The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-04
Delinquents Realize That Ham
mond Means Business.
ROLL OF HONOR INCREASING.
james Quinn and His Wife Do the
Handsome Thing Others Should
Follow at Once.

The decided action of Mr.. Hammond
in expressing his disappointment at the
slowness with which the subsidy and
right of way deeds are being turned in
and his laying off his engineers with
the expressed purpose Of incurring no
further expense and wasting no more
time on the railroad until the contract
on the part of Astoria is completed,
seems TO have convinced the public
that he means business, and that un-
less the right of way and subsidy mat
ters are speedily closed up there will
be no road as far as he is concerned.
In an interview with a prominent ci-
tizen who is devoting his entire time
to the acquisition by Astoria of the
railroad, he stated that 1t might be
we'll to look at the entire situation as
1t Is. For twenty years past efforts
have been made on various plans and
schemes to get railroad connection
with the rest OF the world. Astoria
Is the only city In the United States
of its size which has so large a yearly
freight tonnage and so large an
amount of locay wealth without a
railroad. In the past all schemes
to build "a railroad have fall
ed, even after contracts were made
and work commenced, because of the
inability of the contractors to do the
work or their lack of financial support.
Now that fair and equitable contract
has been made with man who Is
individually amply able to build the
entire line, and who Is all ready and
anxious to commence the work, num-
ber of citizens as we'll as residents
along the. line are refusing to turn in
their pledged subsidy, or deeds to the
right of way, without which Ham
mond will not operate. Everyone
knows and admits that II the road Is
built that not only will property, both
city and country, be enhanced a
hundred fold, but general business
will. be increased to an extent un,
dreamed Of: new manufactures will
be Established, giving employment to
thousands; shipping win be more than
doubled; the undeweloped wealth of
the forests and mines will be opened
up to the,world; markets viii be found
for the ranchers products and an
era of unprecedented prosperity will
be inaugurated.
The events Of the past few days have
clearly demonstrated to all the sui
cidal policy of obstructing affairs by
holding back deeds under the mistaken
impression that the road is Ito be built
In any event, or that the whole thing
Is real estate boom with no inten-
ton Of ever driving a spike. Mr.. Ham.
mond is a man of pre-eminent honor
coupled with immense wealth; he Is
also a man who expects and will have
honorable treatment from others and
Is too shrewd to be caught in any COM
plications that would involve large
losses to all concerned. He came here
to build the road and Will do so al
once II Astoria fulfiils Its obligations
There is but one thing to do, and
that Is to carry out to the letter the
agreement entered into with Mr.. Ham.
mond, and that quickly; or ne may,
as already limited, become so complete.
ly disgusted as to entirely abandon
the enterprise.
That many now deeply appreciate
the gravity of the situation and have
come TO more fully understand the
matter is evidenced by the fact that
during the past TWO days the largest
number Of deeds handed in at any one
time have come into the hands Of the
committee. Many are seeking to make
compromises, but 1t would seem that
self interest alone, to say nothing OF
uatriotism, would lead them to make
their deeds ait once.
Chairman Kinney, the indefatigable
worker. last evening received Mr.. and
Mrs. Jas. Quinn's deed. giving freely
and without cost the right Of way
one hundred feet wide, across their en-.
tire ranch three miles long in clatsoI
and Columbia counties. This is q
shining example of noble patriotism
and adds two more names to the roll
Of honor. Their example should b
speedily followed by Others who are
holding of, and no doubt will be when
they fully understand the state of at.
fairs
Chairman Kinney yesterday received
letter from Committeeman Stuart