Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-04-14

AS no one in or out of the manage
ment Of the Northern Pacific is able.
to make, at this time, anything Ike a
reliable estimate Of the cost of the
main line to the mouth of Snake r.ver,
it would seem to be the part of pru-
dence not to entertain premature or
unnecessary construction projects
which may involve the company in ex-
penditures in excess of it's pecuniary
resources resources available from the
proceeds of the consolidated mortgage,
but to husband its resources at least
until its real financial needs are def
nitely ascertained by the actual loca-
tions of lines and definite estimates of
costs. 1t would appear much wiser to
limit construction, for the present, to
the building of such portions of the
projected Northern Pacific system as
are necessary to insure the success of
the enterprise as a whole /; that is to
the completion at the earliest possible
! moment, of the main line to Snake
e river, without which completion the
l.. company, should financial embarass-
ment again overtake it, would newt
= ably again collapse into lifeless frag
ments:
y This policy would seem the more
e commendable, inasmuch us it is entire
ly out of the question that any line or
i, lines that the Northern Pacific may
build west of Wallula, towards the
y Pacific ocean, can be made remunera-
It tive before the junction of the main
e line with them. There is no popula.
g tion at all living to-day on the north
4 bank of the Columbia river, which the
Northern Pacific would have to follow
and again, between the mouth Of the
OF Snake river and Tacoma, along the
Of line of the proposed Cascade branch, n
Of distance Of 240 miles, there are, accor
&c ding to the last census, not over l2,0OC
inhabitants. The cost Of the first
III mentioned line would be between sew
C. en- and eight millions, and that of the
es last mentioned between six and sever
,;s millions. 1t may be taken for gran
ted that neither Of them would pa,
:" operating expenses until, AS stated
tn the completion Of the main line. For
m these lines would certainly have littl
be business of their own, they certainl.
o , could not get any of the Oregon Rail
- way and Navigation business at pay
ing rates, and the country along Pen'
M de 'Oreille division line is as yet S
ay thinly populated that no considerabl
We traffic can be expected from IL for som
-, years to come. Meantime, the heav
." interest and sinking fund charges col
Ter responding to the cost of the Columbi
are river and the Cascade branch lines
wv, would uselessly deplete company
b;s treasury.
The parties interested in the Orego
Railway and Navigation company d
TO not offer these considerations, I
rad course, without reference to the il
the furious consequences that might resu
,,o to their company from the udoptic
-, of the policy, controverted in the for
VIII going by the Northern Pacific. The
frankly admit that it would be great
to the interest of the Oregon Railwa
and Navigation company, that Il
md Northern Pacific should act accordir
oe to the policy suggested, but at Il
same time they contend that, as show
" in the preceding augmentation, Il
con- interests of the Northern Pacific W
the be served just as much and more
oas such course. A traffic contract
Low in force between the two compa
'','' les, which is admittedly very liberal
the the Northern Pacifc-more liber
him probably, than any contract ever {
n. tered into between two transportaii
CON companies. Ia fact, the contract v
~ intended to and does make it pc
o''' tive advantage to the Northern Pac
hese to do business over the Oregon RI
reat way and Navigat ion. lines instead
Go constructing lines Of its own.
IA. under its terms, the Northern Pac
will enjoy tbs same running facilit
'he over the Oregon Railway and Navi
tting ton line along the Columbia as thol
suiii- the road belonged to it, will save
900 cost Of instruction involved in bu
ing line of its own and will part
- " pate in the joint profits of the busir
to almost the same extent as the {
aciiic gon Railway and Navigation G.
$ re- pany Itself.
= in Now the Oregon Railway. and n
Of all igation interests do not propose
But the Northern Pacific shall fore
btful abandon the construction of line
neral the north hank of the Columbia ri
| suf and of the direct line to Puget So
full over the Cascade mountains All
clud propose is that the Northern Pa
range shall not build these lines until
river. growth Of the country shall justlf