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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 1915)
PORTLAND URGED TO BUILD RAILWAY R. E. Strahorn Proposes Plan for Development of Vast Central Oregon Area. POTENTIAL WEALTH GREAT Independent Project Declared De i fclrable, Owing to Ability to De i mand Profitable Rates and jt Assurance of Monopoly. Portland capital is urg"ed to assist 8n building an independent railroad through Central Oregon by Robert K. Strahorn, who has just completed a purvey of the territory. Mr. Strahorn finas the district con tains vast potential wealth, but as obstacles to extension by any estab lished company he cites the certainty of competition, as in the case of the Jiresent lines up the Deschutes River, and also the inability of these com panies to charge rates which will re turn commensurate interest on the in vestment. Plans for the proposed Independent project are promised, soon. in his answer to those who sug gested that . he Interest himself in further development of Oregon's re sources. Mr. Strahorn, at the Chamber of Commerce, yesterday said: Aam referring to your very kind -letter T July Co, in which you urge me to under take the railway development of Central Orffon and adjacent territory. Vei-y extended and painstaking personal observation end careful consideration of sur vey and reports of competent engineers, traffic men and business men, leave me with a proiounu impression that this is the mosi important and probably most difficult single jroblem that ever has or probably ever will confront Portland and Oregon generally. 3Ire is a region as largo as two first-class KHstern dates, with a great diversity ot resources, which, however, are so widely separated by extensive zont?s of untried and t jirfnt almost unproductive wastes that five different railway lines have balked at its outer edges on the theory that the coun try must be better developed to warrant any further extensions. The one redeeming fea ture Is the exceptional enterprise and splen did d.vt;loping Influence of the Oregon AVashingon Railroad & Navigation Company In continuing from the East toward Harney valley. 1-et us not start with the Impression that ln?k of railroads is all that ails Central Ch-sson. It is true that they have over t hero anout 1,000.000 acres, four times as many as the cultlvu ted area of the great "Yakima Valley, of productive arid lands sus ceptible of irrigation and with -water avail- ble for t ho purpose. Yet, aside from the 1w splendid small examples of what can thus be accomplished, many of the projects designed to reclaim this vast area give little pivtmiso of early completion in their present orsanizatlon. Dlsadvantaced Arc Cited. It is also true that they have about 500.000 nrres, an area-as large as that now culti vated Jn the famous Boise Valley, of proi bly as rich, lasting and easily drained pwamp lands as can be found anywhere. But nnie aro in Indian reservations, the opening r which .s necessary to their prompt and nest utilization when drained, others in the hands of corporations not interested in the Pning of the couniry, and still others in capable and willing hands but poorly financed. They claim 10.000, Ono acres of dry farm ing lands In which soil contents and climate re pronounced by experts as justifying ex pectations of yields of lo to I'O bushels of Krain per acre and from which. If only fi.nno.ono acres should ultimately prove en tirely reliable, there would be a production equaling that of the Pacific Northwest now. "While I personally believe in the merits of thLs vast resource, a better demonstration than has yet been made of the reliability of these dry farming lands Is necessary before much outside capital will venture into rail roads on their account. Arrets Declared Neglected. Then they have Crater Lake National Park, the Ice raves, wonderful lakes and other unusual scenic, climatic and sports men s attractions, and a considerable list of other assets, such, as soda, potash and other ftii Its and minerals in great abundance, the utilisation of all of which is dependent iipon better railway facilities, more capital, better organization and more aggressive ex ploitation. The fact is that nowhere else huv I seen such a prodigal array of re- n-v. u-u. o manv nrn i - ej'tes, more or less meritorious, so tangled in tndr organization or so marred In their exe ciuion for a variety of reasons. Some are Jn conscientious and willing hands, but need -wi.