USA > Oregon > Multnomah County > Portland > History of Portland, Oregon : with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 21
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During this year the steamer Ranger was put on the Vancouver line, and the steamer Yamhill made tri-weekly trips to Hillsboro.
To San Francisco the new steamer Montana first appeared; and the schooner Alfred Crosby, to Victoria; the schooner Champion,
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and the bark Ethan Allen, were found in our trade. The steamship Fideliter, a small, low screw propeller, which always went with a buzz, and at least preserved the appearance of activity, took up the route to Victoria. This same year also the dashing and swift steamer Oriflamme, began to ply on the route to San Francisco.
For 1867 the total export is given as $6,463, 793.75. This appears to be inore than $2,000,000 less than the preceding year, but this diminution is due to a great decrease in the export of treasure which fell from more than $8,000, 000 to about $4,000,000.
COMMERCIAL INDEPENDENCE.
During this whole period, from about 1845 until 1868 or 1869, the Oregon merchants, although industrious and active, and carrying on, as we have seen, a considerable volume of business, had been in reality working under the hand of San Francisco dealers. In the first part of this time inany of them entertained the idea that as Oregon was the region from which the mines of California drew supplies, she must ultimately secure the gold that flowed forth from the depths of the earth. They believed that Oregon would become the head of business, and that her citizens would not only send supplies to California, but also control, to a very large extent, the trade and shipping between the two States. But while this reasoning had much foundation in the natural relation between the two regions, the time was not, however, ripe for its full justification. The out-put of gold in California was so enormnous, so much of it was carried off at once by the miners, the California business men showed such preternatural activity, and the agricultural capacities of the Golden State proved to be so great that the greater portion of the capital developed from the mines was held in California and used in building up the great city at the Golden Gate. Oregon products, although always in good demand in California, did not figure by any means as the exclusive supply. The proprietors of Portland, in the loss of the Gold Hunter, found themselves unable to hold the carrying trade, or to control commerce between Portland and California. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company soon controlling this line, found it to their advantage to court the favor of the California money kings [15]
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
rather than that of the Oregon pioneers. In the course of time the steamship lines passed into the hands of Californians exclusively, and the northern trade was looked upon by them as a perquisite of San Francisco.
During all these years, and even up to the present time, the merchants and people of California, partly on account of the money value of this policy and partly out of egotism and profound belief in the superiority of their own section, continually disparaged Oregon and Oregonians. The "Web-Footers" became the butt of all the little jokes that were going upon the streets and in social circles, much as Portlanders, at present, refer to the inhabitants of Tillamook as embodying all that is outlandish and slow in back-woods life. The rivers of Oregon were constantly represented as too shallow and rocky to be fit for navigation, while the month of the Columbia river was invested with all of the horrors which had lived over in romance and poetry from the writings of Irving. Merchants and insurance companies either refused to send ships to a place which was scarcely a recognized port, and of which nothing but evil appeared in the commercial papers. Our climate was spoken of as detestable and intolerable to civilized man-as being perpetually gloomy and wet, and, for at least nine months of the year, unfit for out-door occupa- tion. This spirit of humorous jealousy was indeed carried to a mnost absurd extreme, and, by means of all the exaggeration of wild western fancy, made Oregon, and more particularly the region of Portland and vicinity, to appear as the fag-end of the American continent, suitable only for the abode of those whose natural inertia and lack of ambition led them to avoid the close competition and high energy of more favored countries-of which California clearly stood at the head. While much of this may be excused as simply humor and vanity on the part of our neighbors, it, nevertheless, worked a real injury to our commerce and to the development of our State.
Abotit the time that railroad communication with the outside world was seriously agitated it began to be seen clearly by the people of Portland that, in order to build up anything like commerce, they must get themselves upon an independent basis before the world.
