Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-04-11
OUR WATER WAYS.
More Reasons Showed for Using
the Upper Willamette River.

In an editorial couple OF IS
sues ago we pointed to the neces-
sity o. maintaining an open river
the year around on the Upper
Willamette. This is not mere
idle talk-it is a stern necessity.
In the article referred to a state
ment was made relative to the
construction and cost of the great
Erie canal in New York state.
This was done in order to show
the importance attached to water
transportation by the people of
another state.
In an issue of later date the
Journal takes up the matter of
''water ways, the salvation and
safeguard of Oregon. The ar
ticle is worthy consideration by
all serious-minded people and on
this account we reprint it, as fol-
lows:
There is nothing that impresses
an American in Europe more than
the use by the people there of wa
ter communication, and the COM
parative neglect of the same
means of transportation in this
country. There, every advan-
tage is taken of the natural chan
nels of trade, and when they do
not exist or are insufficient for
the commerce no sum is too vast
to be spent tor the betterment
or building. Hamburg is 70 miles
from the sea and has to unload
and reload passengers and freight
at Cuxhaven. It is one of the
greatest seaports in the world and
it has been created by the expen-
diture of enormous sums of mon
ey. From the upper Elbe it is
said over 20, 900 river craft OF
5000, 900 tons arrive annually,
and last year tonnage aggregating
5000, 900 tons left the port.
Glasgow. on the Clyde river,
once a muddy estuary" a some
what longer distance from the sea,
is one Of the worlds greatest sea-
ports; the river is,so narrow that
vessels have to be launched broad.
side on.
Compare these creeks with the
mighty Columbia and imagine, il
you can, the use that would be
made of it if it flowed through
Germany, or indeed through any
other country in Europe. All o:
which furnishes a text that every
resident of Portland, whethel
property holder OF merchant, hae
better take to heart, for as SURE
as water flows down hill just s.
sure does Portland's future vel
fare, growth and greatness de
pend on the use and development
of its water. highways. The soon
er this IS realized, the sooner it i
acted on, the better.
In 1900 miles the Columbi;
winds and flows from the noun
tains OF British Columbia unit
it finally pours into the sea. Fo
hundreds of miles the Snak
river drains rich territory untl
it loses itself in the Columbia
The Willamette drains the ricI
valley of the Willamette an
joins its greater sister go mile
from the sea. At the Junction {
these rivers sits Portland. Whe1
would an empire builder 1ocat
a city but at this point? Wher
but here should be the great me
tropolis.of the northwest ? Ho,
have we. used, how are we us
ing these talents God has endow
ed us with? To what extent al
the producers of this interior ge
ting the advantages which shoul
: follow from water communicate
and cheapened transportation.
Notwithstanding high mour
tain ranges bar the way and il
crease tremendously the cost ,
the haul, the produce from th
very banks of these rivers al
transported hundreds Of mile
further and are marketed on th
sound. Why? The answer
but to our shame. Two great raj
road systems use their power an
wealth to build up and increa.
the trade of that city. They {
allied companies build gre
business blocks for jobbing ar
manufacturing centers, impro,
lands. build STEAMSHIPS. brai1s