THE DALLES AND WASCO COUNTY. 839
and transferred, by stage or wagon, to ceased to flow in from tlie railroad, was
its final destination direct, or to other a severe blow, though but a temporary
steamers above the obstructions. As the one. During all this period, and con
base of great freighting traffic, The tinning till the present time, the gri
Dalles became, next to Portland, the cultural lands of Wasco county were bo
most important business point in Ore- ing Bottled upon by an industrious class
gon. It was the center of trade. Long of people, who began cultivating them,
lines of freight wagons and pack ani- as well as engaging in the sheep and
mals left it daily for the interior. Ev- cattle business. Tho center of trade is
ery winter the city was thronged with The Dalles, and this local traffic, in.
miners, who freely spent the proceeds creasing largely with each passing year,
of their summer's toil. Money was plen- soon began again to supply tho busi
tiful, business brisk, and the city grew ness, based on a permanent and sub
in size and population, rapidly assum- stantial foundation, which was lost with
ing the substantial aspect lent by brick the completion of tho railroad Tho
and mortar. population of tho county increased rapid-
This period was followed by one of ly, and with it tho local trado of tho
comparative quiet Other routes of trav- stores, while tho shipments of products,
el to tho mines were opened up, and both by river and rail, has reached cnor
business at this point declined rapidly, mbus proportions. During tho first ten
But it was only a lull, for as soon as the and one-half months of 1837, ono hun
grain producing qualities of the rolling, drcd carloads of sheep and horses havo
bunch grass hills of Eastern Oregon and been shipped to Chicago, and thrco hun
Washington were discovered, that re- dred carloads of sheep and cattlo havo
gion began to be settled rapidly, and bwn shipped to Portland, Seattle and
again an enormous traffic sprang up at Victoria, Ninety thousand jwunds of
The Dalles, increasing yearly, as wheat sheep pelts and hides havo beon shipped
and flour became articles of export in to Portland and San Francisco, four
ever enlarging quantities. Here, until million fivo hundred thousand mmU of
tho railroad was built, were hauled the wool to Portland, San Francisco and
thousands of tons of goods sent to tho Boston, and thrco million pounds (fifty
fast growing towns of the interior, and thousand bushels) of wheat to Portland
here, also, were handled the thousands and San Francisco. Beforo tho closo of
of tons of wheat and flour sent out of tho year all theso items, especially wool
tho " Inland Empire " for shipment and wheat, will bo largely increased, as
abroad. tho warehouses aro filled almost to burst-
Tho next business "boom" camo in ing with them. Durinc the season, fifty
1880, when the construction of the rail- thousand watermelons and cantaloups
road along tho south bank of tho Colum- wero shipped. Thcro wero received about
bia was begun by tho 0. It & N. Co. twenty-five thousand tons of wcrchan
For nearly three years this was tho do- dise, chiefly from Portland and Snn
pot of supplies for this work, in which Francisco, though much of it camo from
thousands of men wero employed, and tho East direct, by tho Union Pacifio
millions of dollars spent Business be- and Northern Pacific, both of which pass
came greatly inflated, so that tho rcac- through Tho Dalles over tho lino of tho
tion which camo upon tho completion of 0. It. fc N. Co.
the road, when the workmen wero dis- This traffic means much more to Tho
charged and the great current of money Dalles than did tho kind formerly en-