Morning Oregonian., January 01, 1902, SECOND SECTION, Page 25, Image 25

THE M0BNI2TG OEEGONIAN, WED!NESDAY, JANUARY 1802.
25
RAILROAD LINES. OF OREGON
L
Volume of Traffic in the Northwest Last Year Greater
Than Ever Before ff Many Miles to Be Built This Year.
GREAT changes have come into thB
railroad situation in the Pacific
Northwest the past year. Whereas a
year ago there -were a dozen or more great
railway corporations competing for busi
ness here and rates were in a more or less
unsettled condition by reason of the tierce
struggle for tonnage, the harmonization
resulting from the extension of the new
policy of community of ownership has
brought all the lines operating in this ter
ritory Into understanding with each other.
Rates are now far more stable than for
merly. dlFcrimlnatlon in the way of free
transportation to shippers has been great
ly reduced and there has at the same time
teen appreciable lmpro'ement In service.
Blackfoot to Houston, and a further ex
tension over Jnto the Salmon River coun
try is under way. Plans have been made
for building of the Boise, Nampa & Owy
hee both southward from Murphy to Silver
City and northward from Nampa into the
mining country.
Projected in Orcjron,
Work is in progress on a branch railroad
to connect with the Southern Pacific at
Klamathon, Jusl bcyQnd the Oregon line
in California, and give an outlet for the
fine timber of the Klamath country.
From Dayton to the timber belt back of
Falls City in the Willamette Valley an
other railroad designed primarily for the
transportation of timber is under way.
The Portland, Nehalem & Tillamook Rail
way Company is a recently organized cor-
but rates have been maintained steadier
than ever before.
An incident of the policy of extending
community of ownership among the
Western railroads has been the opening
of two more gateways affecting this coun
try within the past year. The first was
the opening of the Spokane gateway to
passage of traffic both ways, which en
abled the Puget Sound section to deliver
to and receive from the Interior Rocky
Mountain region by passing through Ore
gon. The second was the opening of the
Denver gate-Ray. by which the Union Pa-
Lclflc consented to take at that point for
competitors that originated at competitive
points to the eastward. Previously the
Union Pacific had declined to receive such
traffic at Denver, thereby forcing it over
its own line from the point of origin or
driving it over competitive lines all the
way to the Ogden gate, which has been
open since 1S94. These, however, were mat
ters of railroad policy, affecting the rela
tion of the various lines with each other
rather than the Interests of the general
public
The act that put the O. R. & N. and the
Southern Pacific under one general con
trol has brought about greater unity of
purpose and action in the railroad devel
opment of Oregon. These lines comprlso
three-fourths of the entire railroad mile
age of the state, and traverse the most
productive sections. Thei are now op-
fectlon they reach under the conditions
prevailing here, but also, in noting the
differences produced In the various grains
as grown in the Willamette Valley and
in the Interior Columbia Basin.
Paradoxical as it may seem, the State
of Oregon lacked a distinct local railroad
policy until Its railroads came under the
contror of a great combination of capi
talists away East in New Yprk. The local
organization, of each of the railroads is
maintained, but the general policy la
shaped at the Eastern headquarters.
Traffic Increased 10 Per Cent.
There has not been a time in the past
year when the railroads of the Pacific
Northwest did not have all the business
they could conveniently handle. For a
considerable part of the year the main
roads have not been able to meet all the
demands upon them. This Is particularly
true In the case of traffic moving south
ward to California, there being an extra
ordinary movement In that direction. Busi
ness activity In 1600 made heavy demands
on the railroads of the Northwest, and
$hey did more then than, in any previous
year. But in the year, just past the vol
ume of railroad traffic moved has exceed
ed that of the year before by fully 10 per
cent, and there is not the slightest pros-
j pect of abatement. A. large part of the
increase has been in lumber and timber
shipments, though other classes of freight
satisfactory gain In the amount of Port
land business handled.
