Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-10-25
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
WALLA WALLA, Oct. 16, 1888.

from Umatllla on a cabOOSe OF freight
train at 5 Pm. on Sunday, two hours in
advance of the passenger train from Port
land. We took in some portions of tn,
town yesterday. calling on several &C
quaintances, in business here. They al
complain of dull times, in consequence
Of the delays In the shipment Of the
wheat of the farmers. Among many o.
the people there is strong feeling agains
the O. r. & No Co. because they hav,
not done any more for the place. 1t ap
pears that Walla Walla has been bette
provided with facilities than several othel
towns, equally entitled to the attention
Of the company. The town has grown
to much Importance and many of its pop
ulation, who do not look at the situation
and wants of other towns, seem to think
that it is the hub Of all the Northwest
and that everything should, by right,
center here, and they apparently ignore
the rights and just claims of other local.
tics. But this sentiment is not universal
among the people here, we find many
who view the situation differently. The
Improvements since We were here have
been of permanent character Several
new bricks have been erected among
which we noticed the block on the west
side of Main street near the bridge, the
Knapp, Burrell block, and the Small Bros
block, constructed for stable and mag
ni6cent hall in the third story, for public
uses. The stable is being fitted up with
all the modern convcniences, both for
keeping clean and well lighted 1t has
two broad entrances to the hall above,
safe provision for rapid egress of large
audiences in case of fire or other unex
pectcd danger to the building We called
on several Of our publishing fraternity
al Of whom seem to be very sanguine and
hopeful Of the future of Walla Walla
They seem quite incredulous about tn.
future progress of the Oregon Short Line
towards the Pacific in the Northwest
They fear that Gould will obtain such :
hold upon the Northern Pacific that h,
will not desire to push forward the 0. s
L. for some years at least. We told then
that It was not apparent to our mind that
Gould had any hold Of the Northern
Pacific, in financial sense, or that he
desired to obtain any, farther than to hole
them in check, that he might project hi,
own enterprises with more success and
profit and that it was not apparent to us
that he owned anything in the Short Line
or had anything to do with its manage
ment or direction, so as to say it shall or
shall not be built. But these men here
seem to think or pretend to think that
without Gould's say SO, the 0. s. l.. can
not build farther towards the Pacific, and
that without Wizards say so, it cannot
enter the great Snake river and Column
bia river basins. These men seem by a
combination Of movements on the part
of Willard and his active strikers to have
been educated to believe such to be the
facts, and hence they have lent their
talent in their papers in support of this
view Of things, when, in fact, there is no
power in Willard to play the dog in the
manager in regard to the Northwest, pro
vided the Q. s. L. or any other company,
having the means, desire and determine
10 occupy the field, where he has not al
ready constructed his roads. His roads
on paper or embraced in the 80 which
his incorporation act mentions, furnish no
barrier to another company, unless built
Or in process Of construction. Every man
IF common understanding knows this,
and why our ueighbors of the press should
be so fearful Of Wizards power to keep
out other companies is mystery to us,
when they pretend that they would like
10 have the Short Line come down Snake
river and proceed to the Sound, is mys-
Terry to us. They say its coming would
'ubserve the interests Of the whole people
IF the Northwest, and that it would OBJ
ain more than ore-half of the traffic at
he same rates, and would be financial
'uccess to the company when constructed
md yet they do not in any bold sense es-
,ouse the Oregon Short Line cause, nor
give to it the importance which the facts
lready developed in relation to its move
nents really deserve. The little journal
has given more independent view Of the
natter than any, so far as We have seen.
L is true that the press cannot decide the |
question whether or not the o. S. l.. shall
'e built. But it can prepare the public
mind to appreciate its advantages when
does come. The managers Of the Short
inn