Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1900-03-02
Issued every Friday morning.
FRIDAY. MAR. 2, 1900.
THE TRUTH ABOUT YAQUINA.

10Th is found the following news
and comment thereon:
"The construction of an immense
DIR; dock at League island, which is
near the city of Philadelphia, ought
to give the people of Portland a
great deal of encouragement. There
are number of experts who say
that when this drydock is built
it will be necessary to dredge a
channel at least 90 feet deep down
the Delaware river to the ocean in
order that the naval vessels to be
accommodated by the dock can
reach it. If this is necessary for
Philadelphia, there is no reason
why the same sort of work should
not be done on the Columbia to
Portland, especially as navigation
extends far above Portland. both
on the Columbia and the William
ette, while Philadelphia is the head
of navigation on the Delaware.
The probabilities are that this deep
water channel in the Delaware
will be provided for in the next
river and harbor bill, and Oregon
will come in for her share for the
deep water channel on the Colum-
bia.o
This paper and the people of the
Willamette valley are proud OF
Portland, the metropolis of the
state, and she should have all i'm
provements which can be had
through congress to dredge the
river, improve the mouth of the
Columbia and the harbor. If the
improvement of the Delaware lead
ing to Philadelphia is suggestive OF
anything to Portland, why may it
not also be a precedent by which
the improvement of other harbors
may be extended in like manner?
Why should not this be considered
as precedent by which it shall be
insisted that the improvement at
Yaquina bay, Oregon, shall be ex-
tended? It was insisted by the
engineers who reported adversely
to continuing further improvement
on Yaquina bay harbor, that the
'trafic through that channel had
80 decreased that there is no longer
necessity or demand to further inn
prove Yaquina harbor." This is
simply and only part Of the truth.
and 10 one of the instances where a
"part truth is equal to a who's
falsehood." There is no paper il
this state, except this one, which
has ever told the whole truth in re
lation to this matter. Instead c.
giving the truth to the public i
has been suppressed.
The fact is that the Oregon Pa
cific railroad and the ocean steam
ship line running in connection
Herewith, up to about 1898, worke'
up very large trade going out AM
in the Yaquina bay harbor. Frelgh
and passengers came through tina
port going to and from Portlan,
and to all other parts of Oregon
Freight was shipped through tn
Yaquina harbor to Portland an,
points as far south as Kerbyville
Ashland, Jacksonville and othe
points. So much was this line c
traffic patronized that loaded
freight cars from one-half to mil
in length remained on the railroa
track from two to three months at
time before the capacity of tn
steamship line would permit ther
to carry the large quantities {
freight away and clear the trac
of loaded cars and warehouses {
delayed freight.
About the year 1898 the manage
ment of these enterprises becam
so deeply involved that Che cour
appointed a receiver to conduct tn
affairs of the company, and ye
under these embarrassing condition
the large volume of traffic con
tinued, until some time after tn
present management bid in the roa
at sheriff's sale. Under this man
agement they ceased to suppl
ships or permit other parties t
supply them, to carry the trafi
out at Yaqui1a harbor. Ever sine
that time the present management
has ceased to try to operate tn
road to convey traffic by oceal
lines, but have used all their en-
deavors to turn over to the South
ern Pacific lines all of the larg
traffic which a few years ago wa
fully and firmly established ant
shipped to and out of Yaquina bay
During these times wheat and oat
were worth almost as much in Cor
Wallis as in Portland, making
saving in freight rates to all VIII
lamette valley farmers of from ST,
to eight cents per bushel on ihei
wheat.
The saying that the traffi
through Yaquina bay has decreased
is false when mentioned in SO sim.
pie way. This traffic has beel
r~o1l na1 Ir1,o 7