Notable changes In railroad officials In
the past year have been the promotion of
Charles H. Markbam, who was for four
years general freight and passenger agent
of the Southern Pacific's Oregon lines, to
be assistant general freight traffic man
ager of the system, at San Francisco, the
appointment of R. B. Miller, who had
been assistant general freight agent of
tho O. R. & N.t to be general freight and
passenger agent of the Southern Pacific
to succeed Markham; the appointment of
Wilbur E. Coman, who had been the Ore
gon Short Line representative In Salt Lake
City, to be assistant general freight agent
of the O. R. & N.; the appointment of
A. B. C. Dennlston, who had been city
ticket and passenger agent of the Great
Northern in Portland, to be general West
ern passenger agent of that company in
place of"R. C. Stevens, who died in Seat
tle. Early In the year W. H. Hurlburt
withdrew from the office of general pas
senger agent of the O. R. & N. to go Into
private business, and he was succeeded
by A. Ii. Craig, who came from the ottico
of assistant general passenger agent of the
Northern Pacific In St. Paul. The city
ticket offices of the O. R. & N., and the
Southern Pacific were consolidated Sep
tember 1. A number of minor changes
were made In various offices In conse
quence of the readjustment in carrying
war that had extended for more than
two years, were restored laet Spring to i
a rational basla, and there has been no
further disturbances of lower river rates.
This was Important from the fact that a
large volume of seaside travel was ar- j
zectea Dy it. Tbe .Norm .Beach Itailroaa,
of the Ilwaco Railway & Naigation
Company, which had been purchased by
the O. R. & N. Co., was for the first
time operated in connection -with the river
steamers of the latter corporation this
year, resulting In notable Improvement
of the service. The Astoria & Columbia
River trains run through between Port
land and South Beach without transfer.
A third beach that is patronized by Port
land people Is Jhat at Yaqulna Bay.
Railroad Trafilc at Portland.
Following Is a statement of the number
of freight cars and the number of pieces
of baggage handled by the Northern Pa
cific Terminal Company at Portland for
the months of the year just past, com
pared with the reports for the same
months in 1900:
January .
February
March ....
April
May
June
July
Freight cars
JWO. 1901.
., 8.259
.. T-,6&i
.. S.777
.. 9.203
.. 9.S51
.. 9.5S6
9.65S
f M S&scSmr kj V vJteV5clyw 3? RAEJROAIXS' W OPERATION
sUW Eft. 3 H rdUJT .J )
irffjiA . ( igytftoo city inrHOOO y tPfjX v VM 1 f
mwram D7 y h r j ' k, v t
trsifrsh is i,r. t 1 h . 5aKsy r- v x y
. : i -' -j 1 m rmJLjiattm ' - v rrvx.1 r t . x b 1 . i m
-v.;7 V k(? s jy 1 - Lvj- X v
sff (?-r ?l "- ' - Hv . s 1
L Awj cWt C-N 5 V 1 n I t
irf-J AXtU& yCLANATH FAILS , V X ( 1 C - II
I'-"- -nu ; r umriE i TN I XL I I
ns y k M -O ' x- ,j -. ' J t
RAILROAD LIXES OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. I
. 1 ; X
I T
S.405
7.936
9,794
9.795
9.903
9 430
9.722
11.417
10.992
12.029
10.-683
Baggage.
1900. 1901.
21.606
22.891
C0.196
29.480
33.540
31, 250
33,570
47,534
46,460
35,0ut
34.763
24.054
22.564
30.271
3J.S14
37.592
41.568
43,658
47,635
47,331
37,973
39,191
10,000 27,410 30,000
August 10.818
September 11,305
October 11,622
November 9,997
December 9,219
Totals 116,374 120.116 3G3.S31 433,721
Estimated.
