, 1868-04-03
hAILRoAp MEEr1NG.

HufSuaOt 70 uOeico Bttch w q OOLuuAII6o
of Arrangements, appointed at a meeting
held in Walla Walla City, on the 2Sth day
of March, 1868, large number of the citi-
zens' of Walla Walla County assembled at
the Court House, at o'clock P. NJ. The
meeting was called to order by 1. T. Reese,
Esq, and organized by the election of A. J.
Gregory, Chairman, and j. Fl. Blewett, Sec.
retary. The Committee Of Arrangements
made verbal report, stating that Messrs.
Vansyckle, Newell, Lasater and Mix had
consented to address the meeting upon the
subject of constructing arailroad from Walla
Walla City to the Columbia river, which re-
port was received and adopted, and the Com
mittee discharged.
P. B. johnson, Chairman of the Commit.
tee, to whom was referred the subject of the
probable cost of constructing different kinds
of railroads, read the following report:
Mr. CHAIRMAN The Committee to whom was
referred, generally, the subject of strap fat bar
iron, wooden, or T railroad, would report that
they have given the subject all the investigation
that their limited time and means of information
would admit of. From all the information the
committee have been able to obtain, they have
been led to the conclusions:
/. That the cost of grading, bridging, and
necessary cross.ties for the road, would be the
same, NO matter what kind of rail was laid
down.
2. That the same expenditure for necessary
rolling stock, stations, warehouses: machine
shops, etc., would be required.
The cost of grading is estimated at an average
of fifteen hundred dollars per mile. Say forty
FIVE thousand dollars for the whole road, thirty
miles in length. The necessary cross-ties would
cost an average of twenty-five cents each. Say
$500 per mile, or $4,000 for the whole road.
As there would be only one or two large bridges,
the cost could not be very great. Say twenty
thousand dollars for bridges and culverts.
Your Committee are therefore of opinion th at
the whole road bed from Walla Walla to Wallua,
ready for laying the track, could be constructed
for eighty thousand dollars
The Committee have been unable to obtain
data on which to base estimate of the cost of
the various kinds of track. This information
cannot be obtained without communication with
Portland or San Francisco. All of which is re-
spectfully submitted. P. B. JOHNSON, Chairman.
On motion the report was accepted and
the Committee discharged. An invitation
was extended to parties desiring to offer res
olutions to the meeting, to have the same
read prior to the delivery of addresses for the
occasion whereupon the Secretary read the
following, offered by A. Kyger:
The citizens of Walla Walla County, W. T.,
in mass meeting assembled for the purpose of
| adopting measures for the building of railroad
from the Columbia river to Walla Walla City
being fully impressed with the importance and
necessity of such work for the following reasons:
l. The agricultural resources of this Valley,
are only partially developed; its superior climate;
cheapuess of living and facilities for stock rais-
| ing and grazing, and its close proximity to a
large and extensive mining region, renders it the
| most advantageous point for the concentration
of the land transportation interests of the SUR
rounding country, which makes it the most
| available over any other point on, or near the
| Columbia river, as a general supply point.
2. This Valley can, with the present develop.
ment of its business resources, furnish sufficient
employment for such road, to make the invest.
ment in the cost of its construction profitable
one.
3. The taxable property of the county, now
being valued at about 81, 900 900, which would
be increased so per cent, with the commence
ment of the work by responsible company, and
| increased from two to three hundred per cent in
one year from its completion, would enable the
county in its corporate capacity, to render such
aid as would ensure its being built without any
increase of taxation over the present rate, or
working any hardship to the tax-paying interests.
A. By direct communication with Portland and
San Francisco, by which through bills of lading
and passenger-tickets could be issued from these
points to this place, new and important business
| interests would be built up, facilitating the de-
velopment of important mining and agricultural
interests in adjacent districts.
8. The certainty of branch road from some
point on and near the western terminus of the
Union Pacific Railroad to the Columbia river
and Puget Sound with the fact that the best
pass through the Blue Mountains is by the way
of the Walla Walla river; the building of road
from this place to the Columbia, would in a
short time, make it part of this main branch,
and give US direct communication with New
York and the Sourd Therefore, be it
ResoIUed, That the County of Walla Walia, in
its corporate capacity, can, and will aid the con>
structon of this road, by taking stock to the
amount of -, and issuing bonds therefor pay.
able in - years, and bearing interest at the
rate OF - per cent. per aunum, payable in gold,
or will guarantee the interest on the same amount
of bonds to be issued by responsible company,
Who will undertake to complete the work, the
county and company each reserving the right to
| liqudate the bonds at any time, and Aold stock
in the road in lieu thereof for the amount of the
same.
The following was offered by ]. H. Bewett:
WHEREAS, The universal history of railroads
is, that they develop the resources of a country.
and promote prosperity in every department of
business, by the introduction of capital and the
| building of the material interests thereof; and,
whereas, tnere Is vast extent of productive
land, now unoccupied iu Wala Walla Valley,
which the building of a railroad would bring
into cultivation, and thus double, in a short
space of time, the resources of the country there
fore, be it
l. Re'olUsd, That it is expedient. and subservi>
ent 70 the best interest of the people, that aid
be given By the county, in the construction of a
railroad from Walla Walla City to the most eli.
gible point on the Columbia river.
! 2. Res0[ped That the Roard of Counfv Coro.
missioners of Walla Walla County, W. T., be,
and they are hereby requested to order special
election, submitting to the people, the question
OF authorizing the said Board of County Com
missioners to guarantee the payment of the In
terest on the bonds of a respectable company,
organized to build such road, to an amount not
exceeding two hundred thousand dollars, (said