Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/127

Rh state treasurer; Binger Hermann, Senator Overman of North Carolina, Senator Clark of Wyoming, Congressmen Henry of Texas, Small of North Carolina, Southwick and Littauer of New York, Patterson of New Jersey and Hedge of Iowa. J. P. O'Brien, general manager of the then, O. R. & N. Co., came with a number of prominent railroad men. The co-operation of the railroad in the construction of the Portage Railway is frequently spoken of. Malcolm A. Moody of The Dalles attended. Hood River furnished a large delegation.

On the return the steamer Spencer with 175 passengers made a record run from The Dalles to Portland, time five hours and eight minutes, an average speed of 20 knots an hour.

The Portage Railway was at first under the control of a commission consisting of the governor, secretary of state and state treasurer. Then the legislature authorized a Portage Railway Commission. Joseph T. Peters, L. Allen Lewis and W. J. Mariner served continuously and efficiently, until at the last session of the legislature, they called attention to the fact that the completion of the Celilo Canal had rendered unnecessary both their services and further use of the railway.

The Portage Railway was made to serve a three fold purpose: First, to demonstrate such volume of independent traffic as would keep a not always eager congress appropriating for the Celilo Canal; second, to exercise a regulative influence on railroad freight rates; third, to transfer steamboat freight between The Dalles and Celilo. Incidentally it served valuably in transporting structural material for the canal.

From any one of these viewpoints, the Portage Railway many times paid for itself. Without it and the open river line, of which I shall speak presently, it is doubtful if we would now be celebrating the completion of the Celilo Canal, "the Panama Canal of the Northwest."

Unquestionably the Portage Railway saved consumers and shippers more through reduction of freight rates than they ever realized or appreciated. Cascades Canal and Locks were opened