-er direction, more capital and the most flirgresslve pushing. Others arc far beyond the help of railroads, for they must be res cued from the merely booming and Impo la"nRulshndS m BrnicU tney wouJd ajways In such products as can malnlv, although r-ot economically, walk to market. Central Oregon Is already rich. That thess would he largely increased, and the present output e much more profitable with proper rati Xucllilie, cannot be doubted. ltullroad Attitude Cited. Tmt the country insistently cries: "W can t develop without transportation facili ties The railways reply: "We can't build juu do ueveiop. The only solution for such a deadlock is that this other or ganization and constructive work and the r;i!!way bulklin "While the position of the railways la logical tin wo must admit that Iho TTiii u y must fro along: together. man interests are Just as anxiou, as any of ;is to build, there are other reasons tor their inaction, tho best or which is found in a r,n"?h V' l""." to Jh0,r ""fortunate rare vid the Kes. hutes. These lines do not pav pen operating expenses. to s;iy nothing o'i Interest on the Sa2.noil.00.. Invested After mi.-n .in experience in parulleliiiK. is it con ceivable that they would repeat the error n the conjparat.vely lean and undeveloped territory ahead of them? If either one In .. .... tluy UI lne slender business thus monopolized to its competitor? If not . It : not plain that its competitor would culckly be forced to abandon operating ,r J , LV"'IU"" '-anyon line and chargo off the investment? Again, the O.-W. R. N. and Qr Trunk Ket well into the timber and he Wend the! ;Me COU",ry from ,he north at Wend, the southern Pacific already Beta the i ',!;"", I,"' v" """ath couritryyf?om h. .uth the Novada-Callfomla-Oreson takes t Lakeview and Warner LakI coum?" stent clamor for common point rates aftor lrBnch lines are built, which In effect means that traffic shall be delivered beten the at ions and main line points for nothing thus preventing the new extensions from carnihK anything on their cost. Kate Regulation lilt. Considering these things. why should t hoy. under the present stress of financing, their rapidly mounting operating expensed the ruthless but not the es steady reduc tion in rates, and loss of tonnage through the Panama Canal, and constantlv Increas ing exactions and cost of goverumtal .super vision, spend more money in Central Ore sou 7 nihupplly the day has gone by wtitn tht rmlioads are permitted to earn a rea sonable surplus from which to extend lines i ueeiop new regions. Even if thev could uor-.ow the mmey at Justifiable raies it Is Quite a different matter to draw upon a -omtortable surplus for pioneering work of fering doubtful returns, and using a credit already over-strained in meeting current nnd aDsolutely unavoidable demands I know that ir asked, any of these railway interests will frankly tell you that under prevailing conditions they cannot ee any adequate In ducement for railway building in Central Oregon, just as President proule recently advised the Portland. Chamber of Commerce. We had better face "the situation as it is in stead of enthusing over tho reports from time to timo that they Intend soon to build This latter very pleasant reflection delights everybody but it raises false hopes, some times stimulates investments or undertaking that are not Justified, and dttvlrgvs local or independent initiative III this transportation V1 way or tteno, and the Ore- Bnn bhort Line will soon be in a position fairly to erve the Harney country from the '" n Francisco. Boise. Salt Lake and the Kastiget the business to the verv great loss of Portland and Oregon generallv Added to all this is the . Jn..o P,f ' MAP SHOWING RAILROAD DEVELOPMENT IN OREGON PROPOSED BY ROBERT E. tOoaE.- WASH. em 1 A.. 13 Eugene BEND S, H "W. CAL. &P Silver Lake V. . -0q Weed Redding SAN FRANCISCO SUUU BLACK LINKS SHOW KXISTIXK RAILROADS. DOTTED LINES SHOW ROADS I'ROI'OSKD BY MR. STRAHORN. problem which otherwise might be placed in the way of solution. Granting all this, and that what traffic experts claim la true, that even lines of average cost as originally planned across Central Oregon will not pay, and that build ing by ither competitive interest would elmply mean war with another, which is equivalent to an Insurance that no building will be done, what is the remedy? Local Project Recommended. My opinion Is that here is one field which should be and necessarily will be served by an Independent system if it is to be ade quately done in our time. That it must be built of an entirely different character than that heretofore considered. That it will de pend upon local Initiative. That if built on the lines I would recommend, be controlled locally, be operated independently as a connecting link between these five other lines mentioned, be permitted to charge lib erally for hauling, traffic to and from them, and Its tributary country be adequately de veloped. It will Justify all the local effort, money and sacrifice that can be devoted to It. The different surveys heretofore made In Central Oregon provide for lines to coat from $30,000 to Mu.OOU per mile. In esti mating revenues and expenses, traffic and operating experts