The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-06-24
THE OGDEN GATEWAY.
The Situation as 1t Stands at the Present
Time.

Much has been said. Is being said. and
viii be said, in regard to the opening 10y
the Short Line OF the Og-ien Gateway:
the results OF the movement. and the ef-
feet it viii have Oh the business OF the
Northwest
A careful study OF the map. and OF traf-
Gc arrangements between railroads in the
past win show that the present situation
is a simple and logical result OF this
change In the method OF handling busi-
ness when the Union Pacific controlled
the o. h. & n. ad Short Lire roads, #
naturally preferred to handle traffic at
the Missouri river from Eastern roads. TO
receiving the business at Denver or Og-
den. 1t thus secured 10 its own line the
long haul, male fast time. and avoided
many transfers. At the same time the
Union had reciprocal traffic arrangements
with the Southern Paciilc. hy which bust
ness for Oregon and t%e Northwest might
be handled in both directions via Ogden
and Sacramento While thu Union Pacl-
fh is still large stockholder in both
the o. r. & n. and Short Line. the man
agement of those properties has been as
sumed by the preferred stockholders. The
o. r. & n. has opened its gates on the
north to the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific via Spokane and Umatilla.
while the Short Line has opened the
southern gate at Ogden to the Denver
& Rio Grande end its Eastern allies at
Denver, the c. II. 4 O.. Rock Island,
Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific Now the
Union Pacific. in The projection of it's
business, has simply emphasized the route
It has always possessed 10 oregon via
Ogden and Sacramento. The distance fg-
ured by the Official Railway Guide is but
little in excess OF the route via Hunting
ton. The Union Pacific trains from the
Missouri river to Portland are making as
good time via Sacramento as they ever
did via Huntington. AMI the same good
time is made on East-bound business. II
Is claimed that these trains make better
time than the lines via Denver. The
Union Pacific still has the same privilege
of the Huntington route as any Of the
other connecting lines at Ogden: but It
has evidently taken the stand that since
the o. r. & n. and Short Line have seen
fit TO open several new gateways. II will
open the Sacramento gateway. 1t is
question, also, If the Union Pacific Will
not thrown open its Cheyenne route to
Eastern lines. which might prefer TO de-
liver their business direct to the Union
Pacific at Denver rather than to the Salt
Lake and Ogden line.
It is perfectly plain that the entrance
into Oregon Of so many additional East
ern connecting lines will not create one
pound more Of business. 1t may, and
probably will-at least for time-throw
more travel from the East into this ter
ritory. II more people come here, IN time
there will be an increase in consumption
and larger freight traffic. Merchants,
however, will have the pleasure of doing
business with many agents. instead Of a
comparatively few. Should me u p. util-
ize its Cheyenne line as indicated, the
same state of affairs will be brought about
as will exist by the opening Of the Ogden
gateway Should the Union Pacific and
Southern together decide to retaliate upon
the Denver & Rio Grande for its entrance
into Oregon by dlverting East bound Cal
ifornia business to the U. P. Omaha line.
another complication would arise which
might result in a compromise of the pres
ent situation.