The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-15


very senslbly improve travel and
frelghts on Por1lands own railroad
the o. r. 4 N. II is the serious and
persistent object OF that great railway
company to increase the wealth OF Ia
patrons and develop its tributary coun.
try, so as to increase Its traffic. Sure
ly no one line Of its efforts could pro-
duce more extraordinary benefit than
this. The increase Of Portlands traffic
with the interior would mean increased
traffic for this road. Not only this, but
the vast bonus TO THE PRODUCER
in the greater wheat values at Astoria
would speedily force all the wheat to
that port over that line from the In
land Empire. Instead Of hauling half
the wheat from east Of the Cas-
cades, as now. the o. r. & n. would
then haul II all. But a far grander
benefit to Portland would flow from the
commercial revolution to follow a
change Of the chief seaport to Astoria
II would force all the transcontinental
railroads. and others now en- route to
the Pacific Northwest, to send their
main traffic lines through Portland on
their way TO the chief exporting point.
This would necessarily make our city
the permanent railroad center OF this
great railroad region. on the other
hand, with Astoria excluded as the
port, 1t is perfectly manifest that Seat
tie would soon acquire seaport supre-
macy over Portland. This would force
the great railroad lines to concentrate
at Seattle, leaving Portland simply
way station on one line from the Villa
mette valley on its way to the Sound.
II would surely wrest from Portland its
natural right as the converging point
Of all the water levels, TO be the uEdis-
puted railroad city II Astoria should be
the exporting point. The value to Port
land OF being the railroad center Of this
mighty region would be vast beyond
calculation. Il would MAKE her the
mistress Of commerce. Its effect upon
the growth of our trade. population and
real estate values would be very great
indeed. These benefits arise out Of
the local situation. They are OF vast
Importance TO Portland. Yet there is
much greater benefit to flow TO us
from making Astoria our chief seaport
and thus concentrating all our railway
lines upon that port. The trade with
the Orient, now being eagerly sought
by all the world. is the greatest traffic
on earth. The Canadian Pacific. back
ed by all Of England's wealth, is play
ing high hand for 1t. Railway con-
centratior upon Astoria as the chief
port Of the Pacific coast would enable
US to force most Of that traffic over our
lines. That great seaport's central
situation, its water level grade through
the Cascades Cthe only one north and
south for 1900 miles) TO the summit OF
the Rockies l.jO0 miles away TO the
east, and an interior country six times
as rich as the basin Of the Frazer and
Thompson rivers, would easily enable |
1t TO corral that Oriental trade from
the Canadian Pacific Puget sound /
can't do IL. Neither can San Fran |
cisco which has tried and failed. or
course Portland can't do il. The prin- !
ciple Of HEAVY OCEAN TONNAGE
alone would make her a pigmy rival of |
Vancouver. B. c., one Of the finest first /
class ports in the world What, then.
would be the result Of this great stream
OF traffic upon Portland's growth? Why
plainly. it would make the Columbia
basin what nature intended. the very
center OF the great West. This would
quickly double its population, and dou-
Bile its wheat product. doubling thereby
those annual values gained by making
Astoria our seaport. OF course, Port
land, as the railway and commercial
center. would also double in popula-
ton and trade. Its real estate also
would double In value. Why. the mere
Of this Oregon scheme"
would give a tremendous impulse to her
real estate sales. Things would begin.
at once, to hum with the plain evidence
Df this grand future. . The ef-
tect Of this mighty trade upon Port
and's growth would be simply beyond
calculation. She would speedily dis
ance all other Pacific coast cities. She
would quickly take rank with the
greatest cities Of the earth. q
rhe greater the commerce Of Portland
he greater will be Astoria as a sea-
'ort, because an increase Of inward
'ound eargOes will cheaper charters Of
he great ocean ships The greater As
oria. shall become as a seaport the
ealthier will become Portland and all
Il the Columbia basin, because of the
value Of our products
through reduced ocean charters. 1t is
n automatic proposition. There is no
Dom for rivalry between the two cities
portland business man, in the Asto-
ian, Nov. 80, 1898.