The Oregon Railway & Navigation Company’s Seattle Bottleneck

Yesterday afternoon, a reporter asked an old steamboat man the significance of the presence of so many officers of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company of late, and received the following explanation: 'I know why they are here, but as my information is of a confidential nature I am not at liberty to give it away. One thing I can tell you, though, and that is that the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company has become tired of playing, and decided to either steamboat on Puget Sound or stop playing.'

When asked what he meant by 'stop playing,' the man explained that while Captain Clancy is a first-class steamboat man, he has been handcuffed by those superior to him in rank to such an extent that the business has not gone to suit him at all. 'When any question would arise which needed prompt action, instead of Captain Clancy being able to act, he was compelled to report to the Portland office and ask for instructions or authority to act. Very likely, before replying to the Seattle office, the Portland officials would refer the matter to New York, and by the time authority arrived it would be too late to do any good.'

He added that the company is currently driving their existing boats into the ground. 'The North Pacific, Starr, Haywood, and Idaho are all driven to death. The Starr is badly in need of repair, having run steadily for seven years without overhauling, and the North Pacific is also in need of a rest. If either of these boats should break down, and they are both liable to, the company has no steamer left to take their place.' The consensus is that the company must either build new steamers suitable for the Sound trade or face total failure in the region.