Year: 1873




Seattle w T. Dec. Is 1879


IMPROVEMENT CT THE COLUMBIA R1v,
ER.-The enemies of the Seattle and
Walla Railroad, chiefly through the
Walla Walla Statesman, have endeavored
to delude the people of Eastern Oregon
and Washington that their most practi-
cable dependence for an outlet to the
ocean and market was in opening the
Columbia river to free navigation by
means of canals and locks at the Dalles
and Cascades, and removing obsiruc-
tions to navigation in the river above
those oints. Capt. Isaac W. Smith,
late engineer of the Willamette Locks
being called uIon by the friends of that
project for an opinion as to the practi
cability of the improvement and an esti-
mate of the cost + the same, replies by
letter with statements which explode all
hope of any benefit ever to be realized
from that undertaking. In the first
place he puts the cost of the improve
ment from which any advantage can be
deri ed, at $3,0C0,O 900. This is in itself
an extinguisher, for there is no prece-
dent upon which to found belief that
Congress will appropriate the tenth part
of that amount to that work, and any
thing less than the whole would be mo-
ney thrown away. 1t then becomes an
indlsputable fact, a foregone conclusion,
an inevitable consequence that the i'm
provement will never be made, and any
further discussion of the subject is a
matter for the remote future. with no
more practical bearing upon the present
than the proposition tor a railroad to
Sitka or the north pole.


The estimate of Capt. Smith not only
demonstrates the utter impracticability
Of the proposed river improvement, on
the score of expense, but he incidentally
mentions the project of railroad upon
the banks of the Columbia river, put
ting it in the same category-as route
too expensive to be considered during
the life tine of the present generation.
Capt. Smith made the survey of that
line for the Northern Pacific Railroad,
and in that regard knows whereof he


The navigation of the Columbia river
is monopolized and of necessity viii
continue under that control. The N.
P. K. Company, which holds that mon
opoly, has not the disposition, if it had
the ability to construct competing line.
This, too, is inevitable The only relief
offered to the people of Eastern Oregon
and Washington and Northern Idaho, is
by the Seattle and Walla Walla Rail-
read, the estimated cost of which is no
more than the cost of the proposed Ca
mails and locks on the Columbia, and
would never be subjee. to the vieisitudes
of cold and droutk which interrupt the.
the navigation of the liver from three to
four months in each year; besides fur
nishing transportation through hun
dred miles or more Of country the pro-
ducts of which would not pay the cost of
wagon transportation to the river and

river freight to a market. This railroad
besides given immediate access to sea
port and a market at the west, would at
once open up direct railroad communi
cation with the east. The narrow gage
railroad now being built into 1dahe on
direct line from the Union Pacific road
to Wasla Walia, will be extended to that
point as soon as the road can possibly
be built from Seattle there. Three years
from this time, we confidently predict,
will make the through connection COM
plete, afording us every facility of
transportation for freight or passengers
which the Northern Pacific Railroad
could e{ford, and at cheaper rates. The
: completion of this through line will add
TO the population of Eastern Washing
ton not less than ten thousand inhabit-
ants q year for the next ensuing ten
Year,, and to every town rpon Puget
sound population and business in pro-
portion.