The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-01-30
FOUR PAGES

guine dare not predict what strides
will be taken in it's settlement.
Nay, let us coniurc further. With
the improvement made the Columbia
River territory will have transporta-
ton facilities hardly exceled in any
part of the country. New York is
making ship canal of the Erie
canal with the intention of opening
up "A gateway through the state for
ocean-going craft. The territory
drained by the Columbia and its tribu-
tares is just as rich as that of the
State of New York and has greater
possibilities for development. More
over, this matchless channel will be
open more months in the year than
will the Erie canal, thus affording an
outlet for produce almost the entire
year. But, unlike New York, the Co.
lumbia offers a gateway to the Orient.
Throughout the entire Pacific Coast
there is but one water level haul from
the inland country to the coast, and
that is the Columbia River. Is it un-
reasonable then to believe that the
United States trade to the Orient will
pass out through this natural channel
which nature has so providentialy
furnished! Certainly that from the
north half of the country would find
it more profitable to pass out through
this channel than to go to New York
for the same transfer from railroad
to steamer that will be necessary on
the Columbia, thence down through
the Panama canal to the same objec-
tive point. Imagine the great advan-
tage to the Northwest of this con
tinual stream of products pouring out
through the Columbia basin. 1t would
put within the grasp of the entire
territory all the diversities of the
country.
And again from the other direction.
Manufactured articles from the great
centers on the Atlantic coast will find
their way to the Pacific by means of
the Panama canal, for the water haul
is cheaper. and goods will be laid
down in this territory at far lesser
price than they now command. Of
what great advantage to this territory
if the same steamer that carries the
goods through the Panama canal could
proceed up the Columbia far into the
interior and deposit it's cargo at the
door of the inland merchant For the
only sea level passageway on the Pa.
cific Coast reaching into the interior
i, through the Cascade Sierra barrier.
The Columbia River is waiting to
bear the commerce of the Inland En-
pre to the sea. The only gateway
through the mountain barrier that sep
arates the East from the West invites
the resources of the entire country to
pass out on its waters to the broad
Pacific and across to foreign ports.
The Northwest holds the possibility
of being the dispensary for trade to
the Orient. The Columbia is waiting
to bear the manufactured articles up
into the interior The realization of
an age-old dream is almost in sight,
for the great river will soon fulfill its
destiny as the bearer of the products
of its people to all parts of the world.
Yet not only as the bearer of com
merce will the Columbia fulfill its
destiny as the great servant of the
Northwest. If the plans outlined in
the biennial report of State Engineer
Lewis of Oregon are carried out Ce
lilo Falls will be the site of the great
est power plant in the world. Plans
for the gigantic enterprise have been
gone into fully and the project pro-
nounced entirely feasible. When com
pleted this plant would have a ca
pacity of 100000 horse power with
the river at its lowest stage and $780,
600 when at its height. A careful esti
mate of the cost of construction places
the figure at $23,000,000, and it is
proposed that the states of Washing
ton and Oregon unite in the enter
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