This doea not by any means show all
the railroad business of Portland. None
of the O. R. & N. wheat traffic from
the interior Columbia Baeln gets into the
hands of tho Terminal Company. A con
siderable amount of freight Is delivered
direct to tho warehouses on the East
Side, by both the O. R. & N. and South
ern Pacific, and the cars sent out again,
without crossing tho river to the tracks
of the Terminal Company. One line of
the Southern Pacific does not get to the
Terminal grounds at all. entering a sep
arate station on the river front, at Jef
ferson street, for "both passengers and
freight. Probably one-third the freight
cars that are handled in Portland do
not go to the Terminal Company. Of the
baggage perhaps 90 per cent goes through
the Union Station of the Terminal Com
pany. Steamboats on the Willamette and
both passengers and freight, and sub-'
urban trolley roads also handle both
clrsras of traffic.
Thirteen regular passenger trains arrive
at and depart from Portland every day,
mqst of these being heavy transconti
nental trains. Two trains a day run be
tween Portland and San Francisco, two
trains daily between Portland and Omaha
and three trains dally between Portland
and St. Paul. The others are local pas
senger trains, exclusive of suburban serv
ice. Material improvements have been
made in the passenger service in the
past year, both In the equipment and in
the time schedules. A Sunday train on
the "West Side division of the Southern
Pacific, serving the west side of the Wil
lamette Valley, that was formerly cut
off from all communication with the out
side world on Sunday, except by tele
phone, w as an Innovation of the year, and
It has come to otay.
Portland commands the best of railroad
service. No other Pacific Coast city has
so many railroad lines, no other Pacific
Coast city can get access to the great
producing country of the interior without
climbing over a tall mountain range. The
Columbia Gorge lets railroads through tho
Cascade Range on a water level. The
traffic o the vast and rich Columbia Val
ley gravitates to Portland as naturally
as water flows down hill. The advantages
of this city as a fresh-water seaport
makes it almost an ideal meeting point
for rail and ocean traffic. The local de
mand for transportation accommodations
has been eo great during the past jear
that comparatively little attention has
been given to "foreign" traffic, that is,
traffic having neither origin nor destina
tion In this territory. This sort of traffic
shows up large In statistics of Imports
and exports fo"r a port, but it Is no Index
of the prosperity of the people of the
state; it gives no key to either their
producing or consuming powers, or to the
industrial status of the state.
Main lines of railroad in the Pacific
Northwest are already sufficient for tho
iieds of commerco for many years to
come. The movement Is now toward
building feeders, short lines reaching out
Into productive sections, to haul traffio
to the main lines. Among these are proj
ects for logging roads and roads for pro
ducing mines. As these are built they
open up the country. Introduce settlers
and establish agricultural Industries. This
process of development is now making
gratifying headway in Oregon, Washing
ton and Idaho. The railroads are giving
every encouragement to this rational
growth, and it tills the future with great
promise. J. M. LAWRENCE.
Portland.
Christenson
Machinery Company
East Water and Taylor StsM Portland, Or.
Boilers, Engines, Pumps
We always have a largo stock of
these on hand in tho mo3t desirable
sizes.
Shafting, Boxes, Hangers
New and second-hand in all sizes.
Wood Pulleys
Iron Pulleys
In second-hand, a large stock of
desirable sizes.
In new, all sizes, of every description.
Sawmills, Logging Engines, Locomotives
Ready made or built to order.
CALL OR WRITE FOR ESTIMATES
MHMMMM:MHMM ft
ROBERT "WAKEFIEIiD, President.
Tho shortage of freight cars has been
marked in the last quarter of the year,
but this condition has bL'en general oer
the entire country, and w as brought about
by circumstances that could hardly be
guarded against. There was too much
traffic for tho transportation companies
to handle it promptly. The volume of
traffic in the Northwest was greater last
oar than ever before. This has been due
to the regular development of the local
buslneso of the country and also to tne
fact that this is becoming more and more
a gateway for the commerce of the Orient.