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If they were to bring down to Portland their crops of wheat, aggre- gating many millions of bushels, and worth many millions of dollars, they must not follow the policy of shipping all this produce to Cali- fornia, there to be reshipped as the product of that State. Their pride in Oregon was suffering many hard blows from being ignored in commercial circles. They saw by shipping reports that their flour and wheat, which, they fondly believed was the best in the world, all appeared in the markets of the world as from their neighbor State, and went to swell her fame among the nations. Portland was not known in the newspapers of the east, except perhaps as an insig- nificent point somewhere on the northern coast. The name Oregon was also carefully suppressed, and ships bound for Astoria or Portland were simply reported as having cleared for the Columbia river, leaving it uncertain to one whose geographical knowledge was imperfect whether this river was in some northern county of California or in British Columbia. Preparations were made for purchasing goods at New York and importing them to Portland direct, thus saving the expense of port duties at San Francisco, the toll paid to her merchants, and the tariffs of reshipping on the California steamers. The name of the first vessel thus chartered was the Sally Brown, and hier captain, Matthews. She was soon followed by the Hattie C. Besse. There was a sort of "great awakening" on the part of everyone, and the newspapers exhibited fully the disadvantages of shipping to California. Said The Oregonian: "Now we believe that it can and will be demonstrated to the commercial world that vessels of sufficient capacity to make profitable voyages can load on this river. But our interests in this regard have been strangely neglected by our people. We have preferred to let San Francisco manage matters to suit lier own convenience, instead of trying to do anything for ourselves. There is no longer any question about vessels of a larger class being able to cross the bar at the mouth of the river; and, for a long time, as is well known here, vessels large enough for direct trade have no difficulty in reaching Portland. But the impres- sions which were formed abroad in regard to the Columbia river still remain, which is not strange when we consider the manner in which our trade has been carried on."
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
The Herald discusses the subject and shows in the same manner how dependence upon San Francisco worked ill to all Oregonians. It said:
"We have frequently urged upon our citizens the importance of establishing a foreign commerce and an independent trade for Oregon. Every intelligent man, on first becoming acquainted with the vast natural resources and commercial facilities of Oregon, is struck with astonishment at the apparent want of enterprise exhibited hy the business men of this section in the matter of foreign commerce. A few days ago we noticed a sale of flour from the Salem mills at the highest market price; it was quoted in the printed reports as 'California flour.' A gentleman of this city has just shown us a letter from his agent in New York, advising him of a sale of flour from the mill situated at Jefferson, in Marion county, Oregon, at the highest market rates. That is put down in the commercial report as 'California flour.' Neither the name of Portland nor Oregon is noticed in commercial intelligence. Steamers and sailing vessels loaded for Portland appear in the shipping report as 'cleared for the Columbia.' The imports of foreign goods to San Francisco upon which duties were paid at that port, amounted to $17,987,535.00, for the year 1867. The imports from the eastern States during the same year were not less than as much more; which would make an aggregate of imports of $35,975,070. Not less than one-third of that entire amount was re-shipped to the Columbia, passing through Portland for a market --- say, eleven million one hundred and ninety-nine thousand one hundred and seventy-two dollars. The San Francisco commission upon this amount was at least ten per cent .--- $1,199,- 927. The freight from San Francisco to Portland upon these goods was not less than $400,000. Allowing the same amount for commission and return freights, and it will be found that our trade with San Francisco in commission and freights costs $3,198,344. Goods can be shipped directly from New York and Boston, or from any foreign port to Portland for one dollar a ton more than for San Francisco. By direct trade with the east and foreign ports, we have a saving of $700,000 in freights, and $2,398,344 in commissions and charges incident to breaking bulk, re-selling and re-shipping, at San Francisco. During the past two years Portland has paid tribute to San Francisco to an amount more than equal to the value of all assessable property. San Francisco has now a population of a hundred and twenty-five thousand. Port- land, with a foreign and independent commerce, with the same spirit of enterprise. which has characterized the former city, would now number not less than fifty thousand. This proposition is now mathematically demonstratable. The mines naturally tributary to Portland are greater in extent and product than those to San Francisco; the agricultural products of Oregon are more certain, and as available as those of California. Our lumber, iron and coal --- the three great staples of commerce --- together with our manufacturing facilities, are infinitely superior to those of California; we are nearer to the rich commerce of the Indies, and in the direct line of the shortest practicable belt of commerce around the world, when the contem- plated railroad systems are completed. With all these superior natural advantages, why do we consent to be a mere dependency? Paying tribute to the amount of one- third of our earnings to a city which constantly strives to humble and degrade us ?"
