East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-05-30


near Cello. which will be formally
dedicated June 5, marks the success
full termination of a fight waged for
many years by the people of the in
terror of Oregon and Washington for
the opening of the great river to the
traffic of the world, says the Walla
Walla Union. Perhaps no matter of
general interest absorbed the atten-
ton of the people more fully, and no
matter was considered of paramount
Importance NA
The early settlers fully realized the
great commercial value of the colum-
bia and Snake rivers, and fully half
a century ago the movement for their
opening to navigation was inaugurat-
ed. But little progress was made for
many years Then a concerted, organ
ized effort occupied the attention of
enterprizing citizens of three states.
On December 2. 1856. at The Dalles,
Ore, was organized the columbia
Waterway convention" which for six
years laboring to secure congressional
aid the hereulean task of OPEN
ing the two rivers to navigation. 80
The Columbia Waterway convention
was called to, meet at The, Dalles by
the Following commercial bodies, in
an open call issued November 16,
1885: The Dalles Board of Trade, As
toria Chamber of Commerce, Vancou-
yer Board of Trade, City Council of
Goldendale, WASH: Walla Walla
Board of Trade, common council of
. Dayton. Wash; City Council of Waits
} burg, Wash.
These representative bodies sent
, Representatives TO The Dalles where
Hon, E. L. Smith, now of Hood River,
, Ore. then of The Dalles. called the
body to order December 2. at 10
, o'clock. The committee on creden-
. tials found the following men entitled
TO seats in the body:-@ - 3 stA~
3 Portland-D. p. Thompson NJ. o.
George, James Young, Preston Smith,
) Charles P. Church.
The Da1les=D. NJ. French, G. E.
. Williams q. shano, b. Blumauer,
: w. r. Abrams, NJ B. ,Sinnot, waLord,
. L. L. Macarthur, w. Floyd, r. S.
) THOMPSON, James Fulton, A. j. Du-
{ fur, H. NJ. Beall, E. L. Smith, Robert
! Mays, E. B. Mcfarland, A. S. Meal
= lister. II. S. Lang. w. Lair Hill, George
Liebe.
Walla Walla-J. NJ. Boyd. mayor;
q P. B. johnson, Hollen Parker. II. ID.
! Chapman, H. E. Holmes. .-il2
. Astoria. H. D. Gray w. b.
Adair. J. c. Trullinger, J. o. A. Bowl
bysueo aa
Pendleton-S. Rothchilds, j. P.
Wager.
svaneouver-Louis Sohns, L. c.. Pal
mer, Eugene Semple, David Wall, s
, w. Brown, L. NJ. Hidden, ]. T. Gray
Louis Mayer, John Jaggy, Patrick
= O'Keane, ]. D. GOeghegan, A. S. Mich
4 olson, W. Byron Daniels. k
- Weston-J. S. White.
: Gig Bend -and coiville, WASH
Louis Mayer. 5a1 t@1E3a 1He
y waitsburg, Wash. .1-william Fudge.
= UnionAR w. Crandall. 2llo aiH
Wasco-W F. Courtney, w. H
& Biggs,r w. M. Barnett 3sa hn il i
GoldendaleEwm. Lee. N. Brooks
w. r. Dunbar. Moses Pike, r. w
8 Helm. William Van Vactor. G. w. Sta
j pleton, ]. Hunsacker, S. NJ. Kilgore
; p. e. Mitchell, w. r. Neal JOIN
Keates, Sol Smith, r. Q. Dunbar D
! Cram.
= ]. o. A. Bowiby of Astoria, wa
: elected president, and w. Byron Dan
: iels of 'Vaueouver, secretary. A me
mortal was sent, to congress asking ait
for the river work, and setting ou
some of the many claims of the west
1NxxV ~ do
hands of the national rivers and har
= bors, committee. q ~. -,
g The second session of the conven
!. ton was held at Vancouver, October
4. 1885, and E. L, Smith of The Dale!
9 was chosen president, and w. H
y Brewster, of Vancouver, secretary
oStrong resolutions were adopted urg
ling national action, and a scheme fol
Z the construction Of a boat railway
saround the eobstruetions was rdeyel
5oped. ~ ~ So 4 FleaaG4AF4
At that time a tedious delay wa!
ibeing tolerated in the work of con
@structing the Cascade locks and tht
convention appointed a committee tC
ascertain the cause and see If tht
work. could not. be. rushed TO compile
wllOil lic NOiNtibiOii SiiONNu NiieNb Wv
srate charged for carrying cattle from
THE Dalles to Portland, 81 miles, wa
oS2. and the charge on wheat was 4
fcents per bushel.
The third session of the convention
uwas held at Astoria and the officer
were zre-elected.1 GOwlitz county
Wash, and Franklin county, Wash.
sOregon City. Pacific. Chebalis AMI
swahkiakum counties. WASH. cIarl
county, Wash, Arlington, Ore, ant
sother places sent rdelegat At tn
stime it was shown that i46 men wer
employed in. constructing, the. Gas
cade locks and the work was goini
on very slow.
1.-The fourth asession. p was held a
EPortland, and here, perhaps, the frs
steps were taken which ultimately le
do the completion Of the present port
qage road. A memorial was sent to tn
Oregon legislature asking the state t
appropriate money for othe 'construc
Zion Ola portage road to, be operate
sby the people at cost of service. Tn
9memorial recited that the body wa
about discouraged with the snail-lik
sprogress being made BY congress bot
at the cascade locks and in consider
ang further improvements OF the river
The fifth session was held at Port