The West Shoee.
VOL. 9 No.
1 1. Kaniuel. Publisher,
) lit From 81,
rortland, Oregon, Novoiiiber, 1883.
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TRAVELING AGENT.
CRAGIli SHARP, Jr., is a duly authorized
traueling agent of Tiik West Shok.
HOW LONG?
How long must we suffer from the misrepre
sentation of travelers who skim over the country
in a palace car, and fundly imagine that from the
car window they see everything the land contains ?
How such men can deem themselves competent
to express an opinion it is difficult to imagine,
yet in their insufferable conceit they air their views
in their home newspapers, and these silly vapor
inga are swallowed by their neighbors as the ma
tured judgment pf one who has "been there and
knows all about it." A copy of the Winnipeg
Timts lies on our table, in which is printed an
interview of some length with Mr. John Peter
Grant, evidently a man of enough prominence to
have his three names given in full. The gentle
man had just returned from an extended tour of
thrtt mvts through the northwest, traveling only
5,000 miles by rail, and became so well informed
about this country that he finds it necessary to
take Boise City, the capital of Idaho, out of that
territory and set it down at some indefinite point
in Oregon. The extent of his observations in
this region can be judged when he says: "Through
Washington territory and Oregon, which have
lately been advertised so extensively, the land has
the same arid, dry appearance (as Montana), and
nothing can be raised without the aid of irnga
lion." There are lands, and splendid ones too,
lying west of the Columbia that require irrigating,
but the section through which Mr. Grant passed,
and it is of course that of which he speaks, pro
duced this season over 6,000,000 bushels of mag.
nificent wheat, varying from twenty to forty-five
bushels per acre, not one of which was the result
of irrigation. If he had exercised his tongue half
as freely in asking questions while traveling as he
has since his return in rweibn his erroneous
conclusions he would have learned these (acts
ami many more to his advantage) but no, he
g.ies from the car window and that is enough,
Across eastern Washington the Northern Paiiln
follows the dry lied of ancient watercourses, for
obvious reauons to the mouth of Snake river,
and then down the sandy bank of the Columbia
to Portland ; all is apparently a desert, yet hark
from the road a few miles are thousands umn
thousands of cultivated fields nn ,,1'l'h
knows the u-c of an irrigating ditch, while in the
score of towns and small cities aie numm-ah
warehouses filled io the roof with sacks of grain.
Mr. Grant reminds us forcibly erf the snobbi.h
hnglish tourist, who Just takes "a run over lo
llamerica, you naw," sups at I (elnvrnko's, visits
the Chicago stock yards, makes a flying trip to
lh Yoscmile, and then returns lo Kngtand lo
write a book about the manners and customs of
America. Indeed, it Is a relief If he does not
Inflict uo.,n u a complete hisioif of K United
Stales frons the reign of town as l Hie reign ofiwith tb "' I'tsa.
While we are on this subject we must pay our
respects lo another class, and this Is the " cor
respondent." He travels and writes, or writes
and trave's, it makes but little dilVercnce which,
and regnlcs his paper with choice extracts from
immigration pamphlets, "boom" circulars, etc.,
that are thrust into his hand. We have no desire
lo discourage enterprise among journalists, and
have no doubt that the " traveling eorresH)ndcnt "
Is a fine Institution j but it does seem lo us that
these letters could be prepared lo greater advan
tage in the editorial rooms at home, where desk
room Is more ample and the paste pot hsndier.
Jlen Puller.
OKKGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD.
One of the most imimrlant lines in the system
of transpoitation created by Mr. Villard, and the
one that was the original foundation upon which
he erected the picsenl huge combination, Is the
Oregon & California railroad. In the wln'.er of
18(15-6 Simon G, I'.llioll procured from congiessa
land grant subsidy for a line of railioad running
from Portland lo Sacramento, That portion of
the grant lying in the stale of California, belong
ing lo the California & Oregon Company, fell
under the control of the Central Pacilic managers.
and was built as far as Redding in the edge of the
mountains al the head of Sncrameiito valley,
which has lieen the northern terminus for a num.
bcr of years.
