East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-09-24

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ming a giants staircase. TO make this
reference clearer, the recommendation
was for a canal from the head of
Tumwater falls grade to a place above
Big Eddy, where boats were to be
brought TO the lower grade by a
flight Of locks like stalrsteps.
Nothing is accomplished for the de-
velopment Of a country without con-
scious, organized effort in the direc-
ton Of the potentialities revealed by
vision into the future.
Consideration Of method and gov
eminent appropriation insufficient to
do anything delayed action for many
years, February 5, 1886. l find Mr..
Teal writing from Pasco Junction to
the editor Of a Portland paper:
A free people should have a free
river. Can the chains with which
nature has seen fit to bind its waters
be broken? Can the lock which con-
trolls its usefulness, which only lets
1t fret and fume away its life between
the rock-ribbeal walls of The Dalles
be opened? 1t can, and the people
hold the key"
1t was seen that delay in building
the canal was giving the railroads
dangerous opportunity to establish
rates to all the interior unregulated
by water transportation. January 80,
1908, the Portland Chamber OF
Commerce adopted a resolution Of
its open river committee pledging
support of a S166.O0O legislative APP
preparation with which to build a
portage railway. The bill had been
passed, but nothing was done by the
state board, which feared the right
of way could not be secured and that
the railway could not be built within
the appropriation.
May II, 1904, the Open River AS
sociation was organized with mem
bers from Washington, Idaho and
Oregon, to carry on the open river
campaign to a definite result. Mem
bers of the Association subscribed a
sufficient fund to guarantee the state
authorities in proceeding with con-
tracts. The state turned over the en-
tire building and construction of the
portage railway TO Mr.. Teal, who built
it in the time specified within the
amount fixed.
Nearly all Of the right Of way was
contributed without cost. Most of
the lower portion was given by F. A.
Seufert and t. ]. Seufert. the o. r.
& N. Co. and I. N. Taffe.
Under the auspices Of the open
River Association, the portage rail-
way was finished and opened June
3, 1905
1t was a day OF celebration.
The Mountain Gem, under COM
mand Of Captain w. p. Gray, brought
a steamboat load of rejoicing people
from Lewiston, Idaho, arriving at 10
o'clock in the morning. A tralnlOad
arrived from The Dalles an hour lat
er Spokane, Walla Walla and other
towns were represented. A special
train came from Portland, arriving
just before noon.
Governor George E. Chamberlain
(now United States senator) took the
first three blows at the last spike.
Governor Mead of Washington struck
five; Governor Cooling of Idaho,
three; ]. n. Teel, three; William D..
Wheelwright, then president Of the
Portland Chamber Of Commerce,
nine; Senator Clark Of oregon, three;
w, ]. Mariner, secretary of the open
River Transportation company, four
1t was spike well driven with 80
dignified blows. Immediately after
wards a train carrying ESQ people
passed over the road The first por-
tage locomotive was called the c. H.
Lewis in honor of the father of L. A.
Lewis.
The speakers were: w D. Wheel
wright, who presided; Governor
Chamberlain, Governor Mead, Sena-
tor Hepburn, Senator Fulton, DR.. N.
G.. Blalock of Walla Walla, President
G. B. Dennis of the Spokane Cham
Der of Commerce, Joseph N. Teal.
Some of those who came from the
interior were DR.. J. B. Morris, Col
onel Judson Spafford, I. C. Elliott Of
Walla Walla. f. H. Libby of Lewis
ton From Portland came S. NJ.
Mears. Henry Hahn, S, Frank. L. A..
Lewis w. j. Burns, Joseph Morris,
T. B. Wilcox. Tom Richardson, Mark
Lankfitt, F. l. Dunbar secretary of
State; Charles S. Moore. state treasur-
er; Bingham Hermann, Senator over
man of North Carolina. Senator Clark
of Wyoming. Congressman Henry OF
Texas, Small of North Carolina,
Southwick and Littauer of New York,
Patterson of New Jersey and Hedge
of Iowa J, P. O'Brien, general man
Teal, which was to have been built
above Cello, was built at Portland.
The Teal was burned October 20,
1908, but rebuilt on the old hull in
time TO be operating again by April
20, 1908. The company also put the
Inland Empire and Twin Cities into
upper river service in 1908.
Frank ] Smith was selected as
first superintendent OF the open Riv-
er line. and in December, 1905, he
made his first report. In 1t he show
ed full appreciation of the purposes
Of the service, saying;
During the present season of the
fall of 1906, the open River Transpor-
tatlon company handled considerable
"a A.
40 cents per ton less than rates in ef-
feet on rail- lines.
Merchandise was transported to
river towns and also TO interior
points that were reached by wagon
haul. The consignees at river points
received their shipments at q saving
OF 80 to so per cent below rail rates
to the same point. Interior towns
have used the water haul for over