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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1881)
October, 1881. THE WEST SHORE, 357 THE FUTURE OF PORTLAND. Henry Villard, Esq., who, in hii icven years' business connection with ihe people of Oregon, ha never as yet broken tingle promise made to them, recently delivered the following address "before the Portland Board of Trade: Gentlemen of the Board or Trades I need not aay that it is very gratifying to me to meet the business men of Portland here to-day. The board of trade was kind enough, on a former occasion, to express to me in more formal man ner the kind sentiments that obtain in this com munity toward me and toward the enterprises that I represent Let me assure you that I fully reciprocate your good feeling. I always had a strong attachment to your city. From the time of my first visit to this day I have always taken great pleasure in coming here. I regret that I nave never had sufficient time as yet to become acquainted with you all and to enjoy more the beauties of your city. With your permission I will refer briefly to the history of what myself and the parties who have been associated with me for many years in fur thering transportation enterprises among you have so far accomplished. M of you may re- member the time of my first .. to Portland. It a little over seven years ago. I could then maice only a very bncl slay, Hut what I taw then of the resources of this slate lint originated in me the ideas as to its gradual material develop' ment, and these ideas I nave hail now an oppor lunitv 10 see as accomn ished lacls. Vou re. member that at thai lime great discredit had leen thrown upon the only transportation enterprise in me rorm 01 a railroad in existence in wis state, that is, the Oreeon and California railroad com pany, and, through that enterprise, utMin the state at large by the financial collapse of that company. That collapse was a great misfortune for vour state. It set vou back, as far as the in troduction of foreign capital was concerned, many years. I felt it more than any of you. For, try ing to act uiHin the ideas that I had conceived lor the material development of vour state, 1 found all but insurmountable prejudices created against everything identified with Oregon inconsequence of this original failure of the Oregon and Califor nia railroad company. Still, I would not permit myself to be absolutely discouraged. I continued my efforts as opportunity offered in Germany, nd subsequently in the eastern ststes, I fiist succeeded in furnishing you with iron steamers in place of the superannuated hulks that formed at that time the only means of communication be tween you and the outside world. Then I se cured the means for extending one of the two railroads that I found in existence at that time in the state, and finally I formed Ihe combination of the old Oregon Steam Navigation company and the Oregon Steamship company.' This comblna. tion fumished the real basis for all we have been able to do for Ihe state in starting new enterprises nd pushing them as rapidly as any enterprises of similar kind have ever been pushed toward completion. It was the success of the Oregon Railway and Navigation company to which my self and my associates have been indebted for the fruition of every other effort we have since been making. But for Ihe high credit Ihsl the Urge earnings of that company gave us in the east, we should never have been able to carry out the rest of my programme, which, as I remarked,!! con ceived many years ago, and have now been en abled to carry to its full consummation. 