The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-02-16

HOOD RIVI
of prosperous future. This site has
doubtless many advantages as com.
mercial point.
We took passage on the pleasant
steamer Tenino and in eight hours
were landed at Cello, point two
miles below Des Chutes landing,
whore the Oregon Steam Navigation
Company have already formed the
nucleus of thriving village.
I "The freshets of the past season have
strewn the banks of the Columbia
with cord wood in abundance, which
commands $40 per cord. The John
Days wood yard is the chef depot
for fuel. Here we saw two steamers
building, one already launched
owned by Captain Gray at Cello,
the other of large Dimensions. There
is no doubt we are far in advance in
the question Of river navigation of
those similarly engaged in Eastern
waters The fare from Wallula to
Cello is SO.
The Dalles, which point, too, is show
ing visible signs of healthy improve
ment and the increasing trade to the
mines of the John Day and Powder
rivers is destined to make it point
OF commercial import. Whether the
idea entertained by Mr.. Newell ed
itor W. H. Newell, an early proprietor
of the Mountaineer) and other men
at the Dalles, of direct trade from
San Francisco to The Dalles shall
ever be realized is not SO easy to be
determined. The railroad company
have resumed the work of grading and
ballasting and it is the desire of the
company to have the cars running
by the first of May next (1S63). The
road bed is prepared for some five or
six miles out from the city and the
iron track laid for half mile. Ny
own convictions are, that the rail
road eventually is to be more benefi-
cial to Walla Walla than to The Dalles
but that the latter is also to derive
much benefit no one will doubt.
"We found the line of opposition
steamers, which have the tendency
to reduce rates of travel and freight,
was a thing that commercial and
travelling public were too glad to
see. The passage from The Dalles to
Portland was but dollar. That com
petition on this immense line will be
fraught with healthy results no one
win doubt. The Oregon Steam Navi-
cation company, as the pioneers on
an untested river, do certainly merit
much credit for the bold hazard they
so successfully made, and merit re-
ward as such and though many com
plants, founded by justice doubtless,
have been argued, still the history of
all monopolies has shown greater
degree of extortion than | have urged
against this company. But so long
as the Columbia river shall remain an
open sea | do heartily desire to see
competition seek here channel of
investment and which it will always
do so long as it is found to pay. All
philanthropic ideas of parties desir-
ing to serve the public without being
remunerated, will find no believers
among the merchants and travellers
of the Upper Columbia. The mer-
chant and traveller will take that line
where the rates are the lowest and the
accommodations are the best, ire
spective of the owners of the lines or
those who pioneered them through to
a success.
cat least this is the history of the
commercial past, and ! see no reason
why it should not be the history of
the commercial future. Just so soon
as capitalists find that putting steam
ers on the Upper Columbia is a pay
ing investment steamers will be put
on, and unless the capitalist is so con
vinced, it will be difficult task to
turn his capital into such channel.
"Ihe portage of the Cascades is
now made in a brief hour on the
cars without detriment or danger.
AIasXtra dollar is charged, though if
you prefer it you can walk in nearly
the same time free of cost This
portage is on the Oregon side and no
traveller passes over this road without
awarding to Colonel Ruckle every
praise for the bold prosecution of his
project, and no one begrudges him
the ample reward which he is today
receiving for his past labors. 1t is
to be hoped that the difficulties be-
tween Bradford and Bush will be
speedily adjsted, SO that the steam
cars now running on a portion of the
track already completed, shall connect
the two termini of the portage and
thus reduce the time of travel within
the minimum limits. The fort at
Fort Cascades is now abandoned, nor
does it seem at present necessary to
hold it under garrison so far as the
Indians are concerned.
"a run of several hours brings us
to Portland. | fear from the present
of Vancouver that all
chances of commercial rivalry with
Portland has been banished. The
large crowd that daily assemblies on
the wharf on tho arrival of the steamer
from The Dalles is an unerring bar
Ometer of the interest felt in the de-
velopment Of the upper country. The
establishment Of branch mint either
at Portland or at The Dalles, is daily
becoming a subject of commercial ne
cessity. If there is point where ar
agument could be adduced to deter
mine the matter, that point is Walla
Walla. For it is here where the
greater bulk of the gold dust must
flow, and if not here then at The
Dalles-the Golden Gate of the Upper
Columbia.