of San Francisco houses. This dependence on the Golden Gate city for
favors, or a square deal, was becoming very irksome, and agitation for re-
lief was being made along Front street more and more as the seasons rolled by.
The following extract from an editorial in the Daily Portland Herald of 1870,
shows the feeling that existed.
"We have frequently urged upon our citizens the importance of establish- ing a foreign commerce and an independent trade for Oregon. Every intelli- gent man, on first becoming acquainted with the vast natural resources and com- mercial facilities of Oregon, is struck with astonishment at the apparent want of enterprise exhibited by the business men of this section in the matter of for- eign commerce. A few days ago vve noticed a sale of flour from the Salem mills at the highest market price; it was quoted in^ the printed reports 'California Flour.' A gentleman of this city has just shown us a letter from his agent in New York, advising him of a sale of flour from the mill situated at Jefferson, in Marion County, Oregon, at the highest market rates. That is put down in the commercial report as 'California Flour.' Neither the natural resources of Portland or Oregon is noticed in commercial intelligence. Steamers and sailing vessels loaded for Portland appear in the shipping report as 'Cleared for the Columbia.' The imports of foreign goods to San Francisco upon which duties were paid at that port, amounted to $17,987,535.00 for the year of 1867. The imports from the eastern states during the same year were not less than as much more; which would make an aggregate of imports of $35,975,070. Not less than one-third of that entire amount was re-shipped to the Columbia passing through Portland for a market — say, eleven million, one hundred and ninety- nine thousand, one hundred and seventy-two dollars. The San Fran- cisco commission upon this amount was at least ten per cent — $1,199,927. The freight from San Francisco to Portland upon these goods was not less than $400,000. Allowing the same amount for commission and return freights, and it will be found that our trade with San Francisco in commission and freights costs $3,198,344. Goods can be shipped directly from New York and Boston, or from any foreign port to Portland for one dollar a ton more than from San Francisco. During the past two years Portland has paid tribute to San Francisco to an amount more than equal to the value of all our assessable prop- erty. San Francisco has now a population of a hundred and twenty-five thou- sand. Portland, with a foreign and independent commerce, with the same spirit of enterprise, which has characterized the former city, would now num- ber not less than fifty thousand. This proposition is now mathematically de- monstrable. The mines naturally tributary to Portland are greater in extent and product than those to San Francisco; the agricultural products of Oregon are more certain, and as available as those of California. Our lumber, iron and coal — the three great staples of commerce — together with our manufacturing facilities, are infinitely superior to those of California; we are nearer to the rich commerce of the Indies, and in the direct line of the shortest practicable belt of commerce around the world, when the contemplated railroad systems are completed. With all these superior natural advantages, why do we consent to be a mere dependency? Paying tribute to the amount of one-third of our earn- ings to a city which constantly strives to humble and degrade us ?"
There were other public spirited men in Oregon besides Portlanders, who were active and efficient in striving to place the commerce of Portland and Oregon on an independent footing. Two of these men were prominent and useful citizens of Yamhill County — Robert C. Kinney of McMinnville, and Joseph Watt of Amity. Mr. Kinney was a large farmer and flour miller of Yamhill County, and shipped his flour to San Francisco. His son, Marshall J. Kinney, now a resident of this city, was then residing in San Francisco and acting as agent for the Kinney mills of McMinnville. To market the flour to the best advantage Mr. Kinney sought to charter a ship to come to Portland for a cargo of flour and found great difficulty in getting any ship captain to act
