The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-08-30
UNITED ACTION
IS NECESSARY
Present Method Of Self-Slander Can
Only Kill Our Material
Progress.
SUICIDAL POLICY MUST STOP
Those who Cannot Help Along Ast0-
rlaB Enterprise Should at least
not Make False Represen.
tations.

Editor Astorian:-
For more than twenty years the peo-
pIc ~ Astoria have endeavored 10 In
ducc some one with capital to construct
a railroad connecting the city with
the various railroads Of the Pacific
Northwest. First congress was induc-
ed 10 pass an act making large land
grant ~ many thousand acres along
the line Of a proposed road from Forest
Grove. In Washington county, by way
Of the Nehalcm Valley to Astoria; but
the lnduccmcnt WAS not sufficient to en-
list capital In the enterprise, and the
grant was finally, after many years.
declared forfeited: then subsidies Of
hand. In and around Astoria, were rails
ed and offered TO whomsoeyer would
build the road; but without success un-
tn many OF us almost despalred OF
seeing the desired road built for years
yet to come.
In November. 1894. Messrs. Bonner
and Hammond. Of Montana were in
duced to come TO Astoria and look over
the situation subsidy Of lands had
been raised. which would revert 10 the
original owners II a contract for the
construction Of the railroad was not
entered into. by or before the first Of
the January following The negotia-
tlons with Bonner and Hammond re-
suited in their contracting with our
representatives on December LIST, 1894.
To construct railroad from Astoria TO
a connection with the Northern Pacific
Railroad at Goble. In Columbia county.
At the time Of entering into said con
tract Mr.. Hammond stated that they
we're commencing at the wrong end
of the enterprise, that they should have
nrst arranged the financial part OF the
undertaking. and then. II they had been
successful enter into the contract for
the construction of the road: but ow-
ing 10 the fact that the lands would
revert to the owners on the first OF Jan
uury following. they would reverse the
order uf business. enter into the con-
tract first. and then undertake to raise
the money At the time the contract
was entered into. we were in the midst
of the greatest business and financial
depression known To the people of this
country In this generation; and pre-
dictinns came thick and fast, from rail
road people and financiers, that Bon
ner aud Hammond would fail in their
undertaking. They. however. believed
In II. and left Immediately after the
contract was executed for New York
to look after the financial part OF the
enterprise How impatiently we wait
ed. for four long months, hoping from
day Ia day, To hear that they had been
successful and how Respondent we
grew, on one or two occasions, when 1t
was rumorcd that they were unsuc-
ccssful. and had abandoned the at
tempt. We were used to defeat; but
this seemed our last hope, and what
consolation II was TO hear those who
knew MIR. Hammond say that they
would not believe he had failed until
he came to Astoria and admitted il.
About the first of April Mr.. Ham
mond returned and informed us that
he could not raise the money necessary
for use in the construction of the road
ON the contract he had signed with us,
but said that with certain changes
therein he could and would build the
road. How readily we agreed TO the
changes asked for in the contract by
Mr.. Hammond, and with what satisfac-
ton we saw him purchase the Seaside
road, paying upwards of 100000 there
for, and enter upon the construction OF
the main line to Goble. Since that
time. the work has been pushed stead
lily forward the Seaside road has been
put in good repair, new, commodious
cars have been placed thereon, the road
has been extended into the city upon
MS fine trestle as was ever built for
any railroad ten miles of road bed,
between this city and Goble has been
completed and the remainder of the
grading of the entire road is under con-
tract, the rails for the road have been
bought, and are, at this time, being
discharged at this port, In short Mr..
Hammond and his associates are now
building from Astoria to Goble the best
railroad on the Pacific coast All of
the work being done by them is of the
very best quality, and they are laying
a 7G-pound steel rail.
Notwithstanding that all this has
been done and is being done, In the
midst of the hardest times this country
has ever seen. a portion of the press
Of this city and some of our citizens
seem to delight in speaking disparag-
ingly Of Mr.. Hammond and of the work
he is doing here They speak of the
work as being inferior and would lead
strangers to believe that a little one
horse" road is being built to connect
Astoria with the railroad world. when,
in fact, it win when completed be the
best road ON the Pacific coast. This
Continued on Fourth Page)