The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1901-01-23
DOMAIN TO HURLBURT.
Letter Of Regret on Latter's Re-
tirement from O.R.& N.

NY DEAR Mr.. HURLBURT: Friday
Is an unlucky day. ! have seen, with
deep regret, the announcement Of your
resignation as general passenger agent Of
the Oregon Railroad and Navigation com
pany. 1t comes to me as a shock and
personal sorrow.
The world goes on, no matter who dies,
abdcates or resigns, whether emperor.
king, pope, president or railroad official;
but your retirement from the position YOU
have so long and ably filled, Is a grevious
and not easily reparable loss, rot only to
your great transportation company, but to
Portland and Oregon, and the entire Pa.
ciic Northwest. There are scores Of men,
any one Of whom may take your place,
but there Is not one who can fill 1t for
many "a long, weary day" to come.
am not altogether surprised at the
step you have taken. The people gener.
ally Of this city and state and region have
shown id scant appreciation Of the far.
reaching work you have done for them.
To say nothing Of all your previous
years Of faithful service In their behalf
when, In February, 1897, you inaugu.
rated the movement for worldwide ad.
vertising Of the infinite riches Of resources
and possibility Of the Columbia River En-.
pire, the o. r. & N. system was, as It
had been for years, In the hands Of re.
ceiver, and one train day amply accom-.
modated Its east and west travel; Oregon
was hardly mentioned once year In any
newspaper east Of Snake river, and Port.
land, Spokane and other Northwestern
towns were as dead as the deadest cross.
roads villages In Arkansas or Missouri.
Within less than ninety days afterward,
the stories Of gloriously golden opportuni'
ties In "The Land Where Rolls the Ore.
gon" were ringing and singing through
the colums Of the great daily journals Of
Salt Lake, Denver, Chicago. St. Louis,
New York, Philadelphia and Boston, and
their echoes were heard In London, Paris
and Berlin. Letters Of inquiry, tourists.
prospectors and home and fortune seekers
began to pour In from every region OF the
country and Of the globe, as they had
never done before; and the incoming tide
Of brain and Drawn, energy and enter.
prise Is ever increasing.
Since that time-besides the hosts that
have found homes In other Pacific Coast
l0calities-not less than 100, 900 new peo'
pie have settled In the grand regions OF
Oregon, Washington and Idaho, immedi.
ately tributary to the lines Of the Oregon
Railroad and Navigation company, and
three magnificent trains daily each way
scarcely serve to carry the vast and grow
Ing volume Of Its passenger traffic. New
farms and new mines have been opened,
new towns have been built, and thousands
of new enterprises have been launched.
Progress. development and Improvement
are visible everywhere, "from the noun.
tains to the sea-"
No small share Of the credit for It all
Is due to you and your department.; and
though you have received little thanks
from the benefited "dear public" rest as.
sured you are one Of the rare, rare few
who twill be missed"
lwish you, with all my heart, success
beyond your own most sanguine expeeta'
tions, In your new position-suecess COM
mensurate with your ability and merit.
cannot wish you more.
With my congratulations to your new
associates. and the assurance Of my high
est regard and esteem for yourself per-
sonallv. | am yours faithfully-for two