Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-10-17
EVERYONE WANTS
CELLO CHANNEL
Inland Empire United in Demand for
Needed Improvement.
Congress Should Make Project Con-
tinuirg Contract..So Construction
Can Proceed-Open River Asso-
citation Also Wants Portage Road
Extended to The DaIIes.

The Dalles, Or, Oct. 10.-Many res
idents of the Inland Empire ATTENDED
the meeting of the Open River associa
'tion here yesterday to lend their voic'
to the demand for channel for com
merce around Cello falls. They showed
that the interior country wants the Ce
lilo canal project put on continuing
contract basis, 80 that that construc
tion may proceed. They made evident
also that their region wants the Celilc
portage railway extended to The Dalles,
so as to improve the efficiency of that
temporary avenue of transportation
pending the completion Of the $4,500,-
900 canal. An extension of the port
age will cost $4,000 for an independ-
ent line with this city from Big Eddy,
a distance Of four miles, or for connec-
tion with the Dufur railroad, $4,000
for building about 215 miles Of track.
Senator Fulton, of Oregon, expressed
the strong hope that the canal could be
put on a continuing contract basis at
the next session OF congress. Repre-
sentative Ellis, of Oregon, and Repre-
sentative French, of Idaho, also pledged
their aid to that end. Representative
Cushman, Of Washington, wrote let
ter saying he wished the upper river
improved. Representative jones, of
Washington, spoke in Lewiston for an
open liver, according to telegram
from that city. Among other speakers
were Miles C. Moore, of Walla Walla,
who urged the need of electric railroad
connections with the open river; Pro-
fessor W. D. Lyman, of the same city,
who extolled the Columbia river as an
avenue Of commerce with the Orient
across the Pacific, which he said was
destined to become the greatest COM
mercial ocean in the world.
II. M. Green, of La Crosse, told of
the electric railway project between
Pullman and La Crosse; DR.. N. j.
Balock, of Walla Wala, urged the
raising of funds for building steamboats,
on the Upper Columbia; Frank Meme
fee, Of The Dalles, spoke for the COM
mittee on ways and means for extend
Ing the Portage railway and offered the
two plans already mentioned.
State Senator Stevenson, of Garfield |
county, Washington, said the $l25, 900
appropriation made by the Washington
legislature last winter for the improve
ment of the Snake and Columbia rivers
betokened the interest of that state in
the open river movement. G. T. Grez-
entanner, of Pasco, told of the interest
taken by the people of the interior.
Captain w. P. Gray, of the same city,
said the Upper Columbia needs five or
ten new steamboats,. H. M. Cake, of
Portland, said the opening Of water
ways is necessary, else the freight of the
country cannot be transported. W. H.
Gaylord, of Portland, professed to rep
resent capital that would build water
or rail lines whenever it could be
shown they would pay. The attend
ance represented men of Walla Walla,
Pomeroy, Colfax, Lewiston,
Baker City, Portland and Pendleton.
The outgoing officers of the associa-
ton were reelected. The president is
J. A. Smith, of Baker City; secretary,
w. j. Mariner, of Blalock. The other
members of the executive committee
are: N. J. Blalock, of Walla Walla,
Henry Hahn and A. H. Devers, of
Portland; j. 7. Peters, Of The Dalles, I
and r. Schlescher, of Lewiston. The :
last named was added to the executive
to give Idaho representa- !
ion.