The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-02-14
WHAT ENERGY
CAN ACCOMPLISH
One Nay to Let Eastern People Know
About the Mouth OF
the Columbia.
AsToRIA's WEALTH SET OUT
The Story Told 10 the Sal. Lake Tribune b,
l.. j. Smith Other Travellers Night
Do the Same for the Coed OF
Their hsms City.

The following interview In the lasi issue
OF the Salt Lake Herald. Just arrived
shows that Somc effort in being made to
advertise AstoTin:
". J. Smith. formerly OF this city. but
row "A resident OF the poSpcroun city oi
Astoria. Or. passed through the ci'y yes
terday on his way home from TRIP Va
New York city SIR. Smith has much
to ssy concerning ths future greatness
OF Astoria. ard from his rrmarka IL u
learned that certain projects which are
now under way IN his state In the way
OF railroad building. mean much 10 thia
city innAmuch as n new route VIII be
opened 20 the seaboard from Salt Lake
thereby.
Asiorla. as IA well known. is situated
al the mouth OF the Columbia river.
fome years ago II one venturel the as
-crtlun ihht II would ever become one OF
the leading scaporta Of the coast he
would have been laughed at for the state
mcnt The mouth OF the stream culml-
mated Ia bar, which was almost I'M
passAhie and rendered the entrance OF
chipping nearly impossible But OF late
the government has expended great
deal Of money improving the conditions
and now the city has as fine harbor as
there lA on the Western shore. II re-
qulred an outlay OF nearly KS.ooo,Ooo. but
the cash was expended and safe harbor
has been provided.
Astoria has been minus railroad connec-
tlons. wlch has greatly initiated against
tho place: but all this ls TO be overcome.
and IN securing them the city Will be
enabled 20 give this city and county n
shorter route 10 the seaboard by twenty
four hours and bring US three days
nearer TO Japan and other Asiatic eoun-
tries
As l. well known. the route to the
northwest at present Ia by the Oregon
Short Lime and the o. u. & n. The
former line takes one 10 Huntington. Or.
and the latter from there TO Portland.
From Portland 20 Tacoma freight and
passengers are taken BY the Northern Pa
cihc. via Gobel. Up to date. all ship
ping entering the Columbia river has had
to be towed from Astoria ii0 miles M
the river to Portland. This II an cnor-
nous exptnsc when Il Ia considered that
towage charges are " cents n ton. II a
railroad were built from Astoria to con-
noetions with the lines referred 10. this
charge would be obviRted and Astoria
made the receiving point Instead OF the
capital.
And this Is exactly what Is being done.
company composed OF New York and
Montana capitalists Ia engaged In build
ing line from Gobcl. the point men
toned on the Northern Pacific. down the
river to Astoria The contract Is being
carried out by Corey Bros. OF Ogden.
and will be completed some time In Sep
tember This line is iifiy-eight miles In
length and r. on water grade the en-
tire distance. When completed. II Is be-
lieyed the wharf room at Astoria will
have to be enlarged. as the ships viii
discharge their cRrEocs there instead OF
paying towage charges 10 Portland. This
line is going 10 hurt Tacoma also, for
now ships have to bc towcd up the Sound
distance OF l6O miles In order TO reach
that point. by unloading at Astoria.
this can he almost entirely saved. as the
railroad charges. the cost OF loading and
shipping per cars, will not equal that
charged for the tugs which haul the
ships.
But there is still another line which
will reach the place, and It is the latter
In which the people OF the city are The
most interested. Running south from
Astoria down the coast Is short line,
which was recently purchased by A. II.
Hammond. who Is said to have behind
him the INN OF II. T.. Claflin & Co. OF
New York. for the sum OF s55,OO0. 1t Is
called the Seashorc road. II Is proposed
now to extend this line eastward as far
as Ontarl', connecting with the Short
Line and cutting out Portland with her
Oregon Railroad and Navigation. Thi.
new, line passes through Corvallis, anu
penetrates the richest portion OF Central
Oregon. region where there are no rail.
roads at present The country Is ricf
in valuable timber, and is mineral an
agricultural country combined. East Q,
Corvallis, the l!Ne passes near Baker
city, where there are some rich mines
Hon. Heber j. Grant, of this city. and
| other Salt Lake parties being heavily In.
terosted there, The building OF this line
will open up n new field for the smelters
here, and will place at the disposal oi
this section immense amounts OF timber
which now comes In roundabout cours,
and at figures greatly In advance of what
| they should be.
That the road will be built Is evidenced
, by the fact that in all the mountain
passes where opposition might have beer
expected. iron is already laid, the sam,
| having been hauled In by mule teams
| There was an object In this. as may b,
imagined. 1t is easy enough to get {
right-of-way through an open country
J but difficult In narrow passes through
| mountain ranges where other lines hay,
already footing.
This line will be constructed as sool
as possible, and In few short month";
the whistle of the engines will be hear,
IN Astoria.
When completed thls city viii have
direct route to the coast by the wav o
the Short Line and the Oregon Centra
\ Eastern: will have direct route TO ,
scaboard town and will have a competln,
line with the Southern Pacific. As ha
been stated, this line win bring us thre
days nearer Japan and other Aslati
countries. This is accounted for by rea
son Of the fact that the railroads vii
beat the Pncihcs time 10 the coast b,
at least twenty-four hours, while al
steamers which leave San Franclsc
have to go es far north as Astoria alonl
the coast In order to relch the rout
Travelled by ocean vessels. The trip re
quires about forty-eight hours.
Inasmuch as there are regular line
from Astoria to Aslatlc ports, South an
Central American ports and Australia,
viii he seen that the construction of tn
lines mentioned are of the gravest i'm
portance TO this section. Instead O
landing goods and merchandise at tn
port Of San Francisco and paying heav
freight charges to the Southern Pacifi
company from there to here, or unload
| ing them Mt Portland where the towap