THE .MORNING . OREGON! AN, 3I0NDAT, .JANUARY 1, 191T.
COMPLETION OF COOS BAY RAILROAD NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT
... . . .
New Southern Pacific Branch Gives Transportation to Immense Area o Great Potential Resources Marked Impetus Is Given to Lumbering, Farming, Mining,
Stock-Growing
and Commerce
If
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,wwV ' vi. . ..--f-"-'.:i-.-
f&cz'fi'c Bridge,
Otrer- lmpckcca
WHAT unquestionably was the a crane with one motion. A vessel
distinctive industrial achieve- carrying 2.000.000 feet or more can be
ment in Oregon in the year 1916 loaded in a day. .
, ,,-. . a,k- At Marshfleld tne road connects with
was the completion of the Southern the o,d road Qf the Coos B& Rogc,
Pacific's new line to North Bend, burg. & Eastern another Southern Pa
Marshfleld and other points on Coos cific subsidiary, extending- from Marsh
Bay. The road was opened formally field through the fertile Coquille Val
with appropriate formal celebrations ley to Powers, a distance of 45 miles,
late in August and has been in success- Powers is a new town, less than two
, . . , years old and the site of the newly
ful operation ever since. A volume of compfcted Smith-Powers lodging op
freight and passenger traffic that is erations. A modern plant is in opera
prophetic of a steady future develop- tion there. The product is hauled by
ment has been moved over the new line special logging- trains to the Smith
almost from the start. min at Marshfleld.
The road taps a rich agricultural. .t,Com,Plet'.,4.,0f ttne ilHB.d
. . stimulated industry of all kinds in the
mineral and timoer district. Its con- Coos Bay dlBtrict. It has cemented
struction was started late in the Fall the relations between Portland and the
of 1911. Work was continued with- cities and towns of that territory,
out interruption until the Toad was Before the railroad was built most
completed in, the Summer of last year.
All the grading and track work was
finished earfy in the year, but opera-
HinitiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiimiimiimttiiiiHiiniitiiinitimiHiiiiiiiHiimiinmmiiiiiit!
OREUON STATU SCHOOL. FIXD
tiou of the line from end to end was 1900..$2.687.604.33
delayed pemlinfr completion of the long
bridge across the Siuslaw River,
lvlch Dliitrlct In Served.
The nw road connects with the
Southern acific main line at Eugene
and extends due west and southwest
a distance of 122 miles to Marshfleld.
It pierces the Coast Range with a tun
nel about 3000 feet long at Noti, 20
miles west of liugene.
On the western slope of the range
H traverses a territory that is richly
timbered and that contains, also, a
wealth of agricultural resources. The
country already is productive of Im
mense quantities of dairy products and
other agricultural output. The pres
ence of railroad facilities will increase
greatly the volume of this traffic.
South of the Siuslaw River the road
erves, for many miles, a series of
tributaries and estuaries of the ocean.
A succession of long trestles span
these waterways.
1906.. 4.120.747.69
190i.. 5.429.930.60
1910.. 8,643,700.89
1912..J8, 643.700.89
1914.. S.142.769.48 I
1915.. X.525.213.25 1
4.916.. 9,313.502.95 I
nuui.HiHimmnfiiuiiniimiiiiiiiiiiiiiminiiiiMHiHHiniiitminiiiiimiiiuttHiinir
of the merchants in the Coos Bay points
bought their merchandise and supplies
from wholesalers and jobbers at San
Francisco. Their only service with
the outside world was by means of '
steamships. Connection with San
Francisco was easier than with Port
land. Impetus Given to Industry.
" Now the Portland jobbers are able
to ship their goods into North Bend.
Marshfleld and other points at a lower
cost and in quicker time than their San
Francisco competitors.