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The estimates of the amount Portland was then paying to San Francisco, as given by the Herald, were probably excessive, but the reasoning presented was sound and weighty, and had a good effect among its constituents, as the like presentations of the Oregonian and other journals upon their readers.
About this time there were others also striving valiantly for release from these restrictions. Among these was Mr. Robert Kinney, who, although not a citizen of Portland, had interests here; and, as the proprietor of large grist mills, was seeking a market for the products of his manufacture. His son, Marshall J. Kinney, at that time his agent in California, found it extremely difficult to charter a ship for crossing the bar independently of the California companies. He was met with all manner of preposterous objections, and he found the prevailing opinions in regard to the Columbia river prejudiced by self-interest, and even dense ignorance. Nevertheless, he succeeded in chartering a bark-the Cutwater-and the cargo shipped on her was among the first, if not the very first, to sail away independently of California.
As the people of Portland became thus moved, measures were introduced in the State Legislature, which convened in the latter part of 1868, to provide relief. Col. W. W. Chapman, still at the front in all matters relating to the prosperity of Portland, undertook the passage of a bill for a tug off the Columbia bar. His first step was to remove the prejudices of the agricultural members, who were naturally quite loth to vote money out of the State treasury for the benefit of Portland; but the Colonel was able to show them that, as their groceries, farm machinery, clothing and other necessaries were taxed heavily by coming through San Francisco, anything to open up direct communication with New York would result in their advantage. In order to prove that there must be some assistance given to shipping, he showed that although there was a depth of twenty-four feet on the Columbia bar at dead low water-which, at the time, was the case-the dangers resulted from lack of uncertainty of winds; and every disaster has been due to such failure. He showed that shippers and ship owners would refuse to dispatch vessels to this port while this embarrassment remained. He recommended
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
that the State give a subsidy for the maintainence of a proper steam tug at the month of the river. To show that such subsidy was necessary, he cited the experience of Captain Paul Corno, who had some years before attempted to maintain a tug, but found that the business was not large enough to justify his endeavor. Chapman's recommendations were adopted, a subsidy of thirty thousand dollars was provided-to be furnished under proper restriction and in certain yearly installments-and the rates of pilotage were reduced twenty- five per cent. The tug boat was allowed, when not needed at the bar, to tow vessels to Portland.
Steps were also taken by the merchants of Portland, and by the city as a corporation, to maintain a dredger on the lower Willamette river, and a channel three thousand two hundred feet in length was cut to a depth of fifteen feet at low water, across Swan Island bar, at an expenditure of some twenty-five thousand dollars.
As a result of all these endeavors, a new and steady commerce began to spring np. The Packet line from New York continued regular trips, although, as the transcontinental railways were constructed, the need of them has very largely ceased. The commerce with foreign ports, and particularly with the United Kingdom, has, however, grown steadily from that day to this.
The following table of the exports to San Francisco for 1869 shows the progress of our commerce. It is very incomplete, being mitch like the others in this regard, as given heretofore:
Treasure $2,358,000 00
Bullion 419,657 00
Salmon, barrels .. 1,937
Salmon, packages .. 19,729
Butter, packages 1,313
Flour, quarter sacks
543
Wheat, sacks.
49,422
Oats, sacks
58,403
Barley, sacks.
240
Bacon, gunnies 4,723
Lard, half barrels
2,960
Cheese, packages. 12
Apples, boxes.
31,520
Hams, packages 435
Dried apples, packages. 4,912
Pig iron, tons. 825
Hides. . 5,650
Wool, bales .. 3,191
Pork, barrels .. 1,712
Of the iteins above mentioned, it will be noticed that treasure is rapidly decreasing, while flour, wheat and salmon are increasing. Iron appears for the first time in any noticeable quantity, and gives proof of the industry established at Oswego. Sahnon, as shipped in
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cases or packages, witnesses the beginning of the great industry abont springing up in canning this noble fish. Although salınon were not shipped from Portland exclusively, nor perhaps to a very large extent, and although the business of canning was not operated with Portland capital, nevertheless the income from this resource had a decided effect in stimulating business at this point.
