Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/411

Rh was sent here to make a report and right all wrongs. On his first visit to Oregon, I accompanied him on a trip throughout the Willamette valley and dis- covered that he had thoughts, if not plans, for a field of action far beyond the confines of the state. Quickly getting under his full control the existing Oregon roads, he went straight at the work of his vast plan of an Oregon railroad sys- tem having a transcontinental power and influence. And as one step rapidly followed another in the unfolding of his scheme, it was seen that Henry Villard was not an ordinary railroad promoter, but a veritable empire builder. His genius for grand plans of developing great states was fully equalled by his ability to raise the means to successfully carry them into efifect.

w. w. chapman's work.

Upon the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad to Salt Lake, that in- terest had sent surveying parties to look out a route for the extension of their road to Oregon. That exploration, made in the year 1868, vv'as known as "the Hudnutt survey." An Oregon man, Col. W. W. Chapman, one of the founders of the city of Portland, took up and exploited the idea of a "Portland, Dalles & Salt Lake Railroad" on the route proposed by Hudnutt. Colonel Chapman worked upon this scheme from 1870 to 1876, attending the sessions of congress in each year and vainly urging congress to transfer to his company the unused land grant of the Northern Pacific Railroad from the mouth of the Snake river to Portland. Chapman did a vast amount of work on this proposition, getting rights of way and accumulating facts showing the value, resources, and impor- tance of the route, and may be justly considered the pioneer of the road sub- sequently built on the route.

In every view of the case, the Portland, Dalles and Salt Lake proposition was the most important, and if carried out, the most beneficial railroad which Portland and Oregon could have. Because it would not only develop the largest territory of the state, but would place Oregon on an equality with California in getting emigration from the east and in competing for the Asiatic commerce. Pete (talk)^ And that Col. Chapman did not succeed was owing wholly to the opposition of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. That great monopoly would not brook any competition for the eastern Oregon business, and could not see that a railroad on that line would be self-sustaining, and that it was their true policy as a business proposition as well as a duty to the state to support Chapman's efforts and become the leading and controlling interest in the great work. Col. Chapman's long-continued effort has been a thousand times vindicated as cor- rect by the wonderful success of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company, one of the most profitable railroads in the United States. The want of financial support and the infirmities of age compelled Chapman to abandon the enterprise, but not until the time was auspicious for Henry Villard to take It up in 1879. Mr. Villard visited Oregon first in 1874, again in 1876, and again 1878. He was greatly impressed and pleased with the country from the first visit, and had made arrangements to bring his family and settle perma- nently in Portland. He had from the first been deeply interested in developing the country and had made careful investigation of its resources, and of the tributary regions ; so much so that on his visit in 1878 he inquired of Capt. J. C. Ainsworth, president of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, whether his stockholders would be willing to dispose of that company's property, as has been stated in the preceding chapter. To this proposal Ainsworth replied by handing Villard an inventory and appraisal of the company's boats and portage railways on the Columbia river, aggregating $3,320,000, with an offer to sell the entire property at $5,000,000. The property probably had never cost more than half the appraisal, but as it was paying twelve per cent dividend on $5,- 000,000, Villard thought he made a good bargain when he induced the Ains- worth stockholders to give him an option to purchase their property at $4,000,- /