have figured on the high' Interest charge on construction, and on such schedules of rates and operating conditions and costs as would necessarily follow owner ship and operation by the large companies interested. Their figures have also neces sarily allowed for the high costs and em barrassment of Interstate and State Commis sion supervision. In the difference between lines thus built, owned and operated, and Hues built for less than half such figures, on capital to an Important extent furnished by the shippers or those directly Interested in the country themselves, and operated, free from Interstate Commerce Commission supervision, on a scale of economy and lib erality of rates which would not be tol erated from even the branches of main line railroads, lies the possibility of securing these lines ona baste which will insure their paying Interest. Work Regarded as Pioneering. This must be literally a pioneering rail road. The case of connecting up the pro ductive sections mentioned which are sep arated by vast "areas now largely unpro ductive is so extreme that It must be met by the lowest conceivable construction iind operating costs and the highest rates "the traffic' will stand Its Oregon shippers should be stockholders, who will feel that besides reaping all the other incalculable benefits 'from convenient transportation that when they are paying liberal rates during the development period they are in effect taking the money out of one pocket and putting it in the .other. Lines particularly needed are, first, from Bend to the Klamath region by way of the productive Fort Rock and Silver Lake sec tions rather than the more westerly but largely timbered region originally proposed by the existing lines; second, a continua tion of this Hue from the vicinity of Silver Lake, through the Summer Lake and Pais ley territory, to Lakeview and Warner Lake Valley: third, from Bond to a connection In Harney Valley with the Oregon Short Line aproaching from the east. This makes a toral of about 400 miles, which. I believe, can be built standard gauge and equipped on the economical plan I have suggested for $13,000 per mile, I believe it feasible so to prosecute and finance the project aa to keep the bond Interest charges within $SOO per mile. This would be less than one third the average interest charge on the six leading railroads In Oregon. Building Flans to Be Proposed. It Is not accounted for merely by the much lighter construction, but because of the generally favorable territory, the entire elimination of terminal costs, the much smaller overhead charges, the furnishing of most of the equipment by connecting lines and other important Items, I believe the money can be raised if Portland and alt sections and interests vitally affected will co-operate to the extent the accruing ben efits justify, on plans I will propose as quickly as I can complete some surveys over the more difficult sections and assem ble some other necessary data. Meantime, I have formed the Oregon, California A Eastern Railway Company with modest cap ital to conduct and protect the surveys. I have the positive assurance of the va rious railways which have painfully worked their way to the outer edges or this great Inland Empire that they would treat such an Independent project fairly and cordially. It would prove such an immensely valuaole factor in creating and handing over to them for the long haul large and diversified traf fic where there is now practically none that they would find It to their Interest to co operate to the limit. Then, why not make one heroic, independent errort to open up. settle up and annex our last big, empty back country, to help sustain this overbuilt city hive wnere we ere buzzing around.- uv ing off each other, and straining for some things for which we can have no adequate use until we get more people on tnose va cant lands cst of the mountains? Old Wreckage Creates Fear. Your letter evidences your appreciation of such a project, but I doubt if the average citizen who enjoys the wonderful transporta tion facilities of the lUamette v alley where for a considerable distance there arc six parallel railway lines, has any con ceptlon of the Central Oregon situation. The pitiful story of wrecked enterprises, ruined families ana aoanaonea nomesteaas, result ing from the cessation of railroad building five years ago. when there was promise of so much, and the absolute lack of stimulus for any further effort in a region prac tically at our doors, capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of people, can only be appreciated at very short range or by those who have similarly suffered. The inspiration of your earnest initiative In this railway project, especially in sup plying strong, resourceful men to get into this work up to their eyes will be very essentia! to give those