USA > Oregon > Multnomah County > Portland > History of Portland, Oregon : with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 22
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The following exhibits the imports:
From England, ..... value of .. . $350,980 British Columbia, 31,294
Sandwich Islands, 171,332
66 Hongkong, 115,338
All other, 66 59,831
Total
728,825
The following exhibits the exports:
To England .. ... value of .... $304, 744
" British Columbia, 107,508
" Ireland, 187,549
" Sandwich Islands, 8,824
" Hongkong, 33,995
Total .. 642,620
During these years one notices with interest the steady increase in shipment of wheat to the United Kingdom-showing that Portland, as the commercial city of Oregon, was rapidly building up a great foreign trade. In 1871 this was but 99,463 centals, valued at $257,276; while in 1872 the shipments rose to 209,337 centals, valued at $511,166. Flour shipped to California was 192,500 quarter sacks. The total export of wheat was twenty-three thousand eighty-two tons, and of flour fourteen thousand five hundred and fifty-eight tons. Although these figures show a large increase in quantity shipped, the prices realized during this season were so low as to impair somewhat the advantage thus derived.
234
HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
In the district of the Willamette there were registered this year forty steamers, with an aggregate tonnage of thirteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-one tons, and twenty-one sailing vessels of various kinds, two thousand and thirteen tous. This large munber of craft on the rivers shows a well sustained inland trade, and that the transportation lines were active in bringing to the sea-board the interior products.
In 1873 Portland experienced the great fire by which about a million and a half dollars worth or property were destroyed. This great loss, calling for its repair, all the money that might be raised upon real securities, necessarily withdrew from trade and commerce large sums which would otherwise have been applied to their enlargement. Confidence was for a time somewhat shaken, and the year was less productive than was expected at the beginning; never- theless, the volume of foreign trade continued to steadily increase as before. For the fiscal year ending in September we find three steamers plying to foreign ports, in British Columbia. These were the California, the George S. Wright and the Gussie Tellfair. Tlie latter of these was looked upon with some interest as the first iron steamship in our waters; and even more as having in her younger and wilder days been a Rebel blockade runner. Besides the steamers there were thirty-five sailing vessels, mostly owned in Great Britain. The total export of wheat amounted to 640,262 centals, valued at $1,055,264; flour, 37,284 barrels, at $158,895; making a total value of wheat and flour export to the United Kingdom1, $1,284, 149.
To California, wheat reached 116,076 centals; flour, 209,304 quarter sacks.
The total shipments to California for this year are shown by the following table:
Flour, quarter sacks 405,672
Apples (ripe), boxes
14,644
Oats, centals
117,012
Apples (dried), packages
2,533
Wheat, centals.
337,391
Butter, packages 1,640
Salmon, bbls
4,361
Beef, bbls ..
112
Salmon, half bbls
3,459
Bacon. packages. 409
Salmon, packages
. . 110,563
Lard, packages. 6
The total valuation of the above is set down as $2,500,000.
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COMMERCE.
Coastwise entrances aggregated 112,100 tons; clearances, 79,694 tons. Foreign entrances, 19,143 tons; clearances, 23,467 tons. The tonnage of American vessels in foreign trade was-entered, 10,302; cleared, 19,444. The imports reached $514,343, and the exports about $1,600,000 to foreign countries.
Following this year a new impetus to the production of grain was given in the upper Willamette Valley by the opening of the Willamette river to the head of navigation by means of a canal and locks at Oregon City. Steamers were thereby enabled to carry grain from points even as far as Eugene City to Portland without breaking bulk. So soon as the autumn rains-usually in October-swelled the volume of the river, these light crafts began to remove the crops that the farmers hauled from considerable distances to shipping points on the river, and continued the traffic until late in the summer succeeding. The actual proportion of grain thus moved was not so large, but, on account of the competition thus afforded, rates of rail transportation were materially reduced.
The Portland merchants also, both in order to enable vessels of large draft to conveniently load at their wharves, and also to finish their lading beyond a degree of safety for passage down the Willamette river, constructed a number of immense barges to accompany the ships to Astoria, with the residue of their cargoes, or to leave it in store at that port as might be needed. This proved, however, to be only necessary as a temporary expedient, since the deepening of the channel between Portland and the ocean renders unnecessary all such expedients. New attention was directed to the safety and facility of passing in and ont the Columbia river, and attention was called to the fact that out of more than one thousand arrivals and departures at the bar during the four years preceding but one loss was experienced, and this was due to the fright of the captain, chiefly, who aban- doned his ship, to be rescued afterward by a party of salvors. Much railroad agitation was carried on in these years, and all were eager for direct communication with the East. .
