Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/396

 ing of the stockholders, in pursuance of the general incorporation law, for the election of a board of directors.

8th. The above articles are hereby made a part of the contract of subscriptions between the stockholders and said company.

The said secretary shall open an office for the transaction of the company's business, and proceed to the work of canvassing for subscriptions of stock in the counties and towns along the route of said road ; the Hon. F. A. Chenoweth being authorized to canvass Linn and Benton Counties.

"It is not proposed to discuss the importance of this railroad enterprise to the people of the state, or to urge the importance of aiding it at this time. It has been very fully explained heretofore by official documents and the public press, and what has not been already said, and is deemed necessary to be said, will be urged on the attention of the public at another time.

It may be stated now that the enterprise has gained such strength and received such assurances of encouragement from practical railroad men and capitalists, that this present effort will certainly be crowned with success. A little patience and perseverance, in addition to what aid the farmers and business men of Oregon will be able to give it, is all that is necessary to put the road through to the head of the Willamette valley. From the fact that the railroad companies of California have engaged all the shipping for a long time ahead, for the transportation of railroad iron, (ships being willing to carry only a small quantity as ballast,) it will be necessary to secure an extension of time from congress, for the construction of the first section. Arrangements have been made with our delegation in congress to secure not only this extension of time, but also a confirmation of the land grant to this company, in pursuance of the action of the legislature. Negotiations are now pending between the company and railroad capitalists in the east, and as soon as positive assurances that they will invest their money in the securities of this company, or furnish the iron and funds to put it through, (which are daily expected) subscriptions of stock will be solicited, so that what is done will not be fruitless effort, or time and money thrown away. The names of the in- corporators above are a sufficient guarantee that whatever is done will be done in good faith, and for the best interests of the enterprise, and that it will be perseveringly pushed forward to final success.

All those mentioned above are now dead except Gaston.

Persons on the east side of the Willamette river, notably I. R. Moores, and others, at Salem, opposed this proposition because it recognized the "Barry Survey;" and in consequence the people of the east side of the Willamette