The Shadow of the Railroad King
Walla Walla business leaders face a harsh reality: their local economic destiny is now entirely controlled by E.H. Harriman, the transcontinental rail magnate.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
It would be well for the committee of the Commercial Club that is to confer with the officials of the O. R. & N. Company regarding better train service and lower freight rates to bear in mind that the O. R. & N. is now a part of Harriman's transcontinental system. Any concessions made by the company must be approved by E.H. Harriman himself. Even Portland does not get what it wants from Harriman, as anyone who reads the Oregonian well knows. Walla Walla is greatly interested in the building of the portage railway between Celilo and The Dalles, but President Harriman of the Union Pacific will oppose the desire of the Inland Empire to have the Columbia opened to navigation. When a committee from the Walla Walla Board of Trade secured concessions nearly 28 years ago, the company was an independent corporation. Now, the O. R. & N. is a part of the Union Pacific system, and everything affecting freight and schedules must be referred to Harriman. If the committee appointed by President Turner is to accomplish any good for Walla Walla, it should lose no time in securing a conference with the man who holds the keys to the rail lines.
“That sacrifice cost the business men and farmers of Walla Walla county many thousands of dollars and it is for them to say whether or not they are getting their moneys worth in honor and glory.”
This 1903 conflict over railroad consolidation highlights the recurring struggle between local communities and distant, monopolistic corporate interests. Much like today's concerns over tech consolidation or the power of national logistics giants, Walla Walla's civic leaders were learning that regional leverage is easily erased by vertical integration and top-down control.
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