The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-03
Prizes. Rapids. 27o miles above Port

land
without aid from the government
in blasting out Instructions in the
many rapids loaded barges have been
towed over every one of them from,
Cello to Ainsworth. Many small viii
lagos have been built on the river and
at points where roads are being built.
Among the number are Columbus, AL
derdale, Englenook, Fountain City,
Roosevelt, Carley, Plymouth, Expan-
sion, Alfalfa, Hover, Richland and Ju-
liza, all with the exception of Column
bus, having been built since the agi-
tation for an open river. Columbus
houses, built in the early days of
steamboating, to commercial center.
Unused land that has been in pas
ture for years is now being farmed
since boats have given the producer
means of transportation. All this will
swell the volume of business when
transportation is resumed in the
spring.
Badly handicapped.
"The company has met with many
harGicaps during the season. Coal is
the only fuel that has been used in
that portion of the country for many
years and the boats were fitted for
that kind of fuel. In the early part
Of the season coal could be pur-
chased for 1920 per ton. The price of
coal was raised until the last car de-
livered at Cello cost $12 per ton.
Even at this price it was next to i'm
possible to secure it or to secure cars
to haul it when needed. Next season
the boats will be supplied with Oil
plants.
"At the Portland end of the route
the company is having built a large
and commodious steamer called the J.
N Teal, which will handle the bust
ness below the portage. An effort
will be made to extend the portage into
The Dalles in the spring and with
commodious warehouses used jointly
by all the lower river steamers the
company is certain that it will be able
to handle the heavy traffic that will
surely pass over it while the canal
is being completed
1.-The banks of the Columbia river
from Cello to Priest Rapids and the
Snake to Lewiston, Idaho, in addition
to being highly productive, have seen
ic attractions almost unequalled The
time will come when tourists from
every part of the country will make
the trip.
Steamers in Operation.
1.-THE steamers in operation this sea-
son were the Open River boats, Relief
and Mountain Gem. A valuable con-
nection to points far up has been had
in the steamer w. R Todd, which was
built at Homlee Island, near Hover,
and began operations in October. The
new steamer DullI DIT Ais
worth has entered for service in the
present month and is now engaged
in handling construction material for
the North Bank road. The steamer
Norma, a powerful boat and an eX
cellent carrier, owned by Jacob Kamm,
is operating under lease for the North
ern Pacific, assisting in building the
road on the north bank. The two last
named boats, operated by the rail-
road, together with the Spokane, Lew
iston and Mountain Gem, under con-
troll of the 0. r. & NJ, are furnished
with fuel by the roads operating them
and are able to secure coal.
Many gasoline stern wheel boats
are in use and are beneficial to the
farmer and merchant. With the COM
ing of steamers on this long unused
waterway and the building of the
Northern Pacific the future of the in
land empire of Oregon and Washing
ton is assured"