1 do not know, really, whether you men of Portland understand what hat already beet) ilone and what is sure to be done foe vou in Use fcw years 1 was, talking Ita?' merchant ncre ami incwcmwii - he had any idea bow much u.lruad mileage lodav tributary to Ihe city of Portlanf lie tad mora renenioit. bits he bad never given tlieaubiect much reflec Al k utterly surprised ben u"cl that, owing to this combination of transjwrlaiton lineithat fh.vbe,n.bltoe(.Hm.UHday nearly l.ooo miles of standard-gauge rond m I JO mile of narrow-gauge III! toinieffy. This is but the Ug.noiag of what there will be in a short lime. Within three rears from to-day you will rind yourselves here in Port land the focus Ihe center, the very heart, so to sak, of a local system of transportation lines, aMiicgatirig fuiiy a.uuo iniiea of siaiiuani-iratiLt road. Applause. And not only thai, but Portland will be ihe Pacific terminus of a avstem of railroads reaching from Chicago I say Chi cago and I -ale Suivrior through Minnesota, Dakota, Montana, Washim-ton leuilorv and Oregon lo the confines ol your city applause ) a system representing a total mileage of over 6,ooo miles. Applause. I say ihit lo you with Ihe utmost posiitvcncss liecausc I know we have ihe capital lo create these Iwo systems local and transcontinental, and it is only a question of time and wise expenditure of money. Now, the que, lion has naturally unvested itself lo nve, during my present stay, Is this city of Portland prepared for what is before it ) Is it prciarcd for this enormous material development which is sure to lollow Ihe creation of these systems of railway, local and transcontinental f And I say lo vou, with the utmost fianknest, that 1 do not think the city is at fully pretiared as it ouehl to 1. In the first place, 1 find amongst you a certain petty spirit in looking at the cllect which Ihe construe tion ol this or lhal line may have upon particular branches of tmsincss here upon the methods of doing tmtinc uon nns i acute coast, i nmi a narrow-minded apprehension among some of you that it would be lieller, at Irasl in certain direc tions, to continue Ihe present isolalinn of Poll land. Now, I lake Ihe hith and broad ground that any trantiiortalion line, whether diterlly connecting Portland wilh any oilier Niition of Ihe country, or doing il merely indirectly, which will result in the development of Ihe material re sources of this state and the adjoining trirlloty, cannot he anything but a great boon lo all. Some of you have told me thai il would be Iwller (or Portland not to have a direct railroad connection with I'ucet Sound. Others have told me that il would hurt Portland to have a direct eowmuntca tion wilh San Francisco. Now, I say tint it a vert narrow view to take. Vou have here the accumulated experience, knowledge of Ihe coun J try and capital gained during (he thirty years H your existence at a town. You have an enor mout advantage over every other lovably, on Puget Sound or anywhere else. And il seems lo me that H would be Ihe easiest Hung in me wotw to maintain your commercial tuiteuiary hereafter at you have maintained II nnneno, noiwnnsiatwi' ing tin construction of any line that may open ac. cess to other lownt within Ihit sltie of the ad ioininn territory. I have been making f him ad drestet at different Puget Sound towns. I'eihai you have read some of litem. I look the ground In them that il wat our duty at ltans...italioo companies in Ihe first place lo seek all Ihe paring business we could firuli and. In Ihe second place, to put each locality as far at practicable the tame tooling as regatut irsntponanun ram mmi facilities. As far at my olawrvalhm hat gone, I eannot see anr reason why any Portland meithtnl should object lo wheal being thipiied li'tn any port on Puget Sound Inslcsl of being shitd .. - i 1 1 i . i. i. . . i. .. t . i down Ihe s,oruniwa. usa ". mmum ", tUt wheal can be shlpoed cheaiwl from Pawti H.uulihan down ihe t dumlta. it t an i.t mors money In Ihe pocket of Ihe merchant who ships It Now, at I told the people of the Paget tUmut loans, live are ant prepared In etCte M the wheat shiw-ing butinr. TVy have no warehotMtni neither have they s tVllitletof any decripll nor have ihey racial t we ihe wheat Yot) bave all these advantage, and rmij ihrtn in Ihe PCl h-wivi low as. i A t sm why laree shut-in hotwr here should nut engsgf in Ihe wheal thipptrif buunn u. ... tJ I'atfri tkajisd. That W'msUI be ihe tA a.eilim? what I coowtn tmag inary danger to PwiUfxl, btil whal m of pm Consider real one. Take puaarxf of Putfrt K.lvd MM, tmk of them at are bra Uped lo thi1"tl r'.t o orbrr wo.lcl of the conrv yui ttpug .. 