Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-05-18
RAILROAD MATTERS.
PORTLAND, May 7, 1882.

u
the purview Of any outsider to predict
with any certainty what will be done
by the several railroad companies who
now have purposes and plans to he
ACCOMPLISHED fer the Northwest. during
the ensuing three or five years. Most
observing men Lave some speculative
opinions Of their own, entertained from
their own stand point, and seldom do
10 End two who fully agree in opinion.
Nearly all whom | meet agree in this,
70 w.t.: That not less than three OF
the powerful companies have determ-
ined to have in operation through trans
continental lines extending to Puget
Sound within the ensuing five years
and that they will succeed i'll their
plans, unless some unexpected crisis in
The money affairs Of the country shoold
cripple them in their means to build.
Which Of these will be the first to OPP
crate through line it is now hard to
pred Ct. 1t is generally conceded that
tho Canada Pacific will be beh nd the
others, not for want Of means, but on
account Of the character of their route
and the distance they have to build.
The Northern Pacific and O. II. l. N.
Co. being virtually under one manage
msst. may be considered as one line
BY utilizing the distance already con-
,struc.ed by each, arc sill lacking near
" 600 miles of completing through
line, which gaps, considering the diff
culties in making their TRUSTEES and
construction Of some other portions Of
their works, can hardly he expected to
complete their through line in less than
two and half or three years from the
Let o; Jar uary last. The Union Pacific,
Oregon Short Line and Utah North
srn, also virtually one in interest and
general management, have as good,
II not better prospects Of reaching the
Sound first, il they determine to do so,
aud bend their energies and means to
accomplish that end. What they will
do is yet only prcblematical. The diff
ference between Mr.. Willard aud Jay
Gould is this, while the former, through
tho press and otherwise heralds in ad-
vance most Of his plans, the latter
makes all his moves quietly, and but
few know his plans till his work is
commenced and being prosecuted with
vigor, and then he hurries matters to
completion. 1t is claimed here by some
that Gould will yet have control of the
Northern Pacific even before the road
il completed. But l can yet forsee no
good reason for such an opinion. l
think ! have good reason for believing
that when he gets his road through to
the Sound he will command and receive
much the largest share of the business
west Of the Rocky mountains, as well
- o great portion of the through bust
ness. Since here | have heard much
speculation in regard to the origin Of
the Seattle, Wa!ln Walla and Baker
City road. Many here surmise tina,
the hand Of Gould is in that, while
others think that i. was originated by
few men in and about Seattle, fol-
the purpose OF getting all organization
franchise and partial survey and then
selling out at an advance of their small
Investment to some other c,mpany whC
had ample means to build. / have
seen and conversed with one or two
men identified With that organization
who say, to me, that they expect t.
build the road themselves about thirty
miles cas-. Of Seattle to some very val
sable coal mines and put it in opera
ton, upon which investment and con
struction they know they can reap
good interest as coon as completed
They further say that they viii bull
TO the summit Of the Cascades if tn
people Of Eastern Washington an'
Oregon md North Idaho will by thei
own means or by auy other they ma
secure, will engage to meet them at tn
summit. They claim the grade on tn
west side is very moderate, the max
ssum PER mile, which is only for fe,
miles near the summit, being less tina
80 feet, the elevation at the SUNNI
beng little over 5000 ALTO sea lev,
and the istance from Seattle about 7
miles. The Eastern Slope of the Ca.
cades 10 the Columbia. thew claim ha