Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-05-12
BUSINESS FOR \ MOUNTAIN ROAD
From the Olympia Transcript

From the Olympia Transcript
One of the strongest points attempt
ed to be made by the opponents OF a
railroad across the Cascade mountains,
from the Columbia river valley to Pu
get Sound, is that there are but few
settlers, and that it would virtually be
thowing away money to build it, as Il
road from Portland could do all the
business. Let US see whether there
is any truth in these statements. First
q road over the mountains would be
one hundred and fifty miles shorter
than road by way Portland-or rath-
er it would be no further to Puget
Sound then to Portland from the Co
lumbia river valley. Then Portland
is over one hundred miles inland and
Puget Sound is at the ocean. But we
pass this matter by. as we are dealing
with the local traffic on the road. It
is true, it is not thickly settled
through the mountains but as soon
as it is built, large settlement will he
made along most of the route. On
the west side, the whole basin Of Pug
get Sound is vast coal bed, and COW
cred with a vast forest of timber, and
these alone will make more business
than to support road. A year age
or more, Judge Lewis, agent of the
Northern Pacific railroad company,
published statement, in which it was
stated that the amount Of lands sold
by that company in the Columbia riv
er valley had not met the expectations
of that company, for the reason that
thousands vpon thousands of acres Of
lands had not and could not be sole
until they could he supplied with tim
Der. These lands are rich agricultur
al lands, but until lumber, fencin:
and fuel could be supplied to settler
at fair prices, these lands will find NJ
sale--and "this lumber, fencing an
fuel mnst come from Puget Sound.
A road from Portland could supply
part of the upper country with wood
but wood cannot supply that countr.
with cheap fuel. Coal can do it
and that coal must come from Puge
Sound, as no other place within rcacl
furnishes it 1t is not found east o
the mountains nor along the Colun
bia river. This fact was well under
stood by the Willard party when the
bought the Seattle coal mines and o1
dercd the building Of several stea'
GOLFERS at Philadelphia. They kne
that the coal of Puget Sound must b
used on all Of their steamers, their Il
comotlves, and all their shops /; that
must he used by the Northern Pacit
from Ainsworth to the Rocky mou'
tains, and by the people of the who
upper country. They saw there woul
be demand for coal unparalleled
the world and where they could m
nopolize the trade. The only imped
@ ment to this scheme was the buildir
d of a mountain road. 1t would NAL
=. =, useless the sream colliers, with whi'
:. to carry the coal from Puget Sound
Portland-an ocean voyage OF o.
miles and up dangerous river, as Il
coal would be as nlgh ltS ucstiiiatu
before it was started as when it arriv'
at Portland The immense proportio
of this coal business for mounta
road can hardly be estimated. Wi
!. timber, lumber, fencing, and wood &c
e,ally, the business would he equal
It great. 1t is fair to presume that in
short time railroad over the mou
tains could not do the business go
inland; and the business out, in gra
wool, cattle and produce general
would be equally great. We have
reference, either, to through busine
when the whole line over the con
nent is finished. Can it be said thu
will beno local traffic for such a ra