in 1895, the chief competition for the "bailey gatzert" on the astoria route were a pair of fast steamers owned by the oregon railway and navigation company, the "t.j. potter", which had been brought around from puget sound back to the columbia river, and the "r.r. thompson". or&n also brought to the columbia river the old sidewheeler "north pacific" to handle the traffic from astoria to the seaside resorts near ilwaco, washington.