Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/218

 194 FRANK B. GILL lv m U assume referred to the upper section of the railroad which was all that was needed while the Carrie Ladd was able to reach the middle landings. On April 17, 1861, the company's secretary, Geo. W. Murray, in a letter to Captain T. W. Lyles at San Francisco said that "Col. Ruckel is very busy with his road and is confident he will have it completed by first May," and on April 19th the Colonel told his fellow directors that the railroad would be in readiness to transport freight from the lower to the upper Cascades at the beginning of May. The rush to the Clearwater gold fields had by this time begun, the eighth gold excitement in Oregon, as one of the Portland newspapers declared. 28 A few days later, vice-president D. F. Bradford (the senior partner of Bradford & Co., the owner of the Wash- ington portage), wrote the subjoined letter to the com- pany's agent at The Dalles. Portland, Oregon, April 23, 1861. Mr. L. W. Coe. Dear Sir: Captain John [Wolfe] informs me that yesterday with the advantages of sail he made the rapids with the water at least one foot higher than when the boats stopped running last season and that within the past twenty-four hours the river has raised at least one foot more and doubts whether with a small load he can make the middle landing. I have instructed him if he cannot do it and is satisfied it cannot be done with a small load even on the "Carrie" he is to forward this letter to you. The boat has now from 60 to 75 tons on board. How much may be sent next trip cannot say, but it will not answer to allow the freight to accumulate at Cascades and as Col. Ruckel stated he could not be ready to take freight before May 1 necessity compels us to obtain transporta- tion by wagons. I have therefore to request in the emer- gency you would make arrangements with parties at The Dalles to go to the Cascades and haul and as dispatch is 28 Portland Daily Oregonian, April 27, June 1, 1861. 1861; Weekly Oregonian, $K.