The aggregate of sales in the city is estimated at $3,400,000 for this year, and the internal revenue collections were $204,532.
In 1870 the commerce to the United Kingdom begins to rise. In that year, in the monthis from July 1st, 1869, to November, 1870, the exports thither amounted to a value of about $61,000.
The following table exhibits the export to San Francisco:
Apples, boxes 25,600
Salmon, bbls. . . 3,792
Flour, quarter sacks
144,071
Salmon, half bbls
1,746
Lumber, feet ..
6,818,547
Salmon, cases.
22,130
Oats, sacks.
63,235
It appears that in the year 1870 no statistics were kept at Portland of exports, and of the above meagre table the Oregonian speaks as follows: "It is but just to this State to say, however, that the above figures do not for either year (1869-70) express the full amount of our shipment to San Francisco, but only such amounts of the various articles as were shipped into the San Francisco market for sale. It is well known that during each year we sent considerable quantities of wheat, flour, salmon, etc., to San Francisco for shipment to Eastern or foreign ports; these were not included in the above table. The very small increase of wheat exports of 1870 above 1869 is accounted for by the fact that in 1869 we shipped but little to foreign countries direct, while in 1870 we exported to foreign countries as much as, or more than, appears in this table. The latest shipment to all destinations would show that our grain and breadstuffs export have increased greatly more in proportion than any other products. It will be seen that exports of salmon have also increased."
The exports to foreign countries - including China, British Columbia, Sandwich Islands, England, Ireland, Uruguay and Peru aggregated a value of three hundred and seventy-one thousand three hundred and fifty-five dollars-mostly lumber, flour and fish.
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
The statistics of 1870 appear incomplete and unsatisfactory -- showing negligence on the part of the Portland shippers of that time. The foreign commerce during that period does not seem to have advanced quite so rapidly as was hoped, and the Portland merchants appear to have been somewhat slow to make use of the great advan- tages open to them by the new order of things. Nevertheless, this was but natural, as the capital was not then in the city to inaugurate a great enterprise, and must be brought in from abroad. The Customs District of Willamette was created and a Custom House established at Portland this year.
This was, moreover, a period of railroad building and excitement, and, consequently, foreign commerce by water was not so rapidly pushed. Still further, the producers of the country, the farmers, lumbermen and stock-raisers, must adapt their industries more directly to commerce, and not consider it a simple addendnin to conveniently provide to take care of what they happened to have left over of their domestic industries.
In 1871 foreign exports rise to a value of $692,297. Clearing to foreign ports are found five foreign ships, aggregating three thousand, seven hundred tons, and six foreign barks, two thousand, six hundred tons. Of American steamer clearances to foreign ports, there were twenty-nine, and six barks and one schooner, aggregating sixteen thousand tons. Imports from foreign countries reached $517,633.
The coastwise arrivals, from San Francisco and other American cities, aggregated eighty-six thousand four hundred and sixteen to11s.
In 1872 we find commerce rising to something like its content- plated proportions. For its purposes, eighteen American steamers and eight barks were employed, with a tonnage of eleven thousand, nine hundred and forty-six; and of foreign vessels, twelve barks and two schooners, aggregating nine thousand, one hundred and forty tons.
Imports from England reached a value of $350,980; from Britishi Columbia, $31,294; from Sandwich Islands, $171,332; from Hong- kong, $115,338; from other points, $59,831, making a total of $728,825. The large imports from the Sandwich Islands show the
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value of their trade to Portland, if their products of sugar might be somehow taken away, at least in part, from the San Francisco monopoly.
The exports for this year were as follows: To England, a value of $3,041,744; British Columbia, $107,508; Ireland, $187,549; Sandwich Islands, $8,824; Hongkong, $33,925, making a total of $642,620.
