Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-05-11

have five minutes more, for 1 |
want to ask him another ques-
ton"
There was no objection.
Mr.. Hepburn-"How far is
Yaquina Bay from the mouth of
the Columbia River?'
Mr.. Tongue-'I cannot state
the distance, but judge some
where near so or 200 miles"
Mr.. Hepburn-"How far dis
tant from the Columbia River
does the road penetrate?"
Mr.. Tongue-s'About 100 mile.
This road, as it now runs x
extends into a region. that con-
tains some Of the finest timber in
the United States: If the i'm
provement IS completed, that
road will be extended into east
ern Oregon and eastward into
Montana = As at present sit
uated, the road is valueless, and
every farmer in Oregon is suffer
ing by it. want to say that
there is no question before con-
gress in which the people of
Oregon are so interested and
upon which there is so much
anxiety manifested as there is to
get rid of the doubt that has
been held over the continuation
of this Improvement. The Sec
retary of War has decided to go
on with the work, and I would
like to see this congress support
- it.n
Mr.. Dickery-''I would like
the attention of the committee
for few minutes. In my judg-
, ment the committee ought to re-
ject the proposed amendment. In
my opinion this project is un-
worthy the expenditure of public
money. There was expended on
,. this bay up to and including the
!, appropriation of August II,
F 1894, the sum of $o76, 6,o93. "a.
| The expenditure of that money
deepened the channel of entrance
to the bay from 7 and 8 feet, as
it was when the work began, tc
II and IS when the work was
+ completed. (Mr. Dockery ther
continues with lengthy details
showing how the freight anc
passenger traffic over the va
quina harbor decreased during
the work Of Improvement.
Mr.. Tongue-"Mr. Chairman,
, one word in reply to the remark:
of the gentleman from Missis
souri, (Mr. Dockery). l do no
contend that under the presen
n circumstances there is much
9 valuable commerce going through
q Yaquina Bay. But I wish te
' state briefly some Of the reason:
for the existing condition of af
E fairs. -.- -s-.-s
: Some years ago, as 1 said il
my opening remarks, railroad
: was constructed to Yaquina Bay
1t was expected that boats woule
: be placed upon that bay anc
!. operated between there and Sar
& Francisco. AS soon as that rail
!, road was i'll operation and a
v soon as the: boats began to rut
: wheat went up in a single day
cents a btsheT at Corvallis, the
:, heart of the. Willamette Valley
At the place of my residence
f within 20 miles of Portland, I5c
miles from Yaquina Bay, there
q was rise in price of 4 cents {
9 bushel. We believed at the
time that the farming commune
ity of Oregon had received a boom
which would be of immense
value. 49,. a.
If Yaquina Bay is improved,
/ then instead of taking wheat LOG
| miles northward, and 1oo,. I5o
to 80 miles southwark, the
; transportation can be accom-
!, plished by one haul of the rail
road, which means, as l have
said, difference of S. to 7 cents
a bnshel ON wheat. 1t is true
we are not a powerful state; it is
true we have not many votes on
the floor of this, house, it is true
we have not the same amount of
commerce as Our friends along
the Missouri river. But | re-
mind the gentleman that it is
only. a few years ago since what
is now great state was unin-
habited except by the roaming
bands of Indians. 1t was men
and women from the banks of