Moreover, the railroad has served to
develop some of the principal indus
tries. The C. A. Smith Company em
ploys at its large mill 400 men. at its
Eastside mill 125 men. The payroll for .
the large mill is $30,000 a month, for
the Eastside mill $7500. The shingle
mill employs 15 men, with i payroll of
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$1500 monthly; the shops employ 15
The richest stand of timber touched men and have $1300 payroll.
The Smith-Powers Logging Company
maintains six logging camps at Pow
ers and one at a point on Coos River,
the seven being sufficient to keep both
mills operating. The output of the
Smith sawmills is 150,000,000 feet an
nually in lumber, 28.791,750 shingles,
17.430,000 lath.
The steamer Adeline Smith, with a
capacity of 1.600,000 feet, carries the
major portion of the Smith mill lum
ber, hut occasionally other ships are
chartered to take special cargoes to
Southern California. The Adeline plies
to Bay Point, on San Francisco Bay.
and the company manufactures its
rough lumber there and distributes
by the Coos Bay road is in the vicin
ity of North Bend and Marshfleld. Some
of these tracts have been under devel-
2niiminiiiiiiiiitiiiiitiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittMfitiiiintiiiiiiniHiiiic
I OREGO SCHOOL CESl'S 1
. .180.798
1905 153.045
1906 156.466
1907 157.509
1908 160.042
1909 166,649
1910 171.742
1911..
1912. .
1913. .
1914. .
1915. .
1916..
.197,111
.196.695
.202, 3S9
.205.837
.209,028
jliifumiiaiifmuliiimiiiniiHiuimiiiiiiittiimmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitinif
pment for many years. The sole
( outlet for this traffic heretofore has the lumber from that point.
been by water. While most of It will
continue to move by water, it will have
the additional advantage of rail serv
ice for Inland business.
The
Smith Mill Is Modern.
C. A. Smith lumber mill at-
1
. x ... v ..... . . . v ,-.... v .. .jm -y -wf WW- -f-w-
Bend Mill & Lumber Company mill at
North Bend have daily capacities of
150,000 feet and 100.000 feet, respective
ly. The Bay Park mill, at Old North
Bend, has 50.000 feet capacity dally.
The three mills' capacity is 60.000.000 '
f AAf VO O T 1 v T ll m Kai ra larn 1 a
Marshfleld is one of the most modern North Bend output are A. M. Simpson
T)la.ntS flf trie Vlnri in triA U-ni-Irl gnrl fnr lha Rnohnaro Ue T
Khips an Immense quantity of lumber. Park mill and Yellowstone for the tion. The Buehner mill is supplied UCea7??K'rc73? also from the O. J. Gray logging camp fl fished and turned over to owners are
Its facilities for loading lumber from North . Bend 1111 & Lumber Company, with logs by its two camps 'at Alle- ShorG j4cre " onCoos River. Khi,.v.rd at Clarke Com Mm "a FranrTsco the
r-ful'Ae6,03 "I .&XX52 Vlf.gLt'ZnFZS?. ' North BnT p..t B
are wonderful. An entire carload can xy.i- c..n t. ,j . j V , , . . , ' .. . ... , A it turnH out two veels last Nelson Company, ban Francisco. Inner
be Picked up bv means of a swin and Vr.eA uu ' . ' eiwmS" J".T.',r Pan3r-.a JJe t'ar!c -I"' 2 V , 7 h on t!,- w.v, The. way are the Oliver Ne!,on. a replica and unloaded br rtwtrlr rr.
" v v i . i ii (.tie nvi in jt- i 1 1 u ii i oc uuinuc miii ori t r om t i )ona in aivu vauKimn . . .
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RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION IN 1916 ACTIVE
Completion of Coos Bay Line and Extension of O.-W. R. & N. Branch From Vale Among Most Important Work.
prants Pass-Crescent City Road Progresses Other Projects Planned. .
RAILROAD construction continued
steadily In Oregon during the
year 1916, although the aggregate
mileage of new roads does not approacji
the normal.
Construction work last year was
grreater than in 1915. however. That
year produced the low-water mark, so
far as new ranrrtad work is concerned.
