Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-01-02

100 acres each. Now, suppose each Of
these farms has 100 acres sown in
wheat each year, which you'd be the
case If the surplus could find market
at cheap transportation rates, and we
would have 100000 acres Of wheat,
which, at twenty-five bushels per acre
would aggregate four million bushels |
or 10000 tons for shipment annually. |
Freight on the Walla Walla and Co
lunbia river railroad is now 81 per
ton for distance of thirty miles. Sup
pose that 81 per ton BE the rate from
Mt. Idaho to Lewiston, a distance OF
soventy-fvc miles. Then this 10000
tons of wheat alone would give to the
railroad annually S4S0,000, which, at
ten per cent per annum, which is
large rate Of interest on capital per-
manently and safely invested would
pay the interest on s4,800,O90. This
is more than four times fhe amount
necessary to build and eqy'pa narrow
gauge road the whole distance, allow
ing that the COS. wny $4,000 per
mile and it can be built for much less
Added to this ioeomelthe road would
have all the up freishts and passenger
traffic, which wouly more than pay the
current expenses Of the road including
repairs. But bfyond this the road
would Immediately have all the trade
from the small section of country this
side of the reese ovation, and so soon as
that portion of(the reservation through
which the road would pass becomes to
be open for settlement, pcrio pot
far in the future, then the road would
have from forty-fve to fifty miles Of
it's line passing through as rich OH az
,icultural country lying on both sides
of the road as can be found west of
the Rocky mountains as an addition to
it's support The route we in the
above propose for the road is to follow
up the Clearwater to the Lapwai
thence up the Lapwai to Tom Bealrs
creek; thence up Tom Beall's creek tc
near its source; thence by the most
!
practicable route to a point north OF
: the Cold Spring; thence in q south
+ easterly direction across the open ia
BILE lands and prairie to Mt. Idaho. 4
! railroad can be built in the vicinity o
: the route we have indicated of com
t parativcly easy grade, and it will b
u through the best portions of the pres
Z ent Indian reservation; but anothe
e route might be selected which woul'
n only cross small corner of the rescr
Il vation and would pass through th
> fine timber belt that is along the soutl
II of Craig's mountain. The mountain
e can be assembled by passing throug
Us Waha prairie and thence making de
1t tour up the mountain, starting in tn
n vicinity of Lake Waha thence alon
S. the mountain south of the reservation
r. and reaching Camas prairie via tn
or headwaters of Cottonwood crecl
y Both routes are feasible, but the latte
would pass over much higher grount
If road should soon be built throug
the Clearwater pass of the Bitter Roc
If mountains and down the Clearwater
a would for the present do the bushes
Ii of that section passed through by OF
ne proposed road; but in the event tn,
III the Clearwater pass is abandoned, the
as any company having the means ca
I'd commence the buildingof our propose
st road and have the assurance Of gettir
I'd good interest on their investment .
ce soon as Trey can complete the ros
We should they commence its constructic
IL at once, and on no one of, the sho
to routes contemplated for reaching Snail
ne river at points below Lewiston wou
of be found more profitable local ira
he fc than on the one between LewistC
'se and Camas prairie.
all -----
Wahu Prairie.