THE WEST SIIOKK.
Tu jm1) not intimately nrijuainti'il with tin- history
of Astoria, it limy mvtn strange that it in not the com
mercial nictrojioliHofthi' I'm-ilir slojr.in vit-w of it man
ifest advantage of age and locution, Astoria wan well
known long before California had a town of any inimr-law-
when it wan a part of a wild Mexican province,
and it riches, an nubncpiently dcvclord, were undreamt
of, During it earlier yearn AHturiu deluded on it
acccKniliilily from the ea for it upn.rt. Hither through
the Ignorance or impatience of vessel captains, the Col
umbia river lar got an uncnviahlc reputation an a dan
gcroti place for navigation, it l-ing nccensary to cross
thin liar to enter the mouth of the river, though the ex-
ricnreKof can ful navigutoni did not prove thin harln.r
to have a rriloiin entrance. When other trading ela
tion grew up on the l'acillc coat they had nellish inter
tutu iii decrying the ('oliituhia in a marine m rt and in
necking to divert it trade to themselves. Owing to the
iineiiterpriiing character of the first ncttlcrn, they did
not m 'n the advantage that wen1 within their reach,
and later the wonderful growth of California on account
of (he gold dim'ovcricn tended to draw the attention of
trader and buninen men in general to that section, to
the almost total neglect of the Columhia river interests.
Then Astoria lt her prentigc a a shipping oint and
San Francisco came to the front on the Pacific coast.
The old t ry of a jx rilou har ha never In-en droprd
by (hoM who an' anxiou to divert ('olumhia river ("hip
ping toother mrt, hut in spite of thin iutluence it mer
it have gradually Ixvome nvgnie, and Astoria i
to day fn-cly admitted to have the l-l ami the unt
am-sniblc harbor on the racitic count of America, with
hut one rxecption, that of San Francisco, and the recent
Improvement at the mouth of the Columhia afford
ground for rven disputing Ihe upreiuacy of that mrt
from a navigator' iut of view.
An iinjmrtant enterprise that in juxt now hringing
Astoria into sjnvial promincwe in die construction of a
railrtud to that city; or, rather, from that city, for the
work i in pri'gn n from t,e A.toria end awl it in being
built by Astoria capital Thin- have Urn manv
scheme for establishing railway communicntion
Iwecn Astoria and the interior country, hut for varum
reasons, .me of whnh arv alleged t,. U- ,,(,.
iiienUry li Ih character of the opitj ,( ,(,
v-u if have failed of sucevs.ful termination.
Kealiiing that thin mmh dmn-. conue. turn Imi,j .
brought aUmt ly their own c.rti..n, M- citi;eimf
Astoria haw, within the pM f,w iunthn, put their
hand in lln ir ke and rs.. t,. j,,,,), t. f.
11 tin in- Iw A company , rgiii.-, mid the
l.uniiM men the city nnU nl, Uf , luhlU
lam to trt Ihr .roj.vt and uvurr such imid. i.ul I,.,,,.,
fit a would a.vrw from the U.tion f ,, lln
and lite o. rating li.ad.pi.W r. ..f (. ,,,,, 5,,..
Of course, provisions wore made for ample terminal fa.
cilities, and the Anuria & South Coast company now
holds a water front of about eight thoiiBand feet, that is
admirably adapted to the needs of a largo marine ship,
ping business, (iround has also been secured for emu
minium yards, round-house and other terminal necessi
tie. All the arrangements have been made with the
idea of ultimately accommodating the shipping busi
ness of the vast basin of the Columbia, which has been
the end in view in establishing this enterprise and giv
ing it such substantial encouragement. The principal
reason that gives color to this expectation is that Asto
ria is the most natural Hiint of transfer between ocean
and river or rail traffic. This country is greatly inter
ested in the trade with China, Japan, Australasia and
Ocennica, as well as with South America and Kuroie,
and whatever tends to interfere with the traffic with
those countries touches the prosierity of an empire here.
There ant several sand bars in the river above Asto
ria over which it is impossible for deeply laden ocean
ships to pass, liy loading at Astoria all fees for light
erage are saved, as well as the by no means inconsider
able exieiise of towage anil pilotage up and down the
river, which are entirely distinct from the similar ser
vice over the bar. All the great harbors of tho world
have towage and pilotage, but not all are cumbered
with heavy bills for river navigation. Astoria is fa
vorably situated with reference to the ocean, and it
command more than the usual advantages for the in
terchange of foreign and domestic products, and it is
a common and almost daily occurrence for largo ships
to sail directly into port. It should not be confounded
with any other Columbia river jxirt, for it is the only
one that is so situated that it may be fairly compared
with other seiM.rts of the world. Tho great thing
Astoria ha lacked is railway communication with the
vast and rich interior country. This is now being sup
plied. Starting from the western end of the city, the As
toria A- South Coast railway crosses Young's bay by
mean of n ,rilgi a mile and a half long, and after
cronning Skipanon creek the line turns to the south
and pumiien a nearly straight course to Seaside, some
eighteen miles from Astoria. Thence it bears to the
east over tin- Nehaleni hills, heading for connection
with the wrxt Hid,, division of the Southern Pacific'
Oregon linen, in Washington county, in the Willam
ette valley. The heaviest grade on the whole line is
only one Nt c ut. Work on tho road was legun Inst
I Wcinbcr, "w the grading is completed as far as
nsnle, and a considerable Mirtion of tho track laid.
Another ncetion of twelve miles is under construction.
He trentle mi.) draw bridge across Young's lay will
tinished thin year, and tho first section of the road
lM" 1,1 "I" ration, The whole line will U mMM