Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/427



The first stockholders' meeting was held Monday, June 25, 1906. By-laws were adopted, and the following directors elected: George Barclay Moffat, New York; William A. White, New York; Harold B. Clark, Engelwood, N. J.; Franklin T. Griffith, Portland; R. L, Donald, Portland; Thomas Scott Brooke, Portland; Henry L. Corbett, Portland.

On December 31, 1908, the first train, which consisted of one small motor car, began regular schedules between Portland and Salem; later, in the month of January, new equipment having arrived, a new and more frequent schedule was installed and the road got down to a regular operating basis.

On April 22, 1908, there was a special meeting of the stockholders, in- creasing the capital stock of the company from $2,500,000 to $10,000,000. A directors' meeting was held on the same date amending the articles of incor- poration, said amendment authorizing the building of some 350 additional miles of road.

Early in May, 1908, the line from Garden Home, a junction on the main line seven miles south of Portland, to Hillsboro and Forest Grove was begun and the work carried out through the summer, the line as far as Hillsboro be- ing put into operation September 29, 1908, and to Forest Grove, December 20, 1908 — 20 miles.

The company has now under way surveys and estimates for the building of lines from about Tigard, Oregon, through Newburg to McMinnville, McMinn- ville to Corvallis and from Salem to Albany and Eugene. Other branch lines to follow as soon as these are completed.

The next electric line proposed was that of the United Railways Company, promoted by Los Angeles men, who secured, in 1907, a valuable franchise on Front street, for which the Southern Pacific interests had vainly sought from the city for twenty years. After numerous troubles and skyrocket financiering, the Los Angeles men were forced to let go their franchises to a syndicate of Portland and Seattle capitalists under the lead of Herman Wittenberg and R. D. Hofius. Under their management, Front street was repaved and the railroad track put down in a thorough manner, and the main line of their road to the great timbered regions of the Nehalem county constructed from Front stieet to the north boundary of the city, and down to Linnton, and thence through the high hills by tunnel into Washington county. Then again appears Mr. James J. Hill and pays the energetic builders all their money back, and a good round price for their franchises and trouble, and is now following up the ghost of his friend Harriman by pushing a competing line in the big timber, to the milk and honey county of Tillamook bay.

RAILROAD MILEAGE TRIBUTARY TO PORTLAND, 1 9 10.

Astoria & Columbia River Railroad 122 miles

California Northeastern Railway Company, Klamath Falls to Weed,

California 86 miles

Corvallis & Alsea river (Corvallis to Monroe) 21 miles

Corvallis & Eastern (Yaquina Bay to Cascade Mts.) 140 miles

Columbia River & Oregon Central (Arlington to Condon) 45 miles

Columbia Southern Railway (Biggs to Shaniko) 64 miles

Great Southern R. R. Co. (The Dalles to Dufur) 30 miles

Independence & Monmouth, Airlie and Dallas 19 miles

Malheur Valley R. R. Co. (Malheur to Vale) 14 miles

Mt. Hood Railroad (Hood River valley) 16 miles

Northern Pacific to Puget Sound and branches 300 miles

Oregon & California and branches 666 miles

Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. and branches i>327 rniles

Oregon Short Line and branches 1,5^8 miles

Oregon & Southeastern (Cottage Grove to Disston) 20 miles