The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-07-23

| IlllllldIy IOdu, comprised SO1neIHlng ike
10000 acres or more, and ultimately
constituted the basis of credit for the
Yaquina road
some mention of Colonel T. Egenton
Hogg, and his brother, William M.
Hoag (Hogg minus the tail to one
go would be wanting in the principal
factors of its rise and progress. For
however well the original promoters
planned the project, and however much
its early burdens oppressed its founder
(the writer's father), these men, Colonel
Hogg and his brother, are the real
builders of this railroad.
To those favored with an entrance in
to the presence of majesty during the
active construction period of the Ore
tgon Pacific, there came many Tomantlc
legend, concerning this or that Incl
dent in the stirring annals of these
gentlemen, and one of these associate
the coloners name with privateering
enterprise during the late civil war,
the upshot of which was the conhsca-
ton of the vessel in San Francisco har-
Dor, during the war, and the subsequent
detention of Lieutenant Hogg in AL
catraz prison for some time. (Under-
stand this is legendary, not vouched
for.) 1t was whispered around the Sc
lect circle of favored mortals who
were allowed to appoach the inner Cir
Gle, that during this period of incar-
ceration, great project was born within
the colonel's mind, which found its con-
summation in the building of the Oregon
Pacific. Be that as it may, not many
years after the war, the aforesaid land
grants were obtained, and it was found
that Colonel Hogg was the reputed
owner of them, or largely identified with
their ownership. And accordingly when
Mr. Wilson sought to enlist Eastern cap
ital in the road, he naturally turned to
Colonel Hogg as the most likely man
to succeed in this endeavor. This led
to the organization of the
Oregon Pacific Railroad Company.
Which merged the franchises and prop
critics of the W.. V. & c. R. R.
Co., and undertook to construct a
standard gauge railroad from Yaquina
bay to Boise City, in Idaho, the in
tention being there to connect with a
transcontinental road, presumably the
c. & N. W., and make Yaquina the
seaport nature intended it should
become. The government was induced
to undertake the Improvement of va
quina harbor, and succeeded in obtaining
one good, straight and safe outlet to the
bay, in place of the three irregular,
shoal and exceedingly dangerous chan
nels which existed at the entrance before
the jetties were placed there. The eff
forts of Senator Dolph, Senator Mitch
ell and Mr.. Hermann have endeared
those gentlemen to all the faithful con-
stituents throughout this section of the
state, for their success in getting this
harbor Improvement accomplished. And
this and their labors for other ports on
this coast, will increase the luster of
their fame, as time demonstrates the nee
essary and substantial benefits which
the state receives from this source.
With the original surveys, the fran
chises, rights of way and land grants,
Colonel Hogg went East, and to Eu-
rope, and for ten or more long and
weary years he confronted obstacles
which would have disheartened many
money to build this road. We can ac-
count for the persistency of Columbus
when we realize that the demonstration
of his belief in a westward passage had
become to him second nature. So in
the unremitting efforts of Colonel Hogg
to make this Yaquina road a success,
we are beginning to understand that his
belief in its future had become to him
a second nature That he thoroughly
believed that there did exist in this en-
terprise the possibility of great factor
in the development of the Northwest
there can no longer be any question.
To the support of the Declaration of In
dependence the fathers pledged their
lives, their fortunes and their sacred
honor Andto the consummation of this
railroad enterprise Colonel Hogg con-
secrated his fortunes, and the best part
of his life's energies. Whatever may
have been his financial returns, it is due
to him to say that he put into this
enterprise an amount of energy which,
expended in some other direction, with
a view only to his own benefit, must
have made him wealthy, If not famous.