The wheat shipped to the United Kingdom from August 1st to December 13th reached 209,337 centals, worth $311,166, as against 99,463 centals, worth $257,276 in 1871. There were five vessels engaged in this trade, while in 1872 there were ten. The value of the grain thus exported did not keep pace with that of the year before, on account of the low price realized. The export to California of flour was 192,500 sacks.
As for coast-wise traffic, there were eighty-two steamers, twenty barks, three brigs, four ships and various schooners, aggregating a hundred and nine thousand, nine hundred and forty-seven tons.
The purely domestic commerce in the Willamette Valley was conducted with the old-time energy, employing forty steamers, with an aggregate tonnage of thirteen thousand, seven hundred and ninety- one, and twenty-one sailing vessels of various descriptions aggre- gating two thousand and thirteen tons. The Oregon and California Railway was now in active operation and the Oregon Central had tapped the agricultural portion of Washington county.
In 1873 there appears a great rise in exports. For the fiscal year ending in September the following showing is made: To foreign ports there were employed three steamers, the California, George S. Wright and Gussie Telfair, and thirty-five sailing vessels, for the most part ships or barks of large capacity from England. The exports of wheat to foreign ports was 640,262 centals, valued at $1,055,264; flour, 37,284 barrels, at $158,895, making a total of $1,284,149.
Foreign entrances aggregated a tonnage of nineteen thousand, one hundred and forty-three, and of clearances twenty-three thousand, four hundred and sixty-seven. Of American vessels in foreign trade the entrances were ten thousand, three hundred and two tons, and
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
clearances nineteen thousand, four hundred and forty-four. The imports reached a value of $514,343, and exports about $1,600,000. This was all trade with foreign countries.
The following table exhibits the trade with California for that year:
Flour, quarter sacks
405,672
Apples, dried, packages 2,533
Oats, centals
117,012
Butter, packages
1,640
Wheat, centals
337,391
Beef, barrels
112
Salmon, barrels
4,361
Bacon, packages.
409
Salmon, half barrels
3,459
Lard, packages
6
Salmon, packages
110,563
Hams, packages.
18
Apples, ripe, boxes
14,644
These all aggregated a value of $2,500,000.
The aggregate of vessels entering on account of coast wise traffic was 112,100 tons; of clearances, 79,694 tons. The difference notice- able in the entries and clearances is explained for the most part by the fact that ships loading at Portland frequently dropped below at Astoria to complete their cargo.
From the above it will be seen that the total exports both to foreign ports and domestic was about $4,100,000 in value. It will also be noticed that this includes nothing of treasure which figured so largely in early shipments; as by this period the business of the country had so far advanced as to be conducted, so far as concerned money, by means of money orders, checks and bills of exchange, so as to obviate the necessity of the transfer of money in a body.
ENLARGEMENT.
The commerce from this time down to the present has flowed on with steadily increasing volume, and the details need not be so extensively given here as in the preceding pages. It may be noticed that with the coming of Ben Holladay in Oregon, as a railroad prince and capitalist, there was a general increase of energy, and much greater rapidity in despatch and shipments than before. Things took on a livelier air, and assumed more the tone and style of California business. Dash, vim and even recklessness was affected to a greater degree in all business circles, and especially in commercial ventures. The transference of the headquarters of Holladay's ocean steamers
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from San Francisco to Portland, inade also a great difference in the growth of the city and in swelling the streams of trade leading hither.
For 1871 the foreign trade rises to the value of $692,297. There were cleared for foreign ports of foreign vessels, five ships aggregating three thousand seven hundred tons, and two barks of two thousand six hundred tons. The American vessels were twenty-nine steamers and six barks and one schooner, of sixteen thousand tons. The coastwise arrivals aggregated eighty-six thousand four hundred and sixteen tons.
Imports for this year from foreign countries reached a value of $517,633.
For 1872 the entrances from foreign ports, comprised of American steamers eighteen, and American barks eight, with a tonnage of eleven thousand nine hundred and forty-six. Of foreign vessels, twelve barks and two schooners, nine thousand one hundred and forty. This made the total tonnage for the year, one hundred and thirty-one thousand and thirty-five.
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