Tho gh coalition of great railroad Inter
ests has taken much of the edge from the
competition that formerly marked the con
duct of railway affairs in this territory, a
great deal of money has been spent In im
proiements and betterments of railroad
property and In adding to rolling stock.
On the lines of the O. vR. & N. Co. more
than a score of wooden bridges have been
'replaced with steel structures or filled in.
and several miles of new track have been
built to eliminate curvature, reduce grades
and otherwise Improve the road. The
Oregon Short line has pursued the same
character of work, which seems to have
become a policy of the entire Union Pa
cific sjstem. A good deal of this kind of j
improvement has been done on the North
ern Pacific lines, particularly on the
Washington &. Columbia River Road in
tho Walla Walla and Umatilla Valleys.
NeTV Railroad Building.
Of the new road there are 35 miles be
tween Kalama and Vancouver, by the
Washington & Oregon Railroad Company,
and five miles from Portland to SL Johns,
by the O. R. & N. Co., begun and wholly
completed within the jear. Survey has
been made for bringing the Washington
&; Oregon Railroad across the peninsula
from Vancouver to Portland, and there is
reasonable assurance that the line will be
built In 1902, involving certainly the bridg
ing of the Columbia at Vancouver and
possibly another bridge across the Wil
lamette. The O. R. & N. Co. is now putting the
finishing touches on an extension of a
dozen miles in Washington, between Pay
ton and CoveJJo, with prospect of 10 miles
further extension to connect with the
Pomeroy branch of the same company's
lines at Delaney. This company has pro
jected a line down the Grand Ronde Val
ley to Enterprise. It alo has a line defi
nitely located between Rlparla and Lewis
ton and considerable work done on the
grade. This line may be built this year,
giving outlet by rail on a water grade, for
the entire rich Clearwater Valley. A sub
sidiary company has been organized for
building a railroad from Union to tho
Snake -River opposite the Seven Devils
mining district In Idaho. Another road is
projected from Baker City toward the
same region. From Huntington north
ward down the Snake several miles of
grade have been completed and some of
the rails have been laid on a road also de
signed to give transportation to the Seven
Devils mines. This enterprise Is now
emerging from bankruptcy, and it will
probably go forward at once.
Jn Idaho a. railroad from Weiser toward
the Seven Devils country is completed and
in operation as far as Council, and a good
deal of work has been done on a further
extension of this line, tho Pacific & Idaho
Northern, for 40 miles, one branch to the
mines and another branch to desirable
timber. Over in the Eastern part of the
state the Orpgon Short I!ne has opened a
branch 90 miles long extending from
poratlon for the purpose of Tmlldlng be
tween the points mentioned in its name,
and tapping large supplies of timber and
coal. Part of the grade for a branch of
the Northern Pacific from Scappoose,
near Portland, to Pittsburg, on the Neha
lem River, has been done and 22 miles of
the line are expected to be completed this
3 car. The Portland, Vancouver & Yaki
ma Railroad has been extended north
ward toward the Mount St, Helens min
ing district, 15 miles In the past year, and
It Is expected to get through to the mine3
this year. A railroad eurvey to the Bo
hemia mining district, near the head of
the Willamette Valley, Is now In progress.
The mort Important railroad building
in Oregon promised for 1902 is the exten
sion of the Columbia Southern southward
for a distance of about 100 miles, from its
present terminus at Shanlko, in Wasco
County, to Bend, in Crook County. This
will penetrate a virgin region having ex
tensive livestock, timber and mining in
terests, and promise of the highest agri
cultural development, in large areas. This
railroad is also projected further to Lake
view and to Burns, but there is no as
surance that those extensions will be
made this year. When completed the Co
lumbia Southern will tap a vast region
of Central Oregon having no other ade
quate means of transportation to mar
ket. This will establish advantageous re
lations between, tho Portland markets and
tho producers of a country that Is almost
untouched and Is capable of marvelous
development This road now reaches
southward from the Columbia River, a"
distance of 70 miles, and has been operated
at a profit from the beginning.