1- Sus,l wbra at la diAV!t lo gi Umnte down ike rim a at i-esewi. Tb... ht Ua .1. ..m.Aiyat Lnrt-i-e tat lt sf PortUad as agsi4 Puget SoutL aad I cm ski )m lhal none need be expected In the future, W must carry the products ol the country out of the country. II It our intern! at transportation com- panlce lo do so, and It is the gieaieM neneiit mat we (an poMMoiy susoi upuu io wm. Ua,i lhal we should (sdltlaie in every txviatbbj way the shimtenlt of lit prmluctt. If wheal cannot tit taken down the Columbia, lei ll go in ruget Sound, thus keeping money in circulation, and let thoae who art entitled lo the prinwlt ol their laUir receive them as quickly as possible. That it the ground I lake. Applause. I am sallsned lhal it la within your power as shipping hantt lo lake potaetaion of the gisin Iraile at 'licet Sound. And I (eel tun) That after we complete our railroad connection! wilh the Sound, at we protxiae lo do during tne neti year oy pul ling In the link Iwlween Portland and Kalama, and you tee that grain can be carried from the Willamette valley and from the whole region east of Ihe mountalnt lo Puget Sound without break. Ing bulk, yo will avail yourselves ol live new la cllilles thus afforded. I do not tee the difference between loading ships al Portland and al Puget ound at lar at the iarticuiar advantage io ine shipping houx-t are concetneil. I hey can have warehouse therei Ihey can colleii their wharfage due at well there at here. Our great oh)ect mutt lie, at I titled, lo open at mtnv channels of lnnsirlatlon as we ran create, ami In lei com ment flow through them as freely at ibl. You may be Iniereslcl lo know whal our pro gramme ol operation! It M Ihe linmeillate rumre. Applause. I l mean wnn itiereme to ine en). tiiucunn ol railroad line ami creating terminal In 1 1 it let here amongst you, ami In relation lo the I her enlermlsetol whkh I stwketn my Interview wilh your committee I lie other day. At already menlMHted, we shall pul In I lie cimnectlng link Uiween here ami Puget Huund by having the line from Portland lo Kalama constructed, If possible, within the nest twelve months. Surveys ee far at made, thow llial the line on the south bank of ihe river It lar preferable to lhal on Ihe notlh bank, ami the dimer line will therefore be adtrpt- Il I nut tell led whether it Will enter lh ed. city dlmtly or U carried ariose Ihe river In t.arf Portland, and then lo Cutineillon with the eyv tern of Ihe Oregon Kallway ami Navigaliott cant tny, Ihe netetaare surveys m bavirig yet been fully complHnl. flut you may lake II fur granled lhal yot) will have within twelve aaottlht Um to day an unbroken line from I'mtlartd lo Taciiast) and lo heal lie. We ttlct lo put In an etterttM 4 Ihe W'ashingtoa lerrllory brtnrh from sottMi otnl south of Ihihm lo Seallle. 1 He Columbia river will not be bridged al neiil al Kalartsa, but transfer taatlt will be wwi Ihetef and If w do not bmlge Ihe Willametle river here Imirtedl. sicly, Ihe whole butlmrta can U Irarvtatttd wnh out breaking bulb If mean of transfer bonis car rying entire iaatrngr ami frelghl train. The proposed Oreg" Railway ami Nevtgalkot) ciitnpany't system of lotwl In taster Ureg-as and w asliington territory wt etri aian ro ftMitpune nt yvitr. Your ttewtpm have kept well twlcd at lo Ihe esleM end ilura-.lei uf lhal syv torn. SuhVa H lo say, Iherekxe, that H will rwh altogether mileage of over 700 mile, taf huh eh.nl arts tnile are l-lay Ml otietaiMMS end whan I fl mlrs ttxxe will U Kt otwtsiMMi wllhm Ihree or tmt moithlh bstl rncloding Ike line from The Otlle to yestr city, and Ihe re mainder will be lakes) In hand and carried thrnogk la (usnpbHI'41 neat year. All Ihe necamerf per chamtuf rls hcotttotitM tiA rolbnaj ttwk gert erally have been roa-U. I will stale M ihkt tm r ... . . 1 . . . necllua) trust we eiptei re Kaii nci rw wwaw hhy and tstly tlii in New V'k ami Philadelphia with siliiasrl aoalerial I lb thtfm Railway ttxl Navtgtiinai cnetny artH the Noeihern Ptlfce kailriasdtxwpany. lk thip awty come here, Utl Ihey may alu go U T . I ha Nw'tant) Pacifie Rallrnatl company thit4 ''JfO ) Ike slop iMkota In Tatuana at lb rale J JlHi Ul rr I'as lhan the rate lh Ihag-itt Railway ana) NavigslUm enmpwny bad lo my m tatfliag latt navl maletsal l PwrtktfMi. WWt a) km M tbippiKg y,or, ii.us ;o,w or lo,tt um. 4 ami tuh diAVtttsre it very etaeMiat item. Awl ym wmli MWr a y bw-ttw (t.'trfiatd n (S )