portage railroad, the construction of which was just started, penned the following: 36
"The Iron Horse"—The steamer Pacific brought up from San Francisco a fine new steam engine for the rail- road in course of construction between the Dalles and Des Chutes. The Engine is called the "Pony" and will no doubt startle the Cayuses who roam in that neighbor- hood from their propriety * * * *. God speed the "Iron Horse."
The Oregon Statesman of April 7 followed with a sim- ilar notice. The railroad was not ready for the locomotive, as some changes were needed, among them the building of an incline track to the water's edge at the lower land- ing and very likely it was at this time that the wooden rails were overlaid with iron strips for the safer operation of the engine, from the lower to the middle landing. The middle landing was again the transfer point, though it was a difficult thing now to get through with the increased cargoes of 1862 and there was much anxiety to see the Oregon Portage Railroad finished to its lower terminus, as witness the following extracts from president Ains- worth's letters:
To Agent Gibson at The Dalles, March 30:
"The stores you ordered are now on the Julia and I fear [she] will not be able to get over the rapids tomorrow, in which event you will have to get what stores you can at Dalles. ***** I fear I will not be able to take any more freight till Ruckel's road is finished at the lower end, which will take some days. You had better have teams ready to take passengers' luggage over the portage Tuesday night. This expense, of course, will be paid by the passengers."
To Captain T. W. Lyles on April 1 at San Francisco, a stockholder in the Oregon Steam Navigation Company and a personal friend of Ainsworth's:
"I am now running two boats every day to Cascades,
8 Portland Daily Oregonian, April 2, 1862.