Mr. Klliott came to Oicgon and Incoqioratcd a
company which was in 1X70 dctlired by the
legislature of this slate lo be the one which
should enjoy the franchise and land grant made
by congr-as. Hen llolladay k Co. was the firm
name of the managers of this entcipilse, and by
the sale of bonds at fifty per cent., thry con
struclcd the road too miles south fioin Portland,
.topping al Roacburg In the Umpqu valley,
On the west side of the Willamette a line was
built as far as St Jo., in Yamhill county, ami sub
c ;u ';. rs'rn.lcl in Corvallis. Much expensive
litigation attended ilie npciaiioiis ol lien Ilolladj)
& Co., and the business done by the cotnplrlrd
portion being uniriiiuntialive, the load, land
grant and framhise weie turned user to the Ger
man bondholders, who aenl Mr. Villard herein
look after their Hilt-reals, (lui ol confusion lie
brought order, ami transformed a bankrupt rail
road into a paying enterprise. The history of his
u i ess and the steps he has taken lo Condone
the transportation lines of the northwest, into one
giand, coiupiehriisisc system, are tso wrll known
to require comment.
The Oregon ft California road runs frm I'orl.
land up the cast side of the Willamette 10 liar
rislwirg, where it cross the tlvei ami continue
south through the Calspooia mwuniam. lo Roue
burg, in the L'rnpqu valley, whith until re
cently tha operating terminus. A line also rum
up the west aide of the river to Cwalbs, ami is
now bing eslended lo Junclion City, i-innttir.g
Alaiul a year H" agrernsenl entered
Into by Mr. Villard and lh managers of the
Ccnlial Pacific lo extend their roads north and
south lo a junction at the Oregon ami California
h,mninry line, and wotk Is now being vigorously
pushed at both ends. Already the load has been
eslended south through the I'mpqua and Rogut
liver mounlains to Gram's pass, on the tontines
of Rogue liver valley, and grading Is progressing
In the valley Itself, so that lis completion lo Ash
land before spring Is expected. Owing to the
necessity of tunneling Siskiyou mountain, a work
which will not lie executed before August, 1HS4.
Ashland wilt remain the terminus for a number of
months. The Central Pacific has already pro.
greased some twenty miles beyond Redding and
will 1st at the south end of the long tunnel ready
lo oln tracks as soon as that great wurk la
finished.
On the line of the e slrnsion the Oirgon A
Calilornia has constructed many tunnels some of
them several thousand feet In length, besides the
immense one through Siskiyou mountain upon
which work is now being consldeiubly advanced at
both ends and as there are also a number on thai
poitlon being construrted by the Central Pacific,
this could property l called the great tunnel
route of America. The scenery along the line Is
grand in the extreme, more 10 than on any other
road of equal length. Following up the liver
through the beautiful Valley of the Willamette,
ihe Coast Rang and Cascade mountains rising
on either hand, with the snowy crests of Mood,
Jefferson and Ihe Three Sister lowering above
them, Ihe road enter the Calexxia mountain
and traverse series nl mountain locked valley
to the Umpqua. Il follows up the winding arm
of ihe valley and along Cow creek, through tun
nel alter tunnel and crossing numerous high
trestle, till II Issue from the rocky canyons and
enter Ihe sunny valb-y of Rogue river, walled In
by em lriling mountains. Crossing this In full
view of the while dome of Mount I'llt, Il gradually
climb I lie sleep side of Hisklyou mountain until II
plunge Into Its dark Interior and appears jn the
other side. This Is the end of lis Oregon sY
California. '
Front thai nnl Ihe biamli of I lie Crnir.il Pa
cific coin inusrs aosiih across the turlmleiit Klamath
and through Mia -la valley, skirling along ihsr
western base of Mount Mis.la, the frosl-t (owned
monarch of Ihe Sierra Nevada, and following
down tin canyon of the Satramrnln river, enter
ihe head of Htrmnlr valley, which II follow
midway hs-iween lb Ku-rrt Nevada end the in sin.
tains of the I isssl Range, to lis ,iin.lion with the
main line al Sacramento City. Taken In cotirtre.
lion with the grand scenery of the Columbia river
ami along the N' ithern Pacific, this can not fail
10 be ihe favorite route of travel Uiween the east
anil San Kramiseo, We present five engraving
of the scenery along lit newly-completed Mrtin
south of Koaehurg, whUh are an Indication of
what 1)4 traseler beholds along Ihe whole route.
The carifon of Cosy creek. lU goige al the cross.
ing of Ihe sans slrrarn, llriuiston trestle, Rock
cut new KiMsttwrg, and a vie) aarus Ihe mnmn
taina looking sooth from Tunnel sight, are given.