Vltn a substantial Improvement in 1916
and plans for even more activity In
1917, it Is probable that Oregon soon
will regain her place as a scene of
great railroad construction activity.
The principal unit of new work ac
complished in Oregon In 1916 was the
completion of the Coos Bay line of the
Southern Pacific. The actual con
struction of this project was spread
through a period of four or five years,
beginning in the Fall of 1911. It was
virtually completed In 1915. but a largo
amount of trestle work remained to be '
done at the begintiing of the last year.
All this was finisfted early In the sea
son, and the railroad was thrown open
for actual operation late In August.
Previous to that time, however, trains
operated over various units of the line.
Traffic found Its way in and out of
the Coos Bay district uninterruptedly
as soon as this partial service was
started.
Grants Pass I.lne Extended.
Another enterprise of large im
portance in the western part of the
ftate was the work on the proposed
line between Grants Pass, Or., and Cres
cent City. Cal. Early in the year this
project became the scene of vigorous
activity. Twohy Bros., the well-known
railroad contractors of Portland, are
the people behind it. They have plans
for an early extension of the line across
the state border into California, with
a. terminus at Crescent City, where an
. ample tidewater harbor is available.
The Grants Pass-Crescent City line
first was conceived more than 15 years
ago. Its construction was attempted
by various railroad interests, none of
which ever made a successful start at
actual construction work.
Four or five years ago the citizens
of Grants Pass voted to bond them
selves for $200,000 with which to build
the first unit. They sold the bonds and
built about 15 miles of first-class road.
It is In successful operation. Subse
quently Twohy Bros, and their asso
ciates became interested and arranged
to finance the enterprise further. They
demonstrated their good faith by build
ing about 10 miles of extension to the
municipal line. . Both units now are
operated as one.
Plans virtually have been completed
for an extension of 35 or 40 miles early
this year. . The road taps the Illinois
Valley, a territory that is rich in agri
cultural, timber and mineral resources
Within the last year farmers along the
route Tave started to grow sugar beets,
and a big sugar factory has been built
to handle their products. This factory
is on the line of the new road, about
one mile from Grants Pass. Additional
enterprises of this kind are probable,
as the sugar- beet culture has proved
successful.
Rich District t Be Tapped.
A source of even greater revenue
than the sugar beets, perhaps, are the
Immense mineral deposits in Western
Josephine and E stern Curry counties.
Three or four mines now are in active
operation there. They are heavy cop
per producers. Copper now is com
manding a high' price on account of
its demand for military uses in Europe.
It is intended to extend the road at
least as far as tne copper mines within
the uiew year. The mines alone will
furnish an enormous tonnage. Besides
that an Immense area of heavy timber
lies adjacent and will furnish traffic
for years to come. The land is rich
in agricultural resources, and its de
velopment has been retarded only by
the lack of adequate transportation fa
cilities. The railroad doubtless will
open this territory to hundreds of farm
settlers.
Another Southern Oregon road that
may be built in 1917 is that projected
by the Kendall Bros., well-known tim
ber and mill operators of Roseburg.
The citizens of Roseburg have granted
them a franchise for their enterprise
and have guaranteed them some sub
stantial financial aid-through a bond
issue. The validity of this issue has
been upheld in the courts. Construc
tion work, it Is expected, will be under
way some time this year. While the
line is intended primarily as a timber
carrier, it will serve the agricultural
and commercial needs of the com
munity as well, and eventually may
become an important factor in develop
ing that part of the xtate.
The territory In the immediate vicin
ity of Portland also has been the scene
of some railroad activity in the last few
months, although it has not added to
the total rail mileage of the state. The
Southern Pacific has been enraKcd in
electrifying Its line between Whiteson
and Corvallls, a distance of 43 miles.
The work will be finished within the
next three months, and the electric
service probably will be started about
April 1. .
This will provide the Southern Pa
cific with a complete electric service
from Portland to Corvallis. with an
alternate electric route between Port
land and McMinnville.