A good authority at the time thus speaks of the commercial condition: "In summing up our year's condition, we can say that if it has not been all that the most sanguine expected, it has, never-
236
HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
theless, proved the incorrectness of what grumblers predicted for it. The sweeping disaster of the great fires of the two preceding years seriously effected many of the sufferers, and the effects of the heavy losses have not yet in some instances been overcome; but, notwith- standing these calamities, and a few reverses in trade circles, there have been no failures of large firms or of business suspensions of consequence. The sound commercial basis which underlies our leading houses, their wholesome system of trade, and their positive cautiousness against speculation all combine to provide against disaster and to inspire confidence."
"From a table compiled this year to show the exports of wheat from 1868 to the middle of 1874, we find a total value of $11,105,850."
"The bulk of the wheat was exported to the United Kingdom, and also a round aggregate of flour-but the largest proportion of the latter was sent to San Franciso, to New York, to ports in the Pacific, and to China and Japan."
It is reported for this year that nearly two hundred ships were employed in the export trade; but this evidently includes all coast wise craft of every description.
For the year 1875 we find a somewhat low condition-or at least not so flattering as might be expected. From Walling's directory we clip the following: "During the past year, Portland, in common with every other section of the Union, has felt the effect of the stagnation which has had such disastrous effects upon the commercial prosperity of the entire country; but remote as we are from the great centers of commerce, we have been comparatively free from the disastrous consequences which have left their impress upon the business marts of the eastern slope."
As is usually the case in periods of business depression, merchants and others began industriously to invent means of expanding their trade; and soon a hopeful condition of affairs was attained. Work on the West Side railroad, which had been stopped at St. Joe, on the Yamhill river, was resumed, and the region thus tapped, was brought into more intimate relations with Portland.
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COMMERCE.
The number of American vessels entering this year aggregated 100,602 tons; the foreign, 16,304 tons.
The value of exports is shown by the following table:
To England. $ 799,818 00
" British Columbia
136,600 00
" Hongkong .. . . 41,448 00
" Sandwich Islands 549,480 00
" Australia 9,720 00
" Uruguay
58,743 00
Total 1,623,313 00
Imports from these countries in foreign vessels were valued at $283,499; in American vessels, $163,359; total, $446,858.
The wheat sent to England during this year was 513,481 bushels; to Ireland, 548,986 bushels; flour, 48,110 barrels.
Noticing some of the imports we find ten thousand bricks from England-evidently brought by way of ballast. Bags, also, were brought from England to the value of $79,086. The trade from China was very largely in rice, a considerable portion of which was for the Chinese consumers in our midst; 731,926 pounds.
From the Sandwich Islands there were imported 160, 839 pounds of rice; of sugar, 3,353,552 pounds; of molasses, 1088 gallons. This is evidently before the monopoly of Spreckles in California.
During 1876 business rapidly revived and the general enthusiasm prevailing throughout the entire United States did much to inspire our merchants with new energy and confidence. More interest was taken in collecting reliable statistics and in showing the world what we were capable of. It was found that the exports of Oregon averaged three hundred and eighteen dollars to each man in the State. "With a population of forty thousand men, Oregon's export of wheat equals one-seventh of the total export of the United States."
Eastern Oregon and Washington had now begun to raise wheat in large quantities. Wool figures as a very valuable product-the export being for that year 3, 125,000 pounds, worth $600,000. The salınon catch was also rising and exports from this source were assuming large proportions. In 1875, 372,000 cases were put up,
238
HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
and in 1876 this was swelled to 480,000 cases. Seventy-two vessels cleared with cargoes mostly wheat, for European ports. The export of wheat to Europe was 1,824,371 centals, valued at $3, 138,- 294. The total export was 1,937,787 centals. The export of flour aggregated 215,714 barrels. The excess of wheat and flour exports for 1876, over 1875, reached a value of $794,857.
In the record of shipments to San Francisco, it is noticeable that apples are coming up to their former figure, being 41,523 boxes of the fresh fruit, and 6,363 packages of the dry; 22,671 sacks of potatoes and 176,939 bushels of oats were also shipped, but the bulk of our shipments thither for that year consisted of 290, 076 cases of canned salmon, showing that almost from the first our cannerymen looked for sale of their goods in California. If it had been possible to carry on the salmon business on a purely independent basis before the world, and make Portland, the city nearest the greatest production of this article, the emporium, it is believed that many disasters and difficulties which overtook this business might have been avoided.
The shipment of treasure, or the actual transportation of money for this year was $2,651,431.78.
