The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1911-09-01
COMMUNICATED.
Portland. Oregon. Aug. 23. 1

Portland, oregon, Aug. 70, 1S11.
rAitor Oroville Weekly Gazette:
Enclosed find portion of the edi-
or;al page torn from the Oregonian,
sh;ch will undoubtedly interest you
.,d y,ur readers, as il does me. from
mo fact that ihave holdings in your
section.
portland has her eye on the Okano-
,.n country and il is simply a matter
Il keeping constantly after the rail-
,o.d magnates. steamer lines and the
congressional department through the
commercial clubs in the cities and
,ovus that will be benefited, and
through our representatives. In my
rims along the Columbia river just
sast If Portland. to Hood River, etc.
an the Oregon side. | often see 75 to
40 loaded freight cars attached to a
small engine, hurrying to Portland
aver the Jim Hill, North Bank rail-
road, and it makes one sit up and won
der at the possibilities of North Cen
tral Washington and Okanogan in Ca
uada with Portland for a market and
down hill pull to the sea, and what
N impetus to the growth of Portland
nth the products of your country and
tr,de to our jobbers and manufactur-
en- emptying into Portland's lap
through this Horn of Plenty" (trans-
uortation lines) as it were.
OF course it takes time to do all
this. but in order TO bring it about il
Is necessary that we awaken to the
situation and boost it along. You
urely have fine country in the Okla
nan, for among all the people l
have met. and l have met great
many who have travelled through the
0hnnogan country, / have yet to hear
muhing but praises in regards to it,
outside Of transportation facilities.
Sincerely yours,
T. ERNEST OATES,
President Okanogan Fruit Land, Ir-
rigation and Power Co., (Sinlahekin
yalley.)
[The following is the editorial from
ne Oregonian that the correspondent
refers to, which shows rather hazy
knowledge of the upper country. The
sentiment expressed, however, is the
main point, as an open river has been
The dream of the people of Portland
nd the territory through which the
Columbia flows for number OF years.
Z Seattle and Tacoma may be put on an
& equal footing with Portland as to eastern
Warrington grain shipments from points
Nmote from the rivers. but all farmers
near the Columbia and Snake can ship
npre cheaply by water to Portland than
~ ral to the sound The Cello canal
Syll extend the nayigable stretch to Priest
n11R1erd gtye Eater s-sn-rnrtafson 70
N1nas Ffankiin. Eentcn and YES
1novA Of Priest rapids and series OF
lger rapids extending up the river TO
Bridgeport can be effected without eS-
utmely heavy work, and viii extend the
naxigable channel to the point where the
fiver debouches from the great gorge OBJ
aructed by He'll Gate and other rapids
TO open the section of the river between
Bridgeport and Egypt. where II hows
which must be left TO the future, but the
open river movement should Immediately
rex appropriations for the stretch from
hiest rapids to Bridgeport.
The OkanOgan is navigable during nood
season as far as Riverside. and improve
ment Of the channel might lengthen the
navigabe season and extend the navlga-
pc channel farther northward. Ihese
improvements would give continuous
emanuel from the ocean almost to the
While the stretch OF the Columbia be-
veen Egypt and Bridgeport has many
Instructions, il can be made navlgabie
according to plan prepared by United
states engineers many years ago. Inc
work would be costly, but the time may
not be remote when the benefits to be
cerived will justify the cost. From Eg-
ypt north to the boundary line the only
serious distractions are Kettle Falls ana
ue Little Dalles. which may need earlier
suention than the Egypt bridgeport sec
von' II the Canadians improve their sec
uon OF the river, and offer the opportu-
MY to create an international waterway
as far as Egypt.
!, Inc way to secure an open river is 10
keep everlastingly at it. attacking one op-
Nacie at time until il IS removed Inc
much which has been done is an earnest
u what can be done The tetty and the
yelilo canal are almose complete. the deep
enamel from Portland to the sea IS
reality. the Cascade locks are open. Inc
worst obstacles which remain are no
Meater than the combined obstacles
xnich have been overcome. Then Port
and, with the sea open in one direction
sh1 the river in another can took WITH
moinerence at decisions on railroad rates