The Oregon Central Railroad.
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any other direction, the whole mass of the people, as if moved by one impulse, began to seize upon the shovels, picks, wheelbarrows, etc., and to start the carts toward the place of beginning 1 the first cut. The scene at this moment was one of the most animated ever witnessed in this city. Carts were hurried under the direction of Mr. Slavin to their places, were filled almost by magic, and hurried away, their places being instantly supplied by others. The people were cheering and giving all manner of demonstrations of joy. Many of them rushed in among the crowds of workmen, seized upon shovels and commenced throwing dirt as if for life. Others seized upon wheelbarrows, and, getting loads as fast as they could, hurried down the grade to the dumping place, just to say they had assisted in breaking ground. Old men, middle-aged men, young men, boys, and even ladies, vied with each other in good natured rivalry to throw dirt into the first cart. There were not shovels enough for all, and those who did not succeed in helping to fill the first cart struggled for a chance at the second, or the third, or the fourth, and so on. One lady, Mrs. David C. Lewis, wife of Engineer Lewis, was among the first to throw dirt into the carts, and was immensely cheered.
That was the ground breaking for the first railroad in Oregon. After losing the land grant the Oregon Central Company sent Mr. Gaston to Washington City in December, 1869, where he was successful in getting from Congress a second grant of land to aid in constructing a railroad from Portland to McMinnville, with a branch from Forest Grove to Astoria; and under which grant the road was constructed to the Yamhill River at St. Joe. This was the last grant of land made by Congress as a subsidy to railroads; and that part of the road proposed from Forest Grove to Astoria not having been constructed, the grant for such branch was forfeited by act of Congress in 1882. Had it been retained to the present the timber on this route would have made it the most valuable grant in the United States.
During this memorable contest, the board of directors of the east side, or Salem Company, was composed of I. R. Moores, George L. Woods, E. N. Cooke, T. McF. Patton, John H. Moores, Jacob Conser, and John H. Miller, of