Oregon Railroad Mileage.
The mileage of steam railroads operating
in the State of Oregon as common car
riers is as follows:
Southern Pacific 670
Oregon Railroad & Navigation 533
Corvallls & Eastern 142
Astoria & Columbia River 83
Columbia Southern 70
Sumnter Valley 46
Washington & Columbia River 45
Coos Bay. Roseburg & Eastern 29
Oregon Short Line 15
Rogue River Valley 6
Goble, Nehalem & Pacific 5
Independence & Monmouth 3
Total 1647
The chief railroads of Oregon aro the O.
R. & N. and the Southern Pacific The
O. R. & N. is a part of the Union Pacific
system, and the Southern Pacific is in
the control of the Union Pacific, all of
which is dominated by the combination of
railroad interest, of which E. H. Harri
man Is the most active spirit. The northern
combination of railroads, of which J. J.
Hill Is the controlling factor, reaches Into
the northern part of Oregon, touching the
grain region in the northeastern corner of
the state in the form of the Washington
& Columbia River Railroad, popularly
known as the "Hunt System," and getting
to Portland in the main line of the North
ern Pacific The Great Northern has
traffic arrangements with the O. R. & N.,
over which lino it gets to Portland
through the Spokane gateway. So, not
withstanding the great consolidation of
railroad Interests by which a large part
of the competition Is taken out of tho
transcontinental field, Oregon has the ben
efit of competing combinations. None of
the numerous "foreign" railroads repre
sented in this territory have withdrawn
because of the control of Northwestern
railroads by the Eastern combinations,
erated as Oregon roads, or practically as
cne Oregon system. Whereas formerly
traffic originating In Western Oregon and
destined for the East went out over the
Southern Pacific through California,
climbing first the Siskiyou Mountains at
the Oregon border, and then the Sierra
Nevadas to get out of California, such
traffic may now go 'forward through Port
land and over the O. R. &. N. to tho East,
avoiding both mountain chains. This
contributes to low cost of service and in
creases the speed or shortens the time of
transit. The same principle applies to
traffic moving In the opposite direction.
This Is one of the ways in which tho
new railroad policy has cccne to benefit
Oregon.
Railroad Aid to Agriculture.
For three years past the O. R. &. N. Co.
has pursued systematically a policy for
the development of the agricultural Inter
ests of the country served by Its lines. It
has maintained an experiment farm near
Walla Walla, where various crops new to
the Northwest have been tested, and from
which new and Improved seed has been
Introduced among the farmers. The com
pany has co-operated with the Department
of Agriculture In this, work, and results
have been reached that have been of great
benefit to the country. Grasses for dairy
stock and for rc-coverlng ranges that had
been eaten out; new varieties of grains
from all parts of the world, sweet pota
toes, tobacco, cotton, peanuts, hops and
other crops have been tested for their
adaptability to the conditions of the Co
lumbia Basin. Seme have failed, some
have proved successful to only a mod
orate degree, and some have verified all
that tho most enthusiastic expected. An
interest was also taken by the company
in tho introduction of the most modern
methods of dairying, and this has been
highly successful in various localities. One
of the objects sought is to break tho bond
of a single crop that so many of the
farmers have clung to to give them a
variety of productions Instead of confin
ing them to the growing of grain alone.
As a rule the land of the farmer who
devotes all his energies to the raising of
grain lies idle one-third of the time for
Summer fallow. Modern agriculture teach
es that the grain land may as well be
employed as lie idle, but It cannot bo con
tinually kept In wheat with satisfactory
results. Diversity and rotation of crops
will enable the farmer to use all his land
all the time and with corresponding In
crease in his profits. Grass for dairy
cowe, sugar beet3, corn, are some of theso
variety crops that have been found to
flourish in the Columbia Basin on land
that has grown weak In wheat produc
tion. Experiments with these conditions
have been conducted by the O. R. & N.
