The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-10-07
RAILROAD NOT A BAD INSTITUTION
1conilnucd from fourth pagoJ

and complalbers ana Will never bo salts.
ned with anything We used 10 complain
that We had no railroad. ana were
"cut on from tho balance OF tho world
| by some spite of fate which would never
/ DO romcdiod. ana now We have got the
| railroad We do not know how to apprcci-
| hto H. DO not mlHundtrntand me. ! am
not connected with the railroad. ana have
| no more interest In its welfare or pros
pcrity man have thousands Of my fellow
citizens. but think In all justice and
fairness some one ought TO mlsc u protest
| against the growing 10 often heard about
the disappointment" Of the railroad. and
how II lakes business away from the
town instead Of bringing business 10 It ~
was expected.
II may be true that some Ast0riana nave
taken advantage Of the convenience and
splendid accommodations OF the railroad
10 40 10 Portland more frequently than
they used 20. ana that while there thoy
spend more or less money for articles thaI
might bo bougnt az home. but ! do rot
believe this amount of trade II nearly 10
considerable as some would have M think
II n. Have she few merchants and other
kckern about this Immense" business
going TO Portland stopped 10 think what
tho railroad has brought and IL now. from
month TO month. putting into the town
In ready oash7 have been 10 the pains
to investigate. ana I ma that aside from
the thousands ana thousands Of dollars
brought To Astoria ia one way and an
other IN connection with the construction
Of tho road. there are now on tho monthly
pay roll and actually living In Astor a
force 0f q men, a large majority OF whom
have families here. and who are IN re-
cclpt u an average wngo OF 8 per day per
man; nearly every cent of which IL spent
right here with our own store keepers and
other business people.
what do Aatorians think Of this COM
parlHon with what wc formerly received
frSm the transportation companies with
whom We had 80 do businessl In the % |
years OF nrst-ciaHH Hteamboating which l
can remember. can anyone show wherein /,
the boats have ever spent a cent In As
toria. otherwise than for a few incident /
alu7 Their employees. almost without cx. /,
ccptlon. are residents OF Portland; all re-
pairs 10 the boats themselves are done 4
there. and their supplies are furnished I
BY Portland merchants. They are and 4
have been distinctly Portland institutions
Again have our people ever thought /
that this iH not the Portland a Columbia /
River railroad. nor yet tho Portland &
Astoria railroad. but the Astoria q Co
lumbia River railroRd3 Does the giving |
Of name TO railroad. and tho Incident
al advertising which the railroad re-
cclvea benefit the town Il IL named after
or mott How many towns OF ZOO or 5000
Inhabitants In this country have been
thought important enough 10 have u rail-
road named after, lhem9 Have the mer-
chants OF Astoria ever realized To what
extent the railroad has already Increased
the trade with purchasers between Cla;s-
kanie and Asioria7 l am told on reliable
authority that this increase has amounted
to nearly threc.fold since the operation OF
the railroad.
Just a few days ago the railroad closed
a contract with the Clatsop MIL Company
for the lumber to be used In the new
warehouse. which | see estimated az $40
DO. why. even our own city government
has heretofore bought the lumber for our
streets from mills up the river, Every
cent that II Is possible for the railroad 10
spend In Astoria Is being spent here, and
the meats. groceries and various supplies
for the camps at quincy where approx
mately 40 men are regularly employed.
are all brought from Astoria, This has
been the policy OF the railroad ever since
It's inception. and, while every small DEAL
cr may not have considered himself
csueeiaily benefited. still policy 80 broad (
and consistent cannot fail 10 be Of gen
oral benent TO the entire community.
Granting that the scheming or foxy" I
business acumen attributed 10 the builders |
Of the road In some quarters Is true, the
fact remains that the road Is built--well (
built. well equipped. and connects Astoria
with the outside world. Furthermore, re-
gardlcss OF any question OF It's present
or future control and ownership, we have (
the evidence before our eyes that Il will
remain for all time to come the one great
distinctive mark in Astoria's development
from an Isolated fishing town on the
Columbia rver into future great COM
mercial seaport and metropolis
think It Is an ungrateful man who does
not appreciate our railroad and from
my point OF view II IL our duty to always
speak good OF It and try to do what we
can to aid It's success and prosperity.
ADMINISTER,