The McMinnville "loop" has been In
operation for three years. Two dis
tinct lines are in use between those two
points one via Oswego and Newberg
and the other via Hillsboro and For
est Grove. The electrification extends
south to WhiteSon, a distance of three
miles beyond McMinnville. Terminal
facilities at Whiteson are inadequate.
'Passengers are required to change
there from the steam to the electric
trains, and vice versa.
The Southern Pacific has been de
sirous : extending che electric line
logs from McDonald and Vaughan and
to Corvallls ever since the McMinn
ville loop was completed. Some de
lays were experienced in getting fran
chises in the various towns. This
situation has been overcome. Work on
the rails,' poles and wires has been
tinder way tor the last six months.
The necessary machinery for the gen-
erator stations now is on the way from
the Eastern manufacturers. It will
arrive here within a few weeks. As
soon as it is installed and tested the
line will be ready for service.
O.-W. K. A X. Hxtends Line.
In Eastern Oregon the O.-W. R. & N.
Company completed the extension of
its line from Vale to Crane' Creek Gap,
a distance of 127 miles. Most of the
road was built In the two years pre
ceding the last, but much work re
mained to be done last year. This
was done and the line was thrown
open for use. It now is in successful
operation. It connects with the main
line of the L'nlon Pacific system at
Ontario. '
The new road approaches the eastern
limits of the famous Harney Valley,
rich in . agriculture and livestock.
Heretofore the country has been de
voted almost exclusively to stockgrow
lnr. With the advent of the railroad
some of this land doubtless will be
thrown open to the settler. Already
scores of families have flocked. In.
It was the original Intention' of the
Union Pacific interests to extend this
road to a connection with the exist
ing line terminating at Bend, but this
plan was abandoned, pending develop
ment of the territory already opened.
The most ambitious railroad project
prosecuted in Oregon during the last
year is the Oregon, California & East
ern, of which Robert E. Strahorn is
the directing genius. This road is
planned to connect all the existing
railroads in Central Oregon. It will
provide an outlet for an immense area
now entirely without railroad facilities.
Mr. Strahorn caused surveys of the
entire project to be completed last
year. The undertaking has progressed
to a point that makes actual construc
tion work the next stefv Some of
this work will be star-tea early this
year.
Besides the municipal bond issues
the people of the Central Oregon towns
have subscribed individually. Business
men and bankers of Portland will be
invited to give some financial assist
ance within the next few months.
of tha Stanwood. being double-end
type, with cabin in center of vessel:
the Horace Baxter, building for the
J.-H. Baxter Company. Sun Francisco,
a duplicate of Port Angeles, excepting
10 feet shorter; a 65-foot vessel for
the C. A. Smith Company, to be usel
as 'parkaee" carrier, that is. loaded
WOOLEN PLANTS HAVE PROSPEROUS YEAR
Each of Six Mills Crowded to Capacity to Fill Orders Oregon Fabrics Now Sold in Every State in Union Qual
ity of Products Ranks "With Best.
NIXETEEN-SIXTEEX w is a banner
year for the woolen mills of Ore
gon. Each of the six plants in
the state has been crowded to capacity
In turning out orders. The Portland
Woolen Mills added to their equipment
half a dozen times during the year and
still are unable to fill orders for their
products. The Pendleton Woolen Mills,
the Oregon City Woolen Mills, the Wil
bur Wolen -Mills at West stayton. the
Brownsville Woolen Mills and the
Thomas Kay plant at Salem all report
all the business they can take care of.
and some of them have had to turn
down business because of limitations
of their plants.
Because of the great domestic de
mand for woolen fabrics, the Oregon
made woolens have gone into every
state In the Union. The opportunity
was presented to the Oregon mills
when the Eastern plants began to turn
their attention to' war orders. The
quality of Oregon woolens Is becom
ing recognized as the equal to that of
any Eastern product. In many cases
the Oregon product Is superior. A
market. Nation-wide, is being built up
and it will be the aim of the Oregon
manufacturers not only to hold the
trade but to extend it. ,
Mills Goinx at Top Speed.
