The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-12-10
Time HAS Been EXTENDED
LOOKS BETTER FOR PORTAGE
Several DAYS Grace Given the Open River Association to
Raise the Money Action Taken By Governor Chamber
Iain--WaIa Wa|Ia's Guarantee Is Ready.

The time in which to make good the
money for the Cello portage railroad
has been extended. This is the sub
stance of a telephone message from
Governor Chamberlain of Oregon as
received by DR.. n. G. Blalock of this
city.
At noon today DR.. Blalock called up
the governor and after a short conver-
sation the chief executive announced
that the Open River association would
be given a reasonable length of time,
a week or ten days, in which to Sc
cure the remainder of the subscrip-
tions and as soon as the money was
collected and placed in the banks in
the several counties that are assist
ing in raising the deficit. and the port
age commission was notified of the
fact, contract could then be signed up
for building the road.
Makes Denial.
According to the Portland Telegram
there appears to be some misunder
standing regarding the reported ultl-
matum that the Walla Walla papers
printed after the meeting of the exc
cutive committee of the Open River
association, which was held in The
Dalles Tuesday night. Members of the
committee are quoted by the Port
land paper as saying that there was
no truth in the statement that the
sociation until o'clock this afternoon
in Which to nave the money raised or
Il sufficient guarantee that the money
would be forthcoming when needed
The article as printed in the Tele-
gram of last night follows:
In all probability the contract for
construction of the Portage railroad
will be closed tomorrow. All that re-
mains to be completed S execution oil
the bond of the contractor, which A. J
McCabe expects will be concluded to-
night
Emphatic denial is made by J. N
Teal, counsel for the Open River asso-
citation of a story published at Walla
Walla that the railroad portage com
mission submitted to the executive
committee of the Open River associa-
ton an ultimatum that the road will
not be built unless the sum of money
agreed to be furnished by the asso-
citation is deposited in Portland by
tonight.
In addition to publishing a story OF
this import, the newspaper also con-
tains a lengthy editorial, DR.. N. G
Blalock, of Walla Walla, a member OF
the executive committee of the Oper
River association, being quoted as au-
thority. 1t is stated that whereas the
agreement of the Open River associa-
tion to make up the deficit between the
estimated cost of the road and the
amount remaining in the fund appro-
priated by the State of Oregon has
up to this time been considered a suffi
cient guarantee the Portage commits
sion at the last moment served notice
that the entire sum must be deposited
in Portland by Friday night
Such a proposition was never made
by the Portage commission" said Mr.
Teal this afternoon, when asked con-
cerning the matter, "and can conceive
no reason for such an assertion That
can be denied most positively as with
out any foundation in fact
Governor Chamberlain and Treasurer
Moore also denied the statement, and
asserted that no such proposition had
ever been submitted to the Open River
association.
1t is learned that the contract will
require about $4,000 in addition to the
sum of s151 900 available in the state
fund. Of this sum the Open River as