Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/213

 stead provided for the transfer of the former's property to the latter, probably in trust, and when Ruckel obtained title to the land from the United States Government he immediately (January 5, 1861) deeded it to Olmstead in fulfillment of the earlier obligation. This transfer of the Portage property to the ostensible ownership of Olmstead, the writer has concluded to have been a requirement of the bankers in connection with their advances for the construction of the Railroad.

The advantage gained by the owners of the Oregon Portage through their having a railroad from end to end of the Cascades rapids, drawing the steamboat cargoes over its full extent with but two transfers, one from boat to cars, and one from cars to boat, must have induced the owners of the Bradford portage to seek an alliance with Captain J. C. Ainsworth and associates who were building a larger and more powerful steamboat than had yet operated out of Portland. This boat, the Carrie Ladd, proved on her trial trip to be able to stem the current through the rapids up to the Middle Cascades on the Washington side, where was the lower end of the short Bradford railroad. No steamboat had previously done this. The Carrie Ladd was immediately put on the route between Portland and the middle landing, and the former transfer by flat boats propelled by man power or by the wind when it favored between the lower landing, where the Portland steamboats had transferred their cargoes, and the railroad terminus was abandoned.

Once more the Bradford interests were ahead, for they had a more powerful steamboat on the lower river which could and did carry a larger load, and reach the middle landing, effecting a quicker and more economical through