The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-10-20

P0rtiAnu, Ury ucts ~ lvvjs
Editor Astorian.
Astoria, ore.
sir;--What Mi Clyde Fulton states
this morning III bis letter to the Astor.
Ian Is nothing but personal abuse, q
tissue Of falsehoods as he gives not .
word Of explanation nor answers the
questions | put TO him whether Or not
II was true what he stated To the Cham
bor that I never had built any conn
pIetcd railroad. Nevertheless the eyi-
dence on this point that, contrary 70 Ms
statements l had built three separate
railways Ia Western Oregon aggregat.
ing 1870 miles cannot bc disputed. Whyi
Because the railways are there tclay
and can be seen In running operation.
Besides tho history of Oregon records
these facts. This ends bis false allega-
tions number one.
Now 10 bis second allegation that !
am dishonest. shall very speedily give
him an opportunity to prove this false
assertion, for having wife and family
33 years In Oregon + cannot IN justice
To them have my reputation 10 tarnish-
Cd. and d court of Inv alone can deter
mine whether I am or ever was dis
honest and there trust Mr.. Clyde Full
ton win present his proofs In defence to
my personal suit to prove my honesty.
His third allegation that have not
the money myself To build this Astoria
railroad To the Nehalcm on To Portland
Ii however perfectly true for confess
that after the panic Of 1903 I lost the
fortune / had previously acquired, hut
thank God I did not then lose my rail-
road experience nor my financial connec-
tions both In London and the United
States and my reputation among these
financicrs II such that although I'M.
vested over s7,OOO.OO0 iii mortgages for
them. and also 100000 or more In
railroad bonds not dollar Of that
money was lost. Perhaps the history Of
Portland will enlighten Mr.. Clyde Full.
ton thereon. Apart from all this =. IL
Hartman and James j. Hill put up their
own moneys personally to build NEW
railwayss / guess not, no more cal /
The public relies solely upon these two
gentlemen's railroad experience alone,
just as my people In Los Angeles and
in London rely upon my experience ol
the NehaIem country and that which
Hes between Portland and Astoria fol
tho completion and success Of the Port
land Oregon a Seacoast Railway and
what I have taken pains to inform them
for years would be the two greatest
cities in the State Of Oregon il only
they had four or five railroads to the
sen via Astoria.
1When first introduced Mr.. II.
Hawgood to Judge Frank ]. Taylor and
y, @. A. Bowlby year ago and to
Gabriel Wingate, at Astoria, he was
then president as he Is now Of Portland
Oregon & Seacoast Railway Company
and he stated to them viva yoce his
plans TO enter Astoria and his backing.
He was assured the rights-of-way for
the whole az miles to Nehalem river
could be obtained free from citizens
OF Astoria. This however we do not
ask only six miles through 10 acres Of
wild land whose owners property viii
go up to 250 per cent with our road and
be valueless without it. Somehow / told
President Hawgood then he made mis-
take In not selecting Clyde Fulton as
our attorney but he did not see II with
the result that at the last meeting Of
the State Legislature, Clyde Fulton also
the present superintendent Of the A. &
g. R. r. and the Clatsop county repre-
sentative all three as delegation went
to Salem to defeat our bill to get access
through Young's River bride into
Astoria and they succeeded.
1T was equally as essential for us in
our line from Astoria to Portland to
get into East Portland to connect there
with all transcontincntal lines to cross
at oswego, and strange to say after five
weeks fight 7 did get through an act
Of the legislature authorizing oil rail-
road lines with train and locomotives to
cross the bridge there (now construct
ing) and to enter East Portland. II then
i was the disreputable man Clyde Fulton
tells the Astorian I am why did not
the citizens Of Portland in their might
get up and say we don't want Reid's
Portland Oregon q Seacoast Railway to
enter Portland, but instead every sena,
tor and evry representative from Port
land and adjoining counties voted for
my amendments to the s. P. Co.'s
0swego Bridge Bill and it became law
and I am sorry to say the Astoria SINH
lar bill was defeated. BY wholni Clyde
Fulton and representative Of Clatsop
county who there In my presence at
Salem tried also to oppose the Oswego
Bridge Bill with the amendments for us
to enter Portland. I challenge Clyde
Fulton to disprove this for he was
present at the railroad committees
meeting when the Portland Oswego
Bridge Bill was reported favorably and
SO was ! and other Astoria citizens were