As another sign of increase and advance toward commercial supremacy was the change noticeable at this time, by which the country merchants and the jobbers and dealers in small towns began to look to Portland as the base of their supplies.
During 1877 loud calls were heard from the people of Portland for direct railroad communication with the East, and strenuous exertions were made for the building of a road from Portland via The Dalles to Salt Lake. Much of this eagerness for independent rail lines was developed by the fact that in California many emigrants starting overland for Oregon were turned back by the representations of agents of the California Emigration Boards, and the Oregonians found their growth in population much retarded thereby.
The total value of exports from the Columbia river in 1876 was estimated at $11,825,087; in 1877 at $16,086,897. Seventy-eight ships and barks were engaged in carrying to foreign ports 2,341,210 centals of wheat, worth $4,954,475. Upon five vessels there were shipped 59,389 barrels of flour, worth $355,690.
I. a.Stroubridge
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COMMERCE.
We venture to insert here one more table of exports to San Francisco, which the indulgent reader may omit in reading unless for purposes of reference and comparison :
Wheat, centals
504,836
Flax seed, sacks 12,792
Flour, barrels
113,732
Hides.
37,090
Oats, centals
146,050
Beef (canned), cases
15,612
Barley, centals
5,608
Butter, packages
2,064
Middlings, sacks
2,834
Bacon, packages.
1,030
Bran, sacks.
19,418
Lard, cases
307
Shorts, sacks
2,569
Hams, packages
263
Apples, boxes ..
73,282
Pork, barrels
372
Dried fruit, packages
3,206
Hops, bales
2,006
Potatoes, sacks.
37,081
Cheese, packages
729
Hlay, bales.
863
Salmon, cases
246,892
Salmon, half barrels
723
Salmon, barrels
173
Wool, bales.
15,759
The following table is also attended as giving the comparative shipments and values of wheat, including flour reduced to wheat, for the years 1874-75-76-77:
1874-Centals.
.2,312,581 .. . worth $4,549,992
1875-Centals
2,095,532. . worth
3,610,172
1876-Centals
2,894,722. worth 4,405,029
1877-Centals
3,383,473 worth 7,310,529
In 1878 there appears to be a falling off in export of wheat, which reached but 1,449,608 centals, valued at $2,540,112; flour valued at $329,000.
During the year 1878, however, there were exceedingly lively times between Portland and San Francisco on account of the compe- tition between several steamship companies for the trade. In opposition to the Oregon Steamship Company, the old Pacific Mail steamers of large size, the Orizaba and the John L. Stephens were run. Also the Great Republic, the largest vessel ever afloat in our waters, carried things with a high hand, sometimes transporting as many as a thousand passengers at a single trip.
In 1879 the total number of steam craft of the Willamette District (Portland) was sixty, with a tonnage of 27,597. Of these the G. W. Elder and the Oregon, belonging to the Oregon Steamship Company, iron ships, built at Chester, were the finest and most conspicuons. [16]
240
HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
The wheat export required the services of seventy vessels, and nineteen vessels were also engaged, either wholly or in part, for flour. The wheat reached 1,932,080 centals, worth $3,611,240; flour, 209,098 barrels, valued at $1,143,530. The total value of wheat and flour shipped both to domestic and foreign ports was $5,345,- 400.
The following table exhibits the rise and growth of the wool export :
1873 2,000,000 pounds
1874
2,250,000 pounds
1875 .2,500,000 pounds
1876. 3,150,000 pounds
1877.
5,000,000 pounds
1878.
6,500,000 pounds
1879.
7,000,000 pounds
The following figures furnish the statistics of the salmon canning business on the Columbia river. There were canned the following number of cases, in 1875, 231,500; 1876, 428, 730; 1877, 392,000; 1878, 278,488; 1879, 325,000.
For 1880 the shipment of wheat was 1, 762,515 bushels, valued at $1,845,537; flour, 180,663 barrels, valued at $891,872. The value of shipments to San Francisco aggregated $4,500,000. The wool shipment was 7,325,000 pounds; salmon, 472,000 cases.
For 1881 the value of wheat was $1,845,537, or, 1,766,515 bushels. For 1881 the shipments of lumber from Portland were considerable, although until this time the Portland mills were for the most part occupied in cutting for local trade, and to supply surround- ing and interior points. The three principal mills at Portland cutting for this year were the Portland Lumbering and Manufacturing Co., 6,200,000 feet; Smith's mill, 5,000,000; Wiedler's, about 50,000,000.
During this year greater interest than heretofore had been taken by Portland capitalists in exploring and opening coal and other inines that were naturally tributary to her; and a number of enegetic men in this city formed an organization to encourage the growth of fruit in the contiguous sections and open a market to the east and up and down the coast. The salmon catch on the Columbia reached 550,000 cases.
