Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-12-29


but owing to the natural Instructions
in the river it cannot be navigated by
the same vessel from Western to East.
ern Washington; therefore commercial
intercourse by ordinary means between
the two sections is imp ossible.
Owing to the facility Of reaching
Western Washington from the sea
many settlements were made therein
before any American citizens settled in
Eastern Washington. Before the Ter
ritory was organized the idea of con.
Meeting the waters of Puget Sound with
the Atlantic had been formed, and in
1858 an expedition was sent by the
Government, under control Of Cow
Stevens, to explore route for raJ
way from Lake Superior to Pu3t
Sound. | well remember when CIV.
Stevens, shortly after his arrival IRE,
visited the different settlementsfa
addressed the people upon the tture
of Washington Territory and IL con-
struction of the Northern Pacit Rail
way, and how we all anxiouJ looked
forward for the day when hifanticipa-
tions would be realized. Nhre than
quarter of century has eljpsed since
then, and that road is nog CONSTRUCTED
yet, and the two. .ectiopdbf our Terri
tory are as much isolatN now as they
were theO, and why Ihisl Because
we have been denied benefits of the
fostering influence of Ne General Gov
ernment.
To-day there are f.rsons residing in
Western Washington who for nearly
thirty years hav( been living in this
wilderness hopin5that they would yet
see and enjoy j the homes of their
adoption the tnetits of civilization
which they had seen and enjoyed in
other lands, VI years must still elapse
under the mo,t favorable circumstances,
before theirAopas can be realized True
there havef been unavoidable circum-
stances witch have retarded our pro-
gress, Uhring the first eight years of
our TerFtorial existence, the Govern
ment oe the nation was under the con
troll off party who were opposed to in
ternal improvements being made by
the 4neral Government, and also dur
ing that period an Indian war took
plaf within our Territory and Oregon,
wteh prevented many persons from
cjming here. in 1861 when the Re
tublican party obtained control of the
General Government. and we might
Reasonably look for aid in connecting
'ns with the other portion of the nation
for commercial purposes, and develop
ing our resources, the civil war took
place which for years required all the
powers of the nation to battle for its
existence. At length, in 1864, Con.
gress incorporated the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company, for the purpose of
building and operating railroad from
Lake Superior to Puget Sound, and
also branch TO said road from some
convenient point east of the Cascade
mountains, by the Columbia valley to
Portland, and donated munifcent
land subsidy to aid in its construction,
Although the lands donated by Con
gr IS would more than pay for the con
struction of the road when disposed of,
the low price of land then and the scar
city Of money, consequent upon the
war, caused years to clapse before any
real progress was made in its construc.
ton.
In the meantime the Territory was
slowly developing. In 1855 gold was
discovered in Eastern Washington, and
numbers of persohs hocked to the gold
fields, and the settlement of Eastern
Washington commenced Previous to
this company had been incorporated
in Portland under the name of the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
for he purpose of navigating the Co
lumbia and Willamette rivers. The
discovery of gold in Eastern Washing
ton, and the transportation of materials
for the troops during the Indian wli
necessitated the establishment of 8
thorough commercial route from the
lower Columbia and Eastern Washing
ton. This was supplied by the o. 5
n. Co. Steamers were built to run OIL
the different sections of the river fal
as navigable, and these sections were
connected with railway portages, anc
through the energy and perseverance,
of the managers of that Company, a
line for commercial transportation wa'
established between Portland and tho
open country east of the Cascade noun
talns, which in course of time become
one of the greatest and most profitable
enterprises on the Pacific Coast. Thl'
was perfectly legitimate and no obiec
ton was made to it by the people ot
Washinr,nn Tarritory so long rs M