pioneers courage to do likewise. If you do. and persist, more can be accomplished over there in real em pire building than In any country I know of. It will require only a moderate local investment, but thorough organization and supreme effort. But when done you will have something worth while for both, a great city and a great state. Oreat future Predicted. Portland can revivify many falling projects with proper effort and. the earnest Inaugura tion of this one. Also, it can offer the neccs- THE 3IORMXG OREGOMAX, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1915. STRAHORN. summer Lake fD Warner Valley eary incentivaTo the starting of many new ones. Such great changes for the better would be wrought that Portland would realize vastly on any effort or assistance rendered even during the construction period. Likewise it could recover valuable existing trade now largely lost to distant cities, and permanently tie up commercially, socially ana politically all t iat vast country natnrl!v and of right belonging to it. Meanwhile wora would pans tar beyond the confines of Oregon that this project was firmly upon Its feet, attracting an Influx of settlers and capital tnat nothing else could. That its immediate revivifying influence pon Port land and Oregon generally wouTd also be very great cannot be doubted. These days of stagnation are Indeed the days of all days for hopeful preparation. Herein Is my answer to that grave quee tion so often asked: What really great con structive thing can Portland accomplish In 3916? Also, confidently relying upon your cordial assurances of support, I will now say that if my further surveys and inves tigations confirm my present Impressions, X will respond to your appeal to the best of my ability. Thanking you very much for your letter and greatly appreciating the compliment that goes with, it. Appeal Voiced by Port landers. Folio winer Is a copy of the 4etter sub mitted to Mr. Strahorn last Summer by Portland business men: Iear Sir We hear with very great regr-t of the suggested termination of your rail way activities In this field. It not only im pels an expression of our admiration, sin cere personal regard and deep appreciation of the vast constructive work you have performed in the Pacific Northwest, but It also prompts us earnestly to voice our con fidence in your ability to accomplish even greater things, and if possible to Induce you to develop them here rather than eleswhere We respectfully urge upon your attention the broad, rich field for the full play of your genius, experience and courage pre sented by the potentially rich, but undevel oped, empire of Central and Eastern Oregor We firmly believe this and the adjacent ter ritory of Northern California and Nevada to constitute the most inviting field for rai' way extension in the United States. If you will assume the task, we will feel that It is well on the way toward accomplishment and we hereby pledge you our cordial co operation and support. 'our early and favorable response, with suggestions as to how we may best assist, will be much appreciated by . . r . Yours very truly, A. L. Mills J. n. Yeon H. C. Wortman c. C. Colt Wm. F. Woodward I. Lang H. W. Mitchell nsn Selling Emery Olmstead h Ifc Pittock Franklin T. Griffith I- V. Leadbetter Henry E. Reed , Julius Meier J. C. English . Edgar B. Piper 5 tad,d John A- Keating t rank E. Smith p. A. Freeman Th- ilcox S- Jackson . W. Mulkey E. L. Thompson ' J. C. Ainsworth u A. Lewis a0,?11? H?."2il Henry Hahn Adolphe olfe Nathan Strauss E. U. Crawford o. M. Clark John T. Lougall Phil Metschan fa. Benson NEW RAILROAD PROPOSED (Continued From First Page). oect Of their Orv-nnr-a i t . 7 sible. he said, that they not only will . uumnange or business cm reasonable terms, but that they will lend rollinir sinrt .r. : uiuw equipment to the new road while it is in the in- ui its career. Thus the enter prise can be ;i n n cVi ... . - ... ; . - " - a 1UIII1J1IUU. of expense. competition between the railroads precludes the possibility of joint ef fort on their cwrt. cxnh inH ir,. horn. No one road can undertake it alone he nnlntarl nut Knr.ouoA i. ; .r 7 ' -j u Liua KAuie com petition would force the other roads ' "-'iv . ouvh a. inie in oraer to pro tect their Interests. Such duplication of expense is not desired by the rail roads, and is a destructive economic policy for the state, as was witnessed by the folly of building: two lines up the Deschutes canyon, where there is not enoufrh business for one line. Necessarily, then, this project is one that can West be carried out by a pri vate enterprise. Aid. n tfhA.nn Mr. Strahorn is prepared to so ahead iiii mo enterprise, dui needs the sup port ot the people of Portland. The meeting, yesterday authorized him Sto appoint four bankers or business men to co-operate with him in his plans of financing. He will make his selec tion in a. few days. The territory, to be served by this proposed railroad Is as large as the State of Ohio, and in time, it is be- - ' ' J i " ft ii i . ueveiopea. 