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COMMERCE.
The years of 1880-1 were marked by the great business activity resulting from the construction of the Oregon Railway and Naviga -. tion Company's lines, the section from The Dalles to Walla Walla, to the Blue Mountains and to Texas Ferry, then building. The Northern Pacific railroad was running trains from Kalama to Tacoma and constructing the section of their road northeast of Ainsworth fifty-seven miles. The value of imports for this year are given as $486,208.
The following statement will show the state of business during 1882: "Prosperity of business has been unparalleled. The commerce of the city has been constantly increasing during the past year. The tonnage of ocean steamers arriving at this port shows an increase of more than double the records of any previous year, many first-class steamships from foreign countries having made exception- ally prosperous voyages to and from Portland. Our regular ships plying hence to San Francisco have been constantly improving in character and increasing in number until the Portland line has become the busiest, most reliable and inost profitable marine traffic from the city of San Francisco. The number of passengers carried on this line amounts to 5000 or more every month, and freights average 40,000 tons. The 'deep sea crafts' which visit our river prove the ignorance or malice of those who would represent entrance and navigation of the Cohunbia and the Willamette as perilous or impossible. There are now lying at our docks vessels which will load to twenty-two feet drafts before slipping their hawsers, and inake the open sea without danger or delay."
The Willamette river was much improved, and agitation for the improvement of the Columbia bar was begun. The following excerpt shows the general spirit prevailing at the time: "Every unprejudiced observer of this vigor and of Portland's relation to the surrounding country says 'Portland ought to do the business of Oregon, Wash- ington and Northern Idaho.' The completion of an unbroken line having five hundred miles of railroad eastward, with Portland as its great terminal point, marks an era in our history which will only be eclipsed by the present year."
242
HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
The year 1883 fully realized all the hopes that were raised by the construction of the O. R. & N. Company's lines. Portland took long strides towards the pre-eminence naturally assured her by right of position. "It used to be said that three-fourths of our interior trade passed Portland, and was supplied by San Francisco. The past year has changed this condition of things so materially that possibly the conditions are reversed."
" During the year the ocean commerce of Portland seems to have somewhat diminished, but this is most natural, considering the vast amount of tonnage which the railroads have displaced by more rapid transportation. The city has during the year maintained its own powerful dredgers for the purpose of increasing the depth of channel in the Willamette, and less trouble than heretofore has been experienced in bringing ships to Portland. The latter months of 1883 found a greater number of ships in her harbor than one ever saw here at once, forty such vessels being at dock at one time in November."
It was in 1883 that the O. R. & N. Company's lines were finished and the main line of the Northern Pacific was pushed to a junction with its eastern section.
In 1884, however, a great business collapse resulted from the unusual expansion of the preceding months, and the year was rather disastrous. The Oregon and Transcontinental stocks dropped to a minimum. Villard failed, and many Portland stockholders were greatly crippled. Fictitious values had to be brought down to a substantial basis. Cessation of railroad construction, discontinuance of disbursements, and the fact that the railroad now coming into operation began to absorb the flowing money in the country, all tended to create a stringency. Prices of wheat fell low, and productions therefore realized but poorly; and during the holidays in Portland the whole city was blockaded by an unprecedented storm of snow and ice, so that the somewhat unusual preparations of Portland merchants failed to realize their object. The time of this storm was, however, reckoned as about the lowest ebb of business, and with the advance of winter and the opening of the following season began a general rise. The main line of the Northern Pacific Railroad having
243
COMMERCE.
been completed, brought in immigration from the East. The O. R. & N. Company pushed their line to a junction with the Union Pacific, and formed a net-work of lines in the valley of the Columbia. The Oregon and California road was continued to Ashland, and the Oregon Pacific was finished from Corvallis to Yaquina bay. The section of the Northern Pacific from Portland to a point on the Columbia river opposite Kalama was also built.
The imports of this year are stated to be, domestic, $18,868, 129; foreign1, $1,013,866.
The exports aggregated, domestic, $6,284, 735; foreign, $5,648, - 116, making a total of about $12,000,000.
The wholesale trade diminished, owing to the cessation of railroad construction, but, as an offset, country merchants found that they could do better at Portland than at the East.
In 1885 there were shipped 4,546,540 centals of wheat, valued at $45,643,650, and 459, 159 barrels of flour, valued at $1, 751,589, making a total value of $7,394,239.
The shipment of wool aggregated 11,558,427 pounds, worth $1,637,936. The value of all exports reached $14,280,670, being $2,347,819 over the exports of the preceding year. The greatest crop of grain hitherto raised in the Northwest was harvested this vear.
