The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-04-14
Bay City Merchants DESTROYS of
Extending Their JObbing Ter
ritOry in the Northwest.
OPPOSITION TO THE 0. R.&N.
That Company Has Failed TO Make
Reasonable Rates and the Whole
salers Will Establish a Line.

san FRANCISCO April t2.-(special to
tho Astorian.) THE Chronicle today pub
fishes the following:
A. B. Hammond. one OF the best known
capitalists Of the Pacific northwest and
president and principal owner OF the
Astoria & Columbia River railroad, IS
here in connection with steamship pro-
ject which is designed 70 secure for San
Francisco a competitive route 10 Astoria,
and by greatly cheapening the cost OF
transportation. secure 20 San Francisco
i0bbers wider market for their wares
in the northwest The steamship enter
prise. Is being backed by some OF the larg-
est wholesale houses In San Francisco
and yir. Hammond has come here, Il is
understood. at the invitation Of the mer-
chants to make arrangements for the
operation OF the proposed steamship line
In connection with his railroad between
| Astoria and Portland.
! A movement has been on foot for sew
eral weeks past among the wholesale
( merchants to secure relief from the ac-
lions Of the existing rail and ocean car
rlers BY the establishment Of a eompe-
titive steamship JIne OF this port, and II
Is declared on good authority that there
lis every prospect that the enterprise viii
Ibe successfully launched IL satisfactory
terms are made with President Hammond
the new line Of steamers viii be run II
connection with his road. using The ran
road terminals at the mouth Of the Co
llumbla river for the transferring OF
freight from the steamship TO the car
and thereby saving the expense OF delay
OF the long water haul up the river
A subscription list was started Tor tnt
supnort OF the proposed new line, and
large number Of the local business houses
, pledged themselves in writing TO con
tribute to the support Of the undertaking
either By furnishing an agreed amour
OF tonnage each month or cash SUB
sidy in lieu thereof. II was found al
visa bic 10 abandon temporarily the under
taking. for the reasons mentioned. Du
now the enterprise has been revived an'
for some weeks past a committee con
sisting Of A. c. Rulofson, OF Baker
: Ha milton; W. r. Wheeler, Of Holorook
: Merrill & Stetson. and Joseph sloss'
y, Miller. Sloss & Scott, have been ousll
engaged In reorganiZing the movement
Mr. Hammond. 1t is learned, has come
- San Francisco at their invitation an
may enter into some traffic arrangement
with the promoters of the merchants
steamship line before his departure 70
h the north
u Mr. Hammond. when seen at the ia
ace hotel last evening, was unwilling
discuss the matter and referred the ih'ei
viewer 10 the merchants. He evineed 2
i, hesitancy, however, in talking OF MS RAJ
road. which has recently been complete
srom Portland to Astoria, distance
lie 100 miles. He says he expects ms ros
some day to assume the importance Oh
,rrnk line that will enable the vario'
railroads centering in Portland and
: Puge, sound to get to the ocean.
+ This is the road which President Hun
lie ,ngton. of rhe Southern Pacific Compan
le was credited with having great desi
G. to purchase year ago, Huntington ma
II n trip over the then uncompleted road
rs his way east, after attending the annu
+ meeting of the Southern Pacific Compar
'e and the road was expected to become
mart OF the Southern Pacific system.
Ill sim remains in Hammonds control, no
~ ever, and It is now being operated
a, entire distance between Portland a
" Astoria.
IS The new steamship enterprise is nothi
10 more or less than revival of the p
iect undertaken by the wholesale m
chants Of the city year ago and te
porarily abandoned for variety OF r
sons,
Is Such houses as Miller, Sloss g. See
'er Raker & Hamilton, Holbrook, Merrill
ms Stetson. and others are back OF the ent
ate prise and they intend to see that the p
Try posed new line is established and
MT cessfully maintained. A year ago the
nd terested merchants perfected an org
ms ization. and would have carried Out II
up plans but for the fact that the klond
or excitement and the rush of business
mn the north placed too high premium
my charters. The merchants felt aggrie
'et- at the oregon Railroad & Navigai
in Company for refusing to make rates