Co. where farmers thought they could not
afford to embark on unproved lines, and
the result Is highly beneficial to the pro
ducers. The railroad company Is reim
bursed by the increased volume of traf
fic that comes from the farms and ranges
under tho new treatment.
Within the past year this policy of ag
ricultural development has been extended
along the lines of tho Southern Pacific in.
Oregon and there is every promise that
the results will be equally gratifying. The
creamery industry in the Willamette Val
ley has alreadj received marked impetus,
special encouragement having been given
to this business for two years. Last
Fall samples of 150 varieties of grain were
distributed by the Southern Pacific Com
pany among the farmers of the Willam
ette Valley, and there is great Interest
not only in ovservlng what degree of per-
have also increased in volume. The ship
ping of grain, livestock, mining machinery
and ores, hops, fruit, fish, merchandise
and miscellaneous productions has occu
pied all the transportation lines to their
full capacity. There has been small in
centive to cut rates, the question with
the railroad companies being to find means
for handling the traffic that offered. Or
ders are in the shops for some thousands
of new cars and dozens of locomotives for
use on the lines of the great, throbbing
Northwest. And they cannot be delivered
soon enough to satisfy all demands.
In previous years it was possible to bor
row rolling stock from other parts of the
country for any temporary local rush, but
in the year past the railroads in other
parts of the country were also busy, and
they could give no heed to the Macedonian
cry of their brethren In the Pacific North
west. The Northern Pacific Railway Company
has within tho past year purchased sev-
water front, in Portland, paying ?225,CO0
for them. It is generally understood,
though tho statement is not officially au
thorized, ,that it I3 the purpose of ttho
company to put In permanent bulkheads
and build a. large wharf and extensive
warehouses, and otherwise improve tho
property for the accommodation of the
growing export business of this port. The
Northern Pacific has for some years suf
fered from tho , handicap of Inadequate
terminal facilities for the handling of its
Portland business. This handicap will
now be removed and rapid Increase In that
company's Interests here is expected.
All Did Large Business.
The Great Northern Railway, though
having no line of, Its own Into Portland,
has had a largo share of Portland busi
ness In the jjast 12 months. The Great
Northern Express Company withdrew
from this city upon the expiration of its
contract with the O. R. & N., but that
did not have the effect of reducing Great
Northern traffic from Portland to any con
siderable extent.
Eastern lines represented here report a
good year in this territory. Business for
the Buffalo Exposition was but a small
factor in this prosperity; soldiers return
ing from the Philippines were more Impor
tant. The Epworth League meeting and
the Episcopal Convention in San Fran
cisco brought many extra tralnloads of
excursionists to the Coast, and the North
west entertained its "'share of these visi
tors. The picturesque Rio Grandes were
able to hold their own with Ogden gate
way traffic In the midst of circumstances
not altogether favorable. The Colorado
Midland, though not so large a factor,
made a relatively good showing. The East
ern connections of these lines Rock Is
land, Missouri Pacific, Burlington and
Santa Fe have held their proportion of
Northwestern business. The Burlington's
traffic has been very large because of Its
connections with the Northern Pacific and
Union Pacific as well as with the Ogden
gateway lines. The Milwaukle and tho
Northwestern lines have made satisfac
tory Increase In the volume of traffic han
dled for the Pacific Northwest. The Illi
nois Central, a new line In this field, has
done an excellent business. The Wiscon
sin Central was a little more aggressive
than formerly, with correspondlnng re
sults. The Vanderbllt lines came in for
their share of tho general prosperity.
Even the Canadian Pacific, which suffered
severely in this field by the war over dif
ferentials three years ago, reports a very
out the new policy of harmonized railroad
Interests.
Fares between Portland and Astoria,
which had been cut to the nominal figure
of 25 cents In the progress of a rate
Portland
Rrirlni X Riiilriinn Pn
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140 and 142 North Sixth Street
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Portland, Oregon t
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Pacific Metal Works
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Portland, Or.
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