The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-24
A Bubble Pricked.

OupDIc HTICkeO.
During years Of recent commercial
misfortune and decline, the city Of Port
land has consoled itself with a purely
academic argument to prove that its
Importance as shipping point was not
on the wane. Confronted with statistics
to prove the decline. with showing of
facts that tells the transfer of its bus
mess to the cities OF Puget sound, It
has always replied that the wheat trade
must center there because Of favorable
grades on its lines of rail communion
tion with the wheat-producing Interior
If any one adduced the patent perils of
the Columbia river bar and the cost and
delay of towage up tortuous and shift
must always submit to these because
grain could be brought to Portland on
water level routes. while II had to cross
mountains to reach the Sound That
1t was increa singly inclined to follow the
Inter route could not be denied; but
Portland dreamed always that she had
natural advantage which would en-
able her eventually to retain the grain
trade against even the competitors who
had wrested from her all other title to
commercial Importance.
This notion must be shattered, even
TO the optimistic champion of Portland,
by recent developments. The wheat
shipping business is leaving Portland,
and 1t IL leaving II to stay. Such trade
as is purely local to the city will. of
course. be retained. But the great ex-
pert business is already on its way to
Puget sound. Warehouses are being
built, OF enormous storage capacity. to
handle the traffic. Railroad companies
and steamship companies are making
their preparations on scale which
shows first that their plans are perma-
nently fixed. and second that they will
bring to Puget sound all the business
within their reach that can be handled
probably here. The past years have
been time OF experiment. Men and
transportation systems had to feel their
way. to watch developments. to govern
themselves by circumstances not yet
wholly determined. That period is over.
The commercial Importance Of this sec
ton is no longer in question. The com
merce Of the Pacific Northwest. OF the
whole region that finds its markets In
the orient and ultimately Of all the
business done with Europe by the route
around Cape Horn settles Itself comfort
ably In its natural berth on the harbors
Of Puget sound.
To an eye not blinded BY local pride
or interest, this result was clearly In
evltabie from the beginning seaports
are many. the great entrepots Of foreign
trade are few. The difference In cost Of
transportation 10 one or another OF
these by rail is comparatively trifiing
where distances do not differ greatly.
"a Is the ease Of transference from land
60 water. the volume Of harbor privi-
leses, the freedom OF difficuity of pass
age from the harbor to the open Sea
that are determining. And no one In
his senses who is familiar with the i'm
pedimenis and dangers In navigation
at the mouth OF the Columbia could
have fancied for one moment that this
route would hold its own after the
Sound became a real competitor. Port
land is doomed to future limited By
the development OF the country imme-
disteiy surrounding Il. The business OF
the continent as related to AslatIc trade.
and all the business Of the Pacific
Northwest as related to any trade. with
Asia or Europe, win be done from pu.
get sound. This is no longer matter
for argument one has but 10 point 10
ACCOMPLISHED facts We have left only