The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-11-28
AWAKE AT LAST.

While the opening OF tne Soiuuoi
river to free navigation from Portland
to The Dalles has demanded consider
able local attention during the past
few weeks, It Is evident that. the real
significance of the completion OF the
locks at the Cascades as affecting the
future industrial developement OF this
city, is not fully appreciated.
There is no metropolitan center IN
the United States favored as Portland
is by railroad and water connection
with a direct rich tributary section
that has failed to note steady and
rapid increase in both population and
wealth. Portland has the advantage
of an absolutely level haul over per-
fectly equipped line of railroad Tor
reaching the markets OF the interior OF
Oregon, Washington and Idaho'
hundreds Of miles distant, and the
products of all this vast section first
reach tide-water at Portland over this
same level stretch of track. In ad-
dition to the advantages of direct rail
connection, this city has the added ad-
vantage of uninterrupted water COM
munication up the Columbia river as
far as The Dalles-a stream that paral-
lels the railroad line, and it has the
further promise of an open river clear
to Lewiston, which an effort to over
come the Instructions to uninterrupted
navigation at The Dalles will assure.
With the low rates ofsreight which
water and rail competition will insure,
Portland will always be without
rival for holding the trade OF the In
land Empire.-Oregonian.
1t is indeed surprising that the
sleepy old Oregonian has at last
awakened to the fact that river connec-
tion with the Inland Empire would be
of any benefit TO Portland, or was in
fact desirable. From the lack OF In
terest it has manifested in the con-
struction of the locks at the Cascades,
and the deaf ear it has turned to the
people OF Eastern Oregon the past ten
years when they appealed to it to has
ten the work, we were lead to believe
that the Oregonian and Portland were
averse TO the opening of the river to
free navigation. But since the
Oregonian has evinced a Willingness
to assist in the opening of the river
through to Lewiston, it may be for
given for its past inactivity.
The Oregonian truthfully says Port
land will be without rival for the
trade of the Inland Empire when the
river is opened to Lewiston, but unless
she is little more active in the future
than she has been in the past, she will
allow the trade of large section OF
the country to slip away from her be-
fore she knows it. The trade OF the
Northern portion of Eastern Oregon
will always be tributary to Portland,
but unless, tho Instructions to navi-
CATION at Celilo are removed soon,
some enterprising railroad company
VIII build q branch line from the
northern Pacific reaching into the
country lying north of the Columbia, 4
between Klickitat and Lewiston, and
will thus attract the trade of that
naturally productive section to the
sound.
That section is rich in natural re-
sources, it is blessed with productive
soil and fine climrte, and is destined
at some time to become one of the
greatest fruit and vegetable producing
. countries in the Northwest. At pres
emit it is shut out from market, hence
its only products for export, are live
stock and wool. Itsnatural outlet is the
Columbia river, and If boats could run
directly from the upper river to Port /
land, that city would be its market.
If Portland expects to get the trade OF
that section and also to retain the
trade of that portion of Eastern Oregon
beyond Sherman county. it must dis
play little energy, and aid in starting
the improvements to the river above
The Dalles. By the influence Port
land is able to WELD upon the Oregon
delegation in congress, it can get this
work started at an early daGe, and in
fact could have aided materially in
fastening the completion of the locks
at the Cascades had it sought to do SO.
This it neglected to do, though since
It is awakening to the fact that river
transportatin will be Of benefit to its
commercial interests, some assistance
from Portland may be expected in
getting work commenced on the upper