Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/317

 OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD 279 But year by year it was becoming evident that the great resources in mines did not exist to the extent that it had been supposed, hence those estimates which had consid- ered the great amount of tonnage which the mines would give to the railroads gave a false hope, and a false view of the prospects of the road. Barry had estimated that the road would receive an in- come of a million dollars a year from the mining freight alone. This was shown to be ridiculous, for in 1870 the total production of the mines in Oregon only amounted to $417,797. 60 Probably at no itme has the amount received by the rairaod from mining freight even approximated the estimate made by Barry. More than this, the earnings that had been expected from agricultural land had been overestimated. The at- tempt of the company to make up for these deficiencies by high rates was met by the farmers in the Grange movement. Thus, as early as March 16, 1872, the Wil- lamette Farmer contained this editorial against high rates: "The people of the Willamette Valley have troubled themselves about getting cheap transportation on freight shipped to San Francisco. Many hoped that when the railroad was completed to the head of the valley, the charge would be more reasonable. But they have been deceived since Mr. Holladay has advanced rates on wheat and flour five cents per ew^., and ten cents per barrel. The question arises, 'What are the people of Oregon to do? Will they rise in their might and strike down this monster monopolist?' The crisis will come in the Legisla- ture. He controls the Northern Pacific Cpmpany, both east and west side railroad and the Willamette Transpor- tation Company. Vote for no man that is not pledged against this monopoly." 61 60 U. S. Census Report, 1870. 61 Quoted in Scott—The Grange Movement 'in Oregon. The Northern Pacific Company was a steamboat line running to San Francisco, while the Willamette Transportation was a company in control of the river trade. lif:*!: