The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-06-07
ASTORIA OR SEATTLE, WHICH,

Shall Astoria or Seattle capture the
Oriental trainer That is the momen,ous
problem for Portland; because it is plain
that the las, named port, wi;h y or
even s foot channel cannot sc, it, II
Seattle shall capture that traffic, all the
ocean passenger and freight lines OF the
Pacific Northwest will be concentrated
there. So will all the trans-eontinental
lines seeking share in that trafic max.
ing Seattle the great railroad center.
This will leave Portland on a side line
from the Willamette valley. 1t would
transfer nearly. in fact quite, all OF the
Inland Empire trade TO Seattle. 1t would
be Por,laud's doom. Seattle people are
now openly boasting that the railroad
combination has awarded the Oriental
traffic 10 Seattle. They say Portland Is
10 be allowed the bulk Of the wheat ex-
ports south Of Spokane This is worth
half a million dollars of ship ehandlery
trade to Portland merchants, or. allowing
% per cent profit, a net gain Of slOo,oo
annually. For this pittance Portland IS
TO yield TO Seattle commercial supremacy
Of the Columbian basin the Pacific
Northwes.. Portlands chief paper is
eonsenting TO this. Portland merchants
are KEEP, in ignorance OF ;he true situa.
tion. while Seattle on the north and San
Francisco on the south under this cOmbi-
nation are stealing Portland's trade, and
forcing her 10 the wall The oregonian
mus, know this The oregonian does
know It. What keeps that paper silent
on subject Of such life and death i'm
por;ance TO Portland and the whole state
OF Oregon Is something incomprehensible
to every one acquainted with the situa.
ton. on the other hand. II Astoria
shall capture the Oriental traffic and thus
concentrate at the mouth Of the Colum.
bia the ocean and passenger and freight
and transcon;inen.al railroads the effect
will be wholly different for Portland. It
will, first, make Portland the railway
center since the traffic must converge |
at that point 10 secure the advantage |
of water level grades. 1t will, second, |
save the trade Of the Inland Empire for /
the merchants Of that city, because no |
one win come through Portlan dto buy !
in Astoria what can be had as cheaply |
in Portland 1t will, third, concentrate
the trade OF the Orient on the Colum-
bian basin and make this great valley /
the richest and most populous in the
west. To capture the Oriental traffic
Il is only necessary to give Astoria the
wheat exports. These. If shipped from
would add over 100000 TO the
pockets Of the wheat growers, by cheap
ening ocean charters. as the Astorian
has repeatedly pointed out, without de-
nal from the oregonian- and as is
proved by figures and facts published in
that paper. No man Of thought can
doubt that Astoria as the seaport for the
oriental trade would make Portland the
greatest city on the Pacific coast, while
seattles triumph will ruin Portland and
'elegate her to the position of an over
yrown and moss.covered village. The
most vital question that has ever risen in
'ortland's history IS the pending question
Il whether Astoria or Seattle shall be
he seaport for the Oriental traaac. s
ss.s.ss...s........-s..s :. :.
II - perfectly hopeless to expect that Il
.----- Il :