The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1896-03-28
ThG Astoria Railroad.
The Budget" Takes a Run
Along the Grade.
Closing up the Work by Corey
Brothers.
The Best and Heaviest Rails in
the Northwest.
Three Vessels Now En- Route From Eng
land to Astoria, Loaded With Rail
Road Iron.

/
It has become just as natural for an
Astorian to be asked "How's the rail
road?" as it is for hungry man to eat.
No matter where you go, the moment
you meet person who finds out you
are from Astoria, about the first ques-
ton to be answered is 'How about the
railroad?" If the reply is in general
way, and it conveys the impression
that the railroad is all right, the inter-
rogator will ask what lots are selling
at and if such an addition is good prop
erty. Being told that it is, the owner
winds up the interview by saying I'D
like to see the railroad completed. As
toria will be great city some day"
And so she will and at no distant day
Her position at the mouth of the Col
umbia, with water frontage that will
accommodate, with little improvement,
the demands Of all the shipping inter
ests of the Northwest, is certain to
make her the winner in the great tri-
angular fight for commercial suprem-
acy. All that she needs is railroad
making transcontinental connections;
then her population and business will
increase moro rapidly than any city in
the West. With the railroad will come
capital and new blood, and the city's
reputation as the great salmon fishery
of the world will disappear before the
greater enterprises of commercial mag
nitude.
Those who have any doubt of the
permanent character of the Astoria and
Columbia River railroad grade and 9th
er construction work now being done
by A. B. Hammond and his associates,
should take trip on one of thd little
steamers running from this city to the
railroad camps above Tongue Point
This work has been going on all winter.
Corey Brothers, the contractors, have
put on all the men who have applied
for work; and through rain and slush
and snow there has been no cessation.
The contract embraces ten miles, in
Guiding tunnel 176 feet long where
the grade strikes the John Day river.
The work is well along and will be
completed about the 10th of May.
Last Wednesday Budget reporter
left the city at l o'clock and took arun
around Tongue Point, where he found
two steamers, the o. r. and Electric,
and four scows carrying rock from the
point to different sections of the grade
for riprappiug Contractor Fastabend
had built some cribbing, which he had
sunk with rock, and wharf was made
from which the steamers and scows
were loaded with rock. There were 80
men engaged on this rock work, in
charge of Superintendent Stoneman,
who was formerly employed on the
jetty work at Fort Stevens.
A short distance above was camp No.
l, between Mill Creek and the John
Day river. There we're 120 men at
work here on the grade. which was
about finished Most of the men were
engaged in pulling down their habita-
tations, preparatory to moving to the
west side of Mill Creek, where they will
cut through the narrow neck of land
on Tongue Point. There is 1000 feet of
trestle work and the bridge over the
John Day river which will be left un
touched for future date. The grade
as it touches tide water is as pretty as
a picture. It is riprapped with two
layers of rock, Is inches thick, and as
well laid as carefully paved street.
The top of the grade is as level es a
billiard table and 16 feet across.
Crossing the John Day we reach Lar
sens camp, where the tunnel is located.
This tunnel is now finished with the ex-
ception of timbering about half way
through it. There are about 45 men
at this camp, and when 125
feet of embanlment is made the total
contract of one-half mile will be fin
ished.
Gallagher's camp is located above
Larsen's, at the Howell Lewis quarry,
one-half mile farther east. There is q