In pointing out the opportunities for
the Oregon woolen manufacturers. A.
IU Jacobs, president of the Oregon City
Mills", says:
"With every woolen mill in the state
working at top speed to try and make
a bole In the immense orders that are'
on file, Oregon never before had such
an opportunity to let the world know
the merit of our merchandise. Many
of the Eastern mills are devoting most
of their efforts towards filling huge
war contracts, and the merchants of the
country are buying woolen goods for
the most part wherever they can. .
"Naturally, our compan. wliicli for
many years has maintained a National
selling organization, is securing a large
amount of domestic business. Every
loom in our mill is working to full ca
pacity and we are enjoying the largest .
business in our history. 1 believe that
the merchandise situation of today of
fers a far greter opportunity than
Just filling all the orders we can. and
looking only at immediate profits.
This unprecedented condition has done
whnt, many manufacturers would be
willing to invest a great deal of money
PORTLAND OK KIT I At RI'ILUIXG
PERMITS UV VKAHM.
Year. Permits. Valuation.
lnor, ;.3ix $ 4. im. 3?s :
1906..; 3.166 .!0'J.032
1907 3.(9' 9.44S.9V.1
1908...... 4.S49 10.40S.151
1909 4.739 13.4S1.3S0
1S10 fi.523 ZU.e6.2n2
; 1911 7.S87 19.1T2.370
1912 8.224 14. (752.071
1913 6.710 12.956.915
1914 5.959 S. 334. 075
1915 4.623 4.S95.345
1916' .4.507 6.i9.14i
December total estimated In
1916 figures.
inin wbw
in advertising to accomplish. Millions
of American people will wear Oregon
made woolen goods this year for the
first time. Blankets, mackinaws. auto
mobile robes, flannel shirts, men's and
women's Vlothing will be made from
Oregon wool, and a great many of the
garments actually manufactured here.
"The great question is willj the
thousands of merchants who are buy
ing Oregon-made woolens this year,
and the millions of people who are
wearing them, be sufficiently Impressed
with the quality of our goods to de
mand them after former competition
returns? We' must find some way of
thoroughly identifying Oregon-made
woolens, and insure that at least a
part of this great demand of today
will be continued in the future. This
is the same problem, only smaller and
more readily apparent, as that which
the entire industry of the fnited States
will face when the present world war
ends.
Oreicon Opportunity Seen.
"Though Oregon is a considerable
distance from the largest centers of
population, modern merchandising and
transportation h.v lareelv overcome
the handicap. If woolen goods can be
made as cheaply, if not cheaper, in
Oregon than in the EafSt there is noth
ing that should prevent Oregon from
greatly increasing her woolen industry.
A great deal of tne wool is grown here
tn the Northwest. Our own mill has an
advantageous manufacturing site, and
we have one thing that is the greatest
asset to the woolen industry an inex
haustible supply of good water. The
word "good" hardly covers this, be
cause the water here seems to possess
a peculiar quality which is necessaVy
in scouring and cleansing the wool.
"The point that I have made about
the necessity of identifying Oregon
made woolens now so that the con
sumer will continue to wear them, is
being recognized by the Oregon City
Woolen Mills. For a number of years
our lubel has gone on practically every
article made by this mill. We have
maintained our own selling organiza
tion, distributing our goods direct to
the retail dealer. We have enlarged
our selling territory, and. through the
aid of our National sales organization,
we have secured a wide distribution in
practically every state in the Union.
"While we are selling on a National
l-.asis. we have not neclected our home
demand which has always come first
with us. Since the establishment of
this mill by pioneers over half a cen
tury ago. we have given particular at
tention to the needs of the Northwest,
bringing out many new ideas in woolen
goods for the logger, miner and ranchman."