1 ouHimcr una Aoen uiKea, from .-- , r vjnai CAl.n sive potash deposits, are within this Agricultural experts estimate over 5.000.000 acres of tributary dry farm ing lands will produce 15 to 20 bushels of wheat to the acre. More than 60 -000.000.000 feet of white pine timber will also be opened up. and the region is already a large producer of cattle, sheep and horses. The project is of great importance to Portland, as It promises a new and CASTOR ) -Tot Infants and Children. TftJ Kind You Hare Always Ecaght 1 SI Hill 'HitiMiilhi'lin I'll Fine quality in ready-made clothes savers ? Many men do. Our clothes are much more than this: they're value givers. They give you the kind of value you can estimate in dollars, not the theoretical value that vaguely explains the price of a made-to-measure suit. By best we mean fine imported fabrics, style, tailoring, details everything. direct all-rail line south through Cen-' tral Oregon to Nevada, California and the- East, saving several hundred miles over present routes to Reno. Carson City and other Nevada and Northeast ern California points. It would open up also a vast new and rich trade ter ritory in Central Oregon and Northern California and Nevada. It is of great importance to Klamath Kails. Lake view and the Harney Valley country. Business Lost to Portland. Although the country is naturally tributary to Portland, it is known that Salt Lake and San Francisco get the bulk of the business on account of three existing railway lines having approached from the east, south and southwest In speaking of the project yesterday. Mr. Strahorn said that being one of purely independent and local initiative, everything would depend on the hearty co-operation and substantial assistance of the business men of Portland and the people of Central Oregon, as well as Long Winter Evenings, Warm Fires and Good Reading THIS IS THE TIME AND UtiiS IS THE PLACE to get your eya fitted properly ana ue preparea to enjoy tnese evenings. GLASSES FITTED VMER- FOL LOWING CONDITIONS! 1 Fitted by an expert optometrist. 2 Lens changre taken care of for one year. 3 First quality of both frames and lenses. HERE ABE SOME OP OUR PRICES t Lenses Sphero in your own frame $1.00 Lenses Sphero In Aluminum frame .' $1.50 STAPLES, The Jeweler-Optician, Hart Schaffher coMrogiib Hmxi Schs fTnr dt ALvtx .O YOU make this made clothes consider them only as $35 $40 $50 $60 You can pay any of these for our suits and over coats and know that you are getting the best each price commands all in the clothes themselves. Hart Schaffner & Marx If the famous Hart Schaffner & Marx label is not in the coat, it's not our make. Never forget this. Sold Exclusively in Portland by Sam'l Rosenblatt & Co. Our New Location 266 Morrison St., Bet. Third and Fourth non-residents who have large interests along the proposed lines. He added that if his present impressions, resulting from thousands of miles of travel over the country and extensive surveys and reconnoissances by his engineers, were confirmsd by the final surveys now in progress, he is confident that with the local co-operation and support he could finance and complete the system witnm & reasonable period. He has opened headquarters of the new project in the Northwestern Bank building. FARMER'S WIFE KILLS BEAR Animal Followed by Trail Ieft by Dragging Steel Trap. CENTRALIA. Wash., Oct. 7. (Spe cial.) Mrs. Jesse Hector, wife of a prominent farmer livinsr In the Han n a ford Valley, northeast of this city. 5 ... :1P Lenses SDhero In Gold-Filled frame S3. 50 Lenses Sphero (curved) in G 2. Glass Mtg $5.00 KrTPlok Lennex 9H.0O to S1S.OO 1 62 First Street Nrmr Morribon, Portland, Or. V". X5 W - 1 IT,.. : t.t Jirr,iriiPit.t.rM.w.r',B','tTnB4ii,,t''s:,tr'T mistake about good ready- If this is a new idea to you, you'll admit it's a good one, worth: following up. iuil.iiKta.ili.niiilu. yesterday killed a bear that has been harassing the farmers of the valley for several weeks. The Rector orchard was the bruin's favorite tpot. The woman set a steel trap and yes terday morninpr the trap was gftiie. while7 the ground showed evidence of a fci ..LtxvJi-r v him sa ii r tirViVij ttiil MiiVft" r f--imi rir rmmt irrff PERFORMANCES: 11 A. M., 12:45, 2:30, 4:15, 6, 7:45, 9:30 P. M. t Children under 16 NOT admitted unless accompa nied by their parents. hi money- - 1 ...rp,..,..,. .i.u;Uu.!iiUi.i..l..iJiti.li..i...iii struggle. The woman tracked the beast.- which showed fight when over taken, but one well , directed shot broujrht him down. The bear was ono of the largest ever seen in this vicinity. Head Th Oroennhn's classified nds. Please Come Early and Avoid the Evening Rush I '