Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-09-13
STRIKE BLOW At PORTLAND.
California Capitalists wants G. &
e. Railroad.

49, - AA0AAAASAAAf SsAAN >~AAAOA - -
capitalists. The Californians
have plan to extend the roao
across Haystack pass in the Cas-.
cades. and through the country
watered by the head streams ol
the Deschutes river, then make
a long curve southeasterly
through the Harvey county lake
country, their ultimate goal being
q connection with the o, r. &
N. at Ontario.
A road in which they are now
interested is being built north
ward through northern California
and is nearly to the Oregon state
line. This road would be ex-
tended in a northwes sterly direc-
ton to connect with the project
ed Corvallis line at point in
Harvey county. All this region
is now for hundreds OF miles
without transportation facilities.
It contains hundreds of thousands
of acres of alluvial soil that will
be vastly productive as soon as
irrigation reaches it. 1t has the
greatest timber wealth of the en-
tire northwest, and it is certain
to attract railway builders from
some quarter within the next de-
cade. The scheme of the Cali
fornians has for its central object
the capture of this territory and
the drawing of its products and
trade to San Francisco. Should
the project succeed it would be a
blow to Portland.
LINE OF ROAD.
The Corvallis & Eastern rail-
way is 132 miles long, beginning
at Yaquina bay and extending
eastward to the little town of
1danha, in Marion county.
Should the road be pushed across
the state to Ontario, and then a
line 81 miles to Portland from
Nehamah. its station nearest this
city, the road would be like a
capitalletter Y, the stem reach
ing across the state, one prong
ending at Yaquina bay and the
other in Portland, and the scheme
of the Californiaus would be
reversed.
TT GOES BANKRUPT.
The Corvallis road is the prop
erty of A. B. Hammond and H.
E. Huntington, but the latter's
interest in it is not regarded as
an obstacle in the way of Port
land, since it is known that Mr..
Huntington and Mr.. Hartman
have parted company. The road
was originally projected by|
farmers, and after a long struggle
against Southern Pacific and o. J
R. & N. influences it was fnallyI
built at cost of IS, 900, 900. In
10 years it went into bankruptcy
and was sold under the hammer
to Hammond and Huntington
for 500, 600, less than the cost
of the old iron. 1t was orieiu-
ally the Willamette Valley &
Coast rai way, aud wa, designed
to cross Oregon aud connect with
the Union Pacific at 4 ,ise. :
Idaho. The promo. els Col. TIE.
HoRg and his associatts, secured
aid at Washington, and the gov
ernmens spent 5000. COO in con-
structing je,ties at Yaquina bay
and improving the harbor. Tael
road when completed~ as far as
Detrole and equipped, iucludingi
two river steamers, an ocean !
steamship and a large tug, cost
$S, ooo, 900. Wallis Nash, wno
is now resident of Portland. !
was one of the builders j
TOOK 10 YEARS TO BUILD.
1t began operations in 1859.
and was completed in 1902. At
ter its failure and purchase by
Ham aond aud Huntington, the
new owners sold the ships and
tug for more money than they |
h id paid for tie eutire pro >erty.
They changed the name to the
Corvallis & Eastern, and plans
for its extension were talked of,
but nothing has ever sssn done.
Mr.. Hammond llveS-iu San