The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-22
OGDEN GATEWAY
WILL BE OPENED
Oregon at Last to Have Access to
the South and Southwest.
IMMIGRATION NOW POSSIBLE
a Share Of caiifornia's Travel VIII Be
Turned TO the Northwest-People
Aren Needed Here.

The ogden Gateway Is at last TO be
opened The hopes Of the Missouri
River railroads. held during the years
past. for an outlet 10 the Pacific North
west. seem about to be realized. A few
days ago 1t was announced that the Or
gon Short Line, the last remaining link
OF the Union Pacific Northwest line.
WIN soon be severed from the main stem
and placed under separate manage
ment, as had been the o. r. and N. The
appearance in the Chicago Inter-ocean
a few days ago Of sensational article
on the Union Pacific has again brought
the Short Line into general discussion
During the years that the Union Pa
cifc controlled and operated the Short
Line. from Green River. on its main
line to Huntington. and the o. r. and
~ from Huntington to Portland. II per-
slstently and systematically refused 70
exchange business at Denver and og-
den with connecting Eastern roads.
thus effectuaIly shutting them out Of
this territory. except by exchanging
their business on the Missouri River.
giving to the Union Pacific the long
haul and larger percentage OF through
rates. The Union Pacific main line ex-
tended from both Kansas City and
Omaha on the Missouri river to Port
land. The Rock Island. Burlington.
Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific not only
connect with the Union Pacific at the
Missouri river. but have their own lines
TO Denver. one thousand miles west.
where they naturally desired to deliver
Z business to the Union Pacific. and
which as naturally the Union Pacific
desired to haul on its own rails all the
way from the river The contest con-
tlnued for years. the Union Pacific be-
Ing strengthened in its position by the
iron-clad contract with the Northwest
ern road made in 1883 for five years. and
which was renewed for three. This
contract expires by limitation the last
of this month.
4 With the Short Line in separate
hands, all Missouri River lines can ex-
change business at Ogden with the
Short Line and o. R. and NJ. for the
northwest. via the Rio Grande Western.
Denver and Rio Grande. and Colorado
Midland lines, which form the connect
ing link between Ogden and Denver
Who win be the manager Of the Short
Line under the new deal is mooted
question A Portland railroad man told
an Astorian representative the other
day that Mr.. P. P. Shelby. formerly
general manager of the western di-
vision of the Great Northern, would be
the man. Others incline to the belief
that Mr.. W. H. Bancroft. now in charge
of the Short Line under Union Pacific
rule would be selected. Whoever runs
the road, however, viii have to open
the Ogden gate, and that is what inter-
ests Astoria as wen as Portland mer-
chants.
Access to the Northwest via Denver
and Ogden by the Burlington. Missouri
Pacific, Rock Island, and Santa Fe
roads means that the lumber, shingles.
timber, fish, wool. hops and ores Of
Oregon can be shipped through at the
lowest rates to all points in the South
and Southwest and give Oregon en-
trance to markets from which she has
heretofore been debarred. The Astoria
and Columbia River road finished. and
the Astoria packer can send his saIm-
on direct, and without breaking bulk.
to all points in Colorado. Kansas, Mis-
souri,, Southern Nebraska, Texas, Louis
lana, Mississippi. and Georgia; an i'm
petus viii be given the lumber and
shingle trade of this territory as prodta-
bic markets, heretofore inaccessible be-
cause Of the high rates by roundabout
routes, will be opened. These are but
a few of the advantages to be gained
in the matter of freight business. On
the other hand, all of the Atlantic sea-
board agents of the Missouri River
lines named. will have an object in
working passenger travel to this terri
tory instead of sending the people to
California. as they do now from ne
cessity, Oregon needs people. 1t will
be her own fault if she does not now
take advantage of the great opportu-
nifty and join hands in an Intelligent
and business-like way with the rail-
roads to secure immigration of class
of people who win settle on her thous-
ands of acres of farms, open up her for
ests, build roads and engage in manu-
factures.