Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-09-24
A Matter OF Importance 20 the People
east OF the Cascades.


that an amicable agreement has been
made in the Oregon Railway and
Navigation company and he North
ern Pacific Railway, by which the for
mer company will Immediately proceed
to Law the iron of the latter company
from The Dalles to Umatila one way,
and Portland the other. This is very
happy consummation. The foreign
iron of the Oregon Railway and Navi-
cation company can now be used to
close the gap between Portland and
Kalama, or Portland and Astoria, as
there was no clause in this bill to pre-
vent the use of imported iron as In the
Northern Pacific Railway act.
Admitting that the Historian has
obtained a correct understanding Of
this question of agreement, what does
this agreement portend as to the de-
signs of the Northern Pacific in re-
lation to the immediate construction
Of their road across the Cascade noun
tains through the Natchess pass all
that announced by this agreement that
is made public is simply that the
Northern Pacific company have con
scented that the 0. r.. d n. Co., Co,
may use the American iron rails owned
by the North Pacific to lay their track
h, al ~ | =
evidently for the purpose of comply
ing with the Northern Pacific charter
to use nothing but American iron, and
thus save their grant Of land for the
road do wn the Columbia river, by sub
stitutng the work Of the 0. r. Il n.
Company in the construction as part
of the road to be built under the far.
mers charter, thus looking to the con
solidation of the two companies in re.
lation to that portion OF the road that
lies along the Columbia river; but the
the question is yet unsettled in the
mind of the public, whether this annie
able arrangement will supercede the
Immediate construction of tho North
orn Pacific branch across the Cascade
mountains directly to the Sound and
that all the late surveys and public
announcement of having found an
easy pass over the mountains, and OF
making the grade surveys this Fall,
was only bluff to bring the 0. r. 4
N. Company to terms; or does the
Northern Pacific still purpose to i'm
mediately build the branch and al
same time hold their land grant fol
the road down the Columbia by virtue
of this arrangement with the O. r. 4
N. Co, and thus have two outlet.
to the Pacific. As matters now por
tend ii We are to have but one road t.
the Pacific and that down the Colum
bia, then the people OF the country
east of the mountains will have bu
little to hope for in the way Of cheal
freights for many years to como ant
not until the canals and locks are com
pleted both at the Cascades and Tn
Dalles of the Columbia; but if on thu
other hand the North Pacific are il
earnest in their determination to forth
with construct their branch across tn
Cascade mountains, and only enjoy {
joint interest in the road now bein:
built by The 0. r. 81 N. Compan,
down the Columbia in order to saw
their grant Of land along the line, the
the people may have some hope of fai
rates and charges, even without tn
canals and locks mentioned. 70 us
appears of much importance to tn
confidence of the people in the goo
faith of the Northern Pacific to max
public their purpose in relation to tn
immediate work of const uction acros
the Cascades directly to the Sount
Much gerrymandering has been use
by this company in relation to thei
purposes 10 accommodate the peopl,
especially under the old stock holder
and from this has arisen muah OF th
opposition in Congress towards tn
extension Of time to The company j
which to build the road and the Ian
'peculations that were practised by
ring of soMe cf the more favored stoc
holders, added greatly to this prejr
dice but since the stock holders hsv
taken hold of the matter and made tn
ring disgorge, the profits of the lande
estates and Surrander than 70 fha nh al