The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-25
ACTIVITY DISPLAYED
Depot Site Occupies the Attention oI
Every one.
GOOD PROSPECT OF SUCCESS:
Meeting Of Committee Called for Two O'clock
Today. khsn Il Is Expected That
Question klil De Stttled

Tho ali-abnofbing topic yesterday was
the question OF the location OF the depot
for the railroad IN tho city. The special
committee appointed by the general COM
mittce was hard nj work all day on the
proposition. by special telcgfaphlc re-
quest Mr.. Sidney Dell OF Portland. and
-. A. secley. OF the White Collar Line,
were present
From the best OF information the whole
question means whether or not the Inn
mediate construction shall commence
within the city limits OF the building OF
the railroad. The delay In the location
OF the depot may mean two years post
ponomcnt OF the building OF the line
through the city. IL also means
that n II ia finally decided 10 locate the
depot az Aiderbrook. that tho values OF
property In the central portion OF the
city win detoriorate IN proportion Ra tho
values Of property In AldeFbrook and in
the vicinity OF Tongue Point appreciate.
Under the terms OF tho contract Il is
not necessary for Mr. Hammond 10 con-
struot the road within the city or COM
plete the line through 10 Oobie, until iSS.
and Il would seem that every inducemont
should be offered for the commencement
OF work within the city limits at an early
date, II Is known on good authority
that N the depot site IL settled at once.
In favor of the Ciatsop MN location.
that the work OF driving piles along the
city water front. viii be commenced right
away.
QUESTION OF TWO YEARS.
Is Il desirable that active work within
the city limits shall be delayed for two
yearsG This Is the question which now
In before the people. and it Il reasonably
certain that II the depot site "a doefded
upon today. work will proceed at once.
One has only 10 look back ami consider
what Spokane and Seattle dld In order 10
secure favorable depot locations In their
midst. under conditions which are not 10
be compared to the circumstances IN IA.
vor OF Astoria granting the best site pos
Hlblc for this purpose. IN order 10
Eet PRECEDENT Spokane gave 81
tsa,cO0 for terminal facilities to the Great
Northern railroad. and Seattle donated
more than N,s0o0pl for water frontage
terminals. to the same llnr when II bun,
It's transconlinental road 20 the North
west Coast. Why should Astoria he be-
hind the procession
cIiAIRMAN's CALL.
Yesterday afternoon DR.. Alfred Kinney.
chairman OF the old committee of twenty
one, issued a call for a meeting OF that
body at o'clock this afternoon, to take
final action on the depot matter. At the
same time he telegraphed TO the Port
land share holders OF the Columbia Land
and Trust Company. who are owners OF
Tongue Point property. TO be present ut
tSday's meeting.
II II evident TO the most casual observ-
cr, that every possible eftort IL being
made to adjust this question Immediately.
REPLY To wINGATE.
The following reply 10 the report OF
Mr.. Wingate's Views OF the claims made
by tho Clatsop MN Company as 70 the
value OF It's property, speaks for itself:
The ttatement in this mornings Asto-
rian made by Mr.. wlngate. chairman OF
the depot site In regard 10 the Clatsop
MN Co.'S frontage being only II feet. Is
absolutely false. Certainly Mr.. Wlngaio
had not given the matter proper study
before making a statement for puhllca-
tion as chairman. In order to bring the
matter before the public In the proper
light. we offer the following facts; That
the Clatsop MN Co has on shore two
blocks 7so feet and a frontage along the
bulkhead line running east and west OF
full so feet, The portion OF this frontage
wanted for depot site covers space i00x
coo feet or equal TO thlrty-seven full TO-
feet lots II you wish TO calculate them
that way. II there were no improvements
on the Clatsop MN site We might give
this frontage free for depot. But this
site was bought within thirteen years
for u mill site at cost OF Sia,6i2 The
ground Itself Is now prabably worth
$4,000, but the improvements, wharfage.
machinery factory, etc, could not be
duplicated today for less than $IS.c0N.
making n total OF over $4,000 Mr.. Win
gates estimate OF the value OF the i'm
provements Is therefore too absurd for
any business man TO make. and shows
that he has no Idea of milling operations
Destroying this frontage would so impair
the property as a min site that In a short
time Il would corr eel us TO secure another
location for the min, Before making
to Mr. Hammond Of the esti-
mate OF damage, we carefully went over
the whole matter with our mill engineer
and we are fully persuaded that Se5000
would not compensate us for the injury
OF the property as mill site. but few
people In Astoria are aware OF the fun
extent OF the Clatsop MIN Co.'S property.
II Is today one OF the largest Institutions
OF the Kind In the state. and with the
new n'ochinery which we hive already
contracted for, 1t viii make this mill the
most complete institution OF the kind ana
employing more hands than any other
saw mill In the state OF Oregon,
II. II. PRAEL,
l.. c. KINNEY,
NJ. J. KINNEY.
at Is apparent to ALL" said well
known business man yesterday, that
to all other questions of city
parks, street improvements. the location
of manufacturing industries, the building
OF new hotels, etc, is the settlement of
where shall be placed the principal depot
OF the new railroad"