For 1886, the following table of exports still further illustrates the growth.
Wheat, centals.
4,919,346
Flax seed, sacks.
68,431
Flour, barrels
605,694
Furs, hides, skins, etc., lbs .. 2,383,710
Salmon, cases.
548,366
Hops, pounds 6,520,036
Wool, pounds.
19,227,105
Barrel stock, packages.
11,594
Woolens, cases.
819
Potatoes, sacks
111,062
Mill stuffs, sacks
227,719
Oats, sacks
209,126
Barley, centals
40,685
Laths, MI
6,658
Leather, packages.
590
Green fruit, boxes
91,166
Tallow, packages
1.765
Dried fruit, packages
7,236
Butter, packages.
286
Ore, sacks. 18,592
Eggs, packages.
3,488
Onions, sacks
5,161
Provisions, packages
6,570
Teasels, cases,
29
Pig iron, tons,
1,567
Stoves. 1,615
Lumber, MI
28,771
Total value of exports. $16,960,147 00
244
HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
For 1887 the shipment of wheat was 173,915 tons, and flour, 45,766 tons, making a total-all reduced to wheat-of 237,989 tons. The total export of 1887 was $13,985,681.
The statistics of wheat for 1888 are given as follows:
To Europe-Centals. .3,149,764. . valued at .... $3,716,598
To Sau Francisco-Centals .. 1,099,109 .. . valued at .... 1,288,819
Coastwise-Centals 160,154 .valued at. . . . 196,370
Peru-Centals 53,344 valued at .. 60,610
The shipment of flour for the same period is shown by the following table:
Europe-Barrels. 402,734 . valued at .... $1,399,773
San Francisco-Barrels. 107,834 . valued at .... 397,346
Coastwise-Barrels. 62,967. . valued at .... 245,775
China-Barrels. 71,036. .. . valued at .... 259,412
The total shipment of wheat reached 4,462,371 centals, of a value of $5, 716,598; flour, 644,471 barrels, of a value of $2,302, 606.
The total export of 1888 reached $16,385,658. The shipment of salmon was 428,437 cases; the production of wool about 18,000,000 pounds.
It may be noticed in relation to the foregoing statistics that they are to a large extent incomplete, nor always correct so far as given; but they are the best to be obtained, and it is believed that the natural tendency to exaggeration is largely offset by the difficulty, or even impossibility, of finding a record of all products and exports. Indeed, for the purposes of this work it is not necessary that they should absolutely be impregnable, yet they are probably fully as reliable as those tabitlated for other cities or other lines of industry. In some departments, such as salmon, wool, and to some extent in wheat and flour, the product of near or surrounding points has been undoubtedly tabulated with that of Portland; and in the case of wheat and flour considerable shipments have been made by rail to Tacoma for lading on foreign vessels. But this feature has now been obviated by the new pilotage laws so that port charges and towage on the rivers do not increase expenses of loading at Portland to a point above that at ports on Puget Sound. The facts given above show substantially the volume of business done by Portland, or by Portland capitalists.
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COMMERCE.
PRESENT CHARACTER AND CONDITIONS.
From the preceding pages it will be noticed how Portland has weathered all the stormns of opposition from the earliest days, and has advanced to and continued to hold the position as emporium of the Pacific Northwest. In the primitive times she proved the superiority of her position over points on the lower Willamette for lading and unlading. Having securely gained this pre-eminence she proceeded during the second era to emancipate herself from the commercial tyranny of San Francisco, and during the third to build up an independent commerce with the world. Since 1868 she has stood before the nations as an autonomous power in commercial affairs, acting without fear or favor, and pressing her activities on the simple basis of the advantages that she possessed and the facilities which she could give. She boldly entered upon the construction of railroad lines, calling in capital from California, from the East and from Europe, and thereby made a practical test of what she was able to do. If, by virtue of position and business activity, she should prove inferior to other points, these railroads would necessarily withdraw from her, her capital and population leaving her stranded upon the shoals of bankruptcy. But if, on the other hand, her position and business enterprise enabled lier to serve the entire surrounding region, these lines of transportation would give her still greater advantages. Amid all vicissitudes-social, commercial and political-incident upon construction of railroads, Portland steadily held her own; and, now that these lines are completed and in operation, finds her wealth and population increased four or five fold. She finds herself more secure than ever as the emporium and business center of the Pacific Northwest. Her present position is that accorded to her by nature, as the point of exchange between domestic productions and foreign imports, the point of supply for interior towns and country places, and the general depot for the stores that must somewhere be held in readiness for the use of the people.
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