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records of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, the more important of which have been preserved. From them it is found that of the $20 per ton (usually determined by measurement rather than weight, forty cubic feet being reckoned as one ton) which was the freight rate in either direction between Portland and The Dalles at the beginning of the Navigation Company's history, the owners of the portage railroads received $5, or one-fourth, for transporting freight shipments between the middle and upper landings, about two and one-half miles. The Washington portage was carrying all the business at this time, and Bradford & Company were allowed the full sum of $5 per ton out of the through rate in May and June, 1860. Commencing with the month of July, however, the portage share of the receipts was divided, under an agreement^[1] between Bradford & Co., and Ruckel and Olmstead, five-twelfths to the latter and seven-twelfths to the interests represented by the former. This arrangement was probably a compromise, and its basis is a matter for conjecture. It does not appear how the cost of operating and maintaining the portage was apportioned, but it may be supposed that this was also divided in the proportions of five-twelfths and seven-twelfths between the two interests.

The tonnage moved over the portage during the first year of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company was reported by the Secretary of the Company to the portage owners as follows:

May, 1860 843 tons Nov., 1860 361 tons June 480 July 467 August 462 Setpember 486 October 661 December 289 January, 1861....133 February 379 March 133 April

620