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The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles, OR., June 7, 1905, page 2

STATE PORTAGE ROAD
An Open River From Lewiston to Tidewater
THOUSANDS PEOPLE PRESENT
Produce Can Now be Shipped from Points in Oregon, Washington and Idaho Without Paying One Cent of Tariff to the Railroad

One of the most important events in the history of the Inland Empire was accomplished today it, when the last spike of the state portage railroad was driven, and rail connection completed between Celilo and Big Eddy. In a commercial sense nothing of greater importance has happened since the country east of the Cascades attracted the attention of the home builders. These obstructions - for a distance of only a few miles - constitute the great impediment to navigation of the Upper Columbia, and have placed the producers at the mercy of the railroad ever since through connection was had with the Union Pacific in 1882. The Regulator line and the opening of the canal and locks at the Cascades in November, 1896, liberated the people from the domination of railroads so far as the country tributary to The Dalles was concerned, and the portage road completed today will open the great river of the west to the shippers of the Inland Empire. It can therefore be no matter of surprise that this is considered a red letter day in the history of the interior country.
This was not accomplished without overcoming apparently insurmountable obstacles. At the last legislature a bill was passed appropriating $165,000 for this project, and the governor, secretary of state and state treasurer, were constituted the executive board. But nothing was done in the matter until the meeting was held in this city and the Open River Association formed. This meant that the people intended that the portage should be built, and that no obstacles would be allowed to interfere with the accomplishment of this object. It was the beginning of the end, and if the people had not risen up in their might and indignation it is doubtful if anything at all what have been done. Former legislatures had similar bills before them; but in almost every case they were throttled and strangled as soon as they had seen life. This bill had been passed by the legislature, signed by the governor and was a law. The people had been patient four long years in this matter, but patience had ceased to be a virtue, and they were honest and earnest in their desire for the portage road as a prelude to the canal and locks at Celilo and an open river from Kettle Falls to the sea. To emphasize their earnestness in the matter they subscribed money in Washington, Idaho and eastern Oregon to the amount of $40,000 to make the sum sufficient for the completion of the work.
Through superhuman efforts on the part of the executive committee of the Open River Association work began on the portage road on January 13th, and ended yesterday. At the commencement every obstacle was thrown in the way of the commission; but the committee had the people behind them. In this instance the old stereo-typed expression was true, Vox popule vox Dei. Everything had to give way to the people's demand, the work was accomplished and grain or other produce or goods can be shipped from Priest Rapids on the Columbia, and from Lewiston at the juncture of the Snake and Clearwater rivers, to tidewater at Astoria without paying one cent tariff to the railroad company. This is the opening chapter of the free river from the highest navigation point to where the Columbia pours its wealth of waters into the lap of Mother Ocean. What it will do will be almost two gigantic for pen or pencil to portray. The full development of this great Inland Empire means homes for millions in the future, cities where now exist only grassy plains, and the pregnant soil yielding its wealth of cereal productions for feeding the nations of the world.
In honor of this event, the Mountain Gem left Lewiston, Idaho, yesterday with a party of the 150 people on board, including Senator Heyburn and wife and members of the Lewiston City Council, with Captain W. Gray in command. The boat arrived at Celilo at 10 o'clock this morning. From Portland came a special train, with Senators Fulton of this state, Overman of North Carolina, and Clark of Wyoming, and Congressman Hedge, Littauer, Patterson, Southwick, Smail, Henry and Herman; Governors Chamberlain of Oregon, Mead of Washington and members of their staffs; President Wheelwright and about seventy members of the Portland Chamber of Commerce. Then the steamer Charles R. Spencer left Portland at 6 o'clock this morning for Celilo, and arrived in this city soon after 11 o'clock.
Celilo was honored as never before it its history. In its palmy days, when hundreds left its wharves daily for the gold mines of Boise Basin, Blackfoot and Canyon City, Celilo witnessed many and exciting scenes; but never celebrated a victory so completely one of peace and goodwill as that of today. The merchant of the webfoot metropolis fraternized with the grain grower of the hills around Lewiston and Walla Walla; the sojourner of the Willamette - the land of mud, rain and fog - shook hands with the farmer and sheep owner of the bunch grass and sage brush plains of eastern Washington and Oregon - the land of summer sunshine and health-giving ozone; the citizens of Idaho, Washington and Oregon met on a common level with one universal object in view. It was Inland Empire day, the jubilee event that struck the shackles from thousands of honest, earnest toilers.
