The San Francisco call., 1896-04-30
T. H. Selvage on the Struggles
Oregon Merchants Are
Making.
OVERDUE TERMINAL RATES.
The Controlling Am mbition of the PEG.
pie of Humboldt Is, He Says,
for a Railroad.

T. III. Selvage, ex-District Attorney of
Humboldt County and grand councillor
of the order of Chosen Friends of Cali
fornia, is recent arriva. here.
In speaking of the general conditions of
the northern part of the State, Mr.. Selvage
said:
~ nave resided in Humboldt County
since my boyhood and have a very warm
regard for its people and deep interest in
its future prosperity. 1 know of no place
where the man with moderate means can
better secure for himself a home from
which he can abundantly provide for his
family all the necessaries of life.
"Our fruit and dairy lands are extern
sive and very productive and only need
the energy and labor of the small farmer
to make our county one of the richest in
the State. 1t is true we are somewhat
isolated and cannot easily reach railroad
centers by land, but we have an excellent
ship service between this City and
Eureka. On the steamship Pomona one
can make the trip between the two ports
in seventeen hours.
tf"Our mail service by steams ship is good
but by land it is inexcusably bad. The
CALL by the overland mail reaches us at
any time within one month after it leaves
the press.
There has been considerable discussion
between our people and the merchants Of
San Francisco of late over our trade reIa-
tons. Portland is reaching out for busi-
ness along the northern coast, and has
extended its trade as far south as Eureka
Its merchants have secured considerable
business with our people. Our Chamber
OF Commerce has taken an active interest
in promoting these trade relations. The
reason for this action is not, as some peo-
pie think, inspired by an unkind feeling
for San Francisco or her people. The
trade with Portland is favored, in order to
provoke competition between the trans
portation companies, that we may secure
terminal rates from our port to inland and
Eastern markets.
"At the present time we are unable to
ship our lumber products to the interior
and Eastern markets because of the high
rates OF transportation from our port to
railroad communication with the East
Terminal rates for Humboldt Bay either
by way of San Francisco or of Portland
would secure to us the same advantages
IN the cost OF transportation of products
as is now enjoyed by those cities.
"We must have terminal rates from one
way or the other. The direction from
which 1t comes will of course secure our
trade.
"a transcontinental railway with a.
about the same results we are now looking
for in the direction 1 have mentioned.
Such railway is of course the great and
controlling ambition of our people.
with the improved condition of our
bar and harbor resulting from the expen-
slve and successful work now being done
by the Government we will have q harbor
second only to San Francisco. The asser-
tion was made editorially in THE CALL re-
Gently that such a railroad meant connect
ing steamers direct to the Orient and that
such an accomplishment presented grave
questions for San Francisco. l believe,
however, that there never can be any seri-
Gus rivalry between this City and Eureka
resulting from such a road, as no trans
continental road will ever make Eureka
its sole terminus, leaving the great Sacra-
mento Valley and San Francisco trade to
other lines. l have heard it said that San
Francisco needs competing railroad
The transcontinental road that has for its
western termini San Francisco and Eureka
will be blessing to the whole coast and a
mutual advantage to both ports.''