The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-08-30
AsToRIA's sLANpERERs,


AsToRIA's sLANDERERs,
The communication from Judge Tay-
lor appearing in another column is a
manly statement Of a matter which de-
serves the careful consideration and at
tention OF every business man and 9TH
er person interested in this city's fu-
ture.
There is no respectable citizen In the
entire community who does not resent
the malicious attacks repeatedly made
upon Mr.. Hammond and his associates
by certain disreputable papers which
are harbored and somehow supported
in Astoria OF course every one living
here, including the very ghouls who
lnstigate, write and publish these out
rageous assaults, know that they are
false and slanderous in every particu-
lar. but what are strangers in the city,
and the chance traveller to oregon
from Eastern sections who might be in
duced to settle or invest his money
here. to think Of Mr. Hammond and
the various enterprises he is seeking to
promote at the mouth OF the Columbia
river? Hammond is an octopusl He is a
dishonest man who is seeking to evade
his contract with contiding people who
put up land to subsidiZe his railroad!
He is trying to overreach those who
have befriended him and aided his pre-
tended efforts for the development Of
this city and the adjoining sections Of
the state, He is seeking to impose upon
and victimize the general public! His
railroad is a fake; cheap. shoddy,
Jim Crow affair. intended as a device
to enable him and his friends TO eXtort
further gifts and subsidies from an al
ready swindled people. This is the way
these attacks have run, and 1t is ex-
actly the way the situation here has
come to be looked upon by many who
do not know Hammond and have no
means Of understanding what he has
already done for Astoria
But 1t is not merely the good name
OF Mr.. Hammond which is besmirched
by these villainous emanations-the
reputation Of the city has been injured
abroad. and the development which
might have taken place has been ser
iously retarded by the mud which AS
ria people have allowed these papers
-ow on Hammond. Is 1t any Won
derI things have not gone ahead with
us as there was a promise they would?
AS every one here calculated they
wOuld2 Is ii any wonder that real
estate men have had cause to COM
plain of a backward market, and that
the progress of Improvements long ago
projected and depended upon have not
been realized? Let any citizen call
at the Astorian office and read the
comments Of the state papers. and the
press of the Northwest generally, on
the course Of events here. The tone Of
all these comments treats the situation
here as one utterly unsettled. There is
a general disposition to suspend judg-
ment as to the Astoria proposition on
the ground that conflicting reports
have been sent out from here concern
Ing the progress Of affairs II is well
known there are those whose interests
elsewhere make them hostile to Astoria.
and it is a perfectly reasonable as
sumption to say such enemies have ma
teriaily aided the circulation Of these
libeIous and derogatory charges.
In the face Of the most stringent
times ever known in this country, Mr..
Hammond has successfully financiered
the Astoria railroad project, and that
without having yet received one dollar
from the subsidy lands which were do
mated in aid Of the road. Experienced
railroad men and brokers said Mr..
Hammond could not succeed in the un-
dertaking. but the feat stands today
accomplished. Instead Of building a
cheap line in mere perfunctory per-
formance of the terms Of the contract,
Mr.. Hammond is building a road which
even the inexperienced can see is the
best-built railroad in the West, and
the equal of any of the great Eastern
trunk lines. The foundation alone for
the city depot now i'm course Of con-
struction will cost 10000, while that
portion Of the structure which Is in
tended to be used by the passenger de-
partment, will cost $1,000 The heavy
Irestling and substantial road bed al
ready finished have been a source of
wonder to experienced railroad men,
and the fact that 75-pound steel rails
ire being used is evidence that the
-oad viii be a better line than any one
n the community ever contemplated
It the outset, and such a one as was
Tot stipulated in the contract made
With Mr.. Hammond.
True, a large subsidy of land has
,een given the railroad company as an
to build the road; but the
ands thus donated are Of no practical
tility or value until the railroad is
ompleted and commercial growth for
.storia assured. Progress must be had
nd 10 secure that our property own
rs could well afford to have given
ne-haif or three-fourths of the town
the remainder could be converted
to a great and prosperous seaport