
edly. .g:7s
when the Northern Pacific is reorgan-
ized," he continued, at will be a great
help to all the states between Oregon
and Minnesota, along the line Of the road.
Foreign capital can't help looking with
suspicion upon investments In country
through which a bankrupt railroad
passes. Put the road on a sound finan.
cial basis and there will be renewed
confidence in securities all along the line.
The Northern Pacific is splendid piece
Of property, and IL properly managed
viii do wonders for this part of the
country"
Another Portland paper says that the
most plausible rumor as to the object of
Mr. Hill's visit to Portland is that Il
was for the sole purpose Of getting con.
nection by traffic agreement or by the
construction Of an Independent line with
some port nearer the-sea than Seattle,
AT present the Northern Pacific has con-
troll Of many Of the seaports of Oregon
and Washington. 1t has Tacoma, on
Puget Sound; ocosta, on Gray's Harbor.
and South Bend, on Shoalwater Bay.
Through Bonner and Hammond, who are
said to be its agents. 1t has gained con-
troll OF the Oregon Pacific railroad, and
Yaquina and Newport, the ports Of va
quina bay and is now by the construc-
ton OF a railroad from Goble to Asto-
ria, about to get control Of Astoria.
1t Is said that Mr.. Hill Is Jealous Of tba
Northern Pacific supremacy in the North
west, and came here to look over the
coast with the object of capturing al
least one seaport. Notwithstanding Mr..
Hihs statements, 1t is believed that he
intends to obtain control Of the o.
and N. Co. and it's trans-Pacific line.
The preponderance Of evidence would
show that Mr.. Hill will have CONTROL.
ing voice in the reorganization Of the
Northern Pacific, that he contemplates
control of the o. r and ~, and that he
win establish an oriental line Of steam
ers on a magnificent scale from the COL
umbia river. The operation Of such
line from the port OF the Columbia would
be matter Of great economy to the
Great Northern, as It would save build
ing tunnel through the Cascades, Of the
handling Of trafic, as at present, over
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