The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-03
THE COLUMBIA
WATERSHEDS
!mmense Territory Tributary to the
Mouth OF the Great
River.
TRAFFIC SEEKS WAFER LEVEL
Tso naadrsd and tiity thousand Square
Miles Dfaiaed by the snaAe Will
Ianetts aad Columbia
Rivers.
SEEKS WATER LEVEL

Tho extent OF NtIlN"'' Nf'F
Columbia river and the volume cf Waihe
tributary 20 the port Of the Columbia
are realized hut by few. in View OF the
enlargement OF business at this port and
the rapid building both of the city, rail-
road and enlargement Of trads. the sub
Ice, bccomes both an important and In
torcstlng one.
Tho Columbia river Itself, having its
source In British Columbia, iiows IN a
southcrly direction through Eastern
Washington. almost 10 rondlcton. Ore
yon. thence westerly TO the Pacific ocean.
Passing on it, course through hundreds
Of miles OF rich country. and draining
water sheds thousands Of acres In extent
The great Snake river. which has Its
source In the Rocky mountains drains
territory Including the states OF Mon
,nnn, Idaho and Eastern oregon. and
ioins the Columbia near walla Walla.
The Willamette river, flowing from the
south having ita source IN the noun
tnins OF Southern oregon. passes
through one OF the richest territories IN
AnN ANFlNt anu NNiNN INV h#NAAAA't" sfNtfN
Portland According 10 Professor Ly-
man. the water sheds drained ly These
three great streams compriT" about sba.oo
uauarc miles. and embrace the richest
mineral. farming. and fruit land known
10 the world The wheat from the plains
Of Washington and oregon In ITSELF u
OF tremendous value. and fortns yearly
: nn immense tonnage all Of which natur-
ally seeks the water level for its port
Tn. vessels now loaded In the Columbia
exceed 10y far In number thoS loaded
on the Sound. and with the Improvement
now being made NJ the port OF the Cot
umhia, there II little douh but thlS
tonnage Win err long, De more than don-
BLEED with quick and easy Transports
ton afforded the farmer nom his hclds
10 tide water, every inducelncn; viii he
offered him 10 Increase his acreage
Better transportation facilities mean bet
ter markets ana better prices. with all
rail and all wuter transportation the
farmer will have the bcutht OF the best
kind OF competition In The handling oi
his products What was once small
fishing town and port of entry, viii
through the means Of a railroad, Ne
come q great commercial center The
opening OF the locks NJ the Cascades
win make Il possible to ship from Wnsct
and Klickitat counties without breaking
hulk In the tourney 70 tho scnconst
whIle from Eastern Oregon and Wash
ingrpn and points In thp Willamette Val
hey not accessible TO large steamers
{ continuous rail lino effects the same re
suit.
Within the bounds OF these great wa
tcr sheds there are Iound innumcrnhl
mines OF rich ores which will In the IN
turc also naturally md thcir way nloni
the water levels 10 the seaport. Thi
heretofore has been almost impossihl
bun with railroad 10 The coast II he
vomes one OF the factors in the Erowt
OF this port not TO IN lost sight OF. tn
erection OF large smclter for the reduc
tlun OF ores Is on tho cards, and II ma
be expected that nt no distant date activ
measures viii he taken TO put these plan
In operation. A smelter OF tide water
what Is needed in the Northwest an
that It win come before great length @
time is almost certainty.
In conversation yesterday afternoo
with one OF the gentlemen largely inter
ested In the development OF the port
the Columbia, no said: The remark
o made by Professor Lyman as TO the 81
"a tent OF territory drained by the gres
!, Columbia river, opened 10 me new nelt
= for thought II is well known principl
= thN traftiC naturally seeks u WINTER lew
for It's transportation TO tho seapor
Now II that seaport is SO developed an
built up that II can handle large ira
flc and has some inNucement to on
shipmasters there can he no limit 10 u
possibilities OF such q port having hnt
Of Il the vast territories described
far as l am able TO Judge all that II
people at the mouth of the Columh
have TO do is TO stand together as oi
person In their night for supremac
r. and their fondest hopes cannot fail to
= realized. There can. however, he no sn
-, cess II community Is to be divide
~ and factional quarrels occur where the
should be unanirnity OF opinion, The tv
- ends OF boat cannot go In dlffere1
directions, hut the whole craft mu
move forward at one time and In Il
same direction"
, Every aspect presented OF the Columb
's river port reveals new ana enlarged po
slbiltics The field for thought al
careful study IL unlimited. Nature HI
apparently designed the mouth OF Il
Columbia to he one OF the greatest shi
ming portS of the world