At 10:25 a special train carrying 350 enthusiastic Dallesites pulled out for Celilo, reaching there about 11 o'clock. Twenty minutes later came the Portland special, bearing and the Portland delegation 250 strong. Many Dalles people also boarded this train, perhaps to the number of 40, making the total excursion from this city 390.
As soon as the trains arrived, the exercises began, and the hundreds of people listened with marked attention to every word spoken, except when their enthusiasm caused them to cheer the sentiments of most lustily.
A platform erected for the occasion was soon filled with speakers and other prominent people. President Wheelwright, as president of the day, made a most felicitious speech in opening the exercises, not even diverting from the happy vein when he spoke of the wind, or when he said that "anything that blows for Oregon is heartily welcome."
In turn he introduced Governor Chamberlain, whom the crowd lustily cheered, Governor Mead, of Washington, Senator Heyburn, of Idaho, Senator Fulton, Dr. Blalock, of Walla Walla, and C.B. Dennis, president of the Spokane Commercial Club, all of whom extended their congratulations on the completion of the road and the benefit which will come to the Inland Empire in the consummation of the great work. Senator Fulton spoke of the "new Oregon" which commences with the uniting of the three states - Oregon, Washington and Idaho - by the obstructions to this union being yet removed.
It was the intention of the CHRONICLE to published extracts of each speech. The lateness of the hour of the arrival of the train - 2:30 -- however forbids.
When the last scheduled speech had been made the crowd called up loudly for Hon. J.N. Teal, who has taken such a lively interest in every inch of progress the road has made. Mr. Teal responded with a very enthusiastic speech and that its close announced that the spike would then be driven.
Governors Chamberlain of Oregon and Mead, of Washington, Senator Heyburn, of Idaho, Senator Clark, President Wheelwright, of Portland and J.N. Mariner made their way to the spot where the spike was located and, when an official photograph had been taken, each in turn wielded the hammer which finally placed the spike in place, amid the cheers of the large crowd.
It was announced that the Portland train would make the trip over the portage carrying the Lewiston people and others who desired to make the trip. Perhaps the first passengers taken over the road numbered 300, with Engineer Morgan at the throttle and conductor Fowler in charge. A half hour later the train from The Dalles pulled down and later the Portland special, many of her passengers boarding the Spencer at The Dalles for Portland.
Among the prominent Portland people on board the train other than those mentioned were Ex-Senator McBride, Jefferson Meyers, Major Langfitt, Captain Fries, H.L. Pittock of the Oregonian, E.C. Giltner, Wm. Ladd, L.A. Lewis, T.B. Wilcox, W.B. Ayer, Henry Hahn, Sig Frank, Paul Wessinger, A.H. Devers, George Taylor, W.B. Ayer, Tom Richardson. The O.P.V.N. was represented by A.L. Craig, J.P. O'Brien, J.M. Buckley, R.B. Miller, P.C. Stohr, J.P. Glover, J.T. Myers, L.R. Fields.
Among the passengers on the Mountain Gem, from Lewiston, which left that place yesterday morning at eight o'clock, arrived at Arlington last night, remaining over until this morning when they came on down, were Senator Heyburn, of Idaho, E.H. Libby, Dr. J.B. Morris, president of the Lewiston commercial club, O.A. Kajoe, D.J.McGilvary, Col. Judson Spafford, promoter of the electric road to Grangeville, G.W. Thompson, Oliver Pring, M. Dunzie, C.F. Osmers, J.A. Crom, M.A. Means, F.J. Randolph, I.N. Smith, W.F. Kattenbach, W.H. Hill, Charles Mount, Robert Jones, W.J. Raymey, G.D. Smith, A.D. Gregory, Fred Goddard, Sa,es McGrane, Miles Johnson, J.W. Pittock, N. Ford, Capt. Miller, also J.N. Dennis, president of the Spokane commercial club. Most of the Lewiston people went on to Portland to return tomorrow night and board the Mountain Gem Monday morning for home, having the honor of being the first passengers to make the trip down from Lewiston to Celilo on the steamer for twenty years, but not the only ones to remember the auspicious event.