The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-26

" w AAAAAN = AAOAeAN
Astoria has done 1t. Victory lies with
her at last. Years of scheming bear
fruit after "a few months of work on the
right lines and with the right people.
The right men work together on business
principles, in a business-like manner and
achieve the desired ends. Unity Of action
and public spirit, together with unfalter-
ing zeal and indomitable will, have placed
Astoria at one bound in the front rank
of the commercial centres of the Pacific
coast. The world is tributary to her en-
terprise, and avenues of commerce will
converge at the mouth Of the great
Columbia The steel bands of the high
way of trade on land will meet the steel
traffic carriers of the deep. The wheels
of manufacture VIII hum to the song
of the prosperous workman. The thickly
peopled valleys Will give forth the glad
shouts of the contented farmer and the
deep woods will echo with the ring of the
logger's axe. All this progress and pros
perity, where once was a fishing village
and the wilderness, will be recorded In
the pages of history as the result Of the
courage and enterprise of small band
of men who, seeing the possibilities OF the
future, overcame the difficulties Of the
present.
Such can, and wild, be the future Of AS
toria, and the twenty-one are the men
who have achieved the first step toward
its accomplishment. Final success is as
sured, because the same spirit that has
gained the first victory will complete the
work. There Is still plenty of hard
and unremitting work TO do, and all alike, |
men and women, boys and girls, rich and
poor, should see to 1t THAT the work is
made as light as possible and no OBJ
stacles to cause delay are interposed at
any point. All those people who are still
quibbling over the giving Of their right
of way deeds through the counties Of
Clatsop and Columbia ought now to close
matters up Immediately. The fact should
not be lost sight of for one moment that
this Is a railroad for the people, the
primary expense of which has been as
sumed by the citizens of Astoria, amount
ing to thousands Of dollars The people
in the country along the line of road will
be proportionateiy benefited, and should
not, in all justice to themselves as well as
their neighbors and friends, refuse to
bear their share of the burden. They will
secure means of reaching the markets
Of the world for their dairy products and
lumber at the minimum cost. While un-
der existing conditions 1t is impossible to
even get the magnificent lumber Of the
Nehalem to the river, were 1t practical
to ship 1t by boat after reaching the
river banks The building of the railroad
build sawmills and shingle mills along
the river, furnish employment at good
wages to thousands, and make 1t profit
able to farm, for dairy products and hay,
dreds of islands along the Oregon side
Of the river. For where now only a
limited amount Of such products can be
used in the accessible markets, the rail-
road will furnish distant markets at
good prices to the ranchers
If wealthy railroad corporation was
seeking right of way through thickly
settled territory there might be some ex-
cuse for demanding heavy damages. But
In this case the road is being built by
private capital through sparcely set
lied country, where 1t win take years to
make the road paying investment. The
builder. Of course, like any other con-
tractor, expects to make a profit on
the work or he would not have UNDER
taken It, any more than would any one ,
sise, but in order to get any one to
undertake the construction even at pro-
1t, Astoria was obliged to guarantee to
furnish the right Of way as well as to /
a subsidy.
It Is believed by all that after the stu
lticn is thoroughly understood. no
'urther obstacles will be thrown In the 4
way Of the committee securing the right
II way-it would simply be suicide to do ,
Io-and that the people along the line will Z