Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-11-08
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAIL
ROADS PROPERTY.

every valuable water communication in
Oregon and Washington Territory, be
sides owning large portion Of their most
valsable lands, and commands the stu
ation' as completely as did Robinson
Crusoe when he was monarch Of all he
surveyed. '-Chicago Journal.
We suppose one of two things, either
that the person who indited the above is
really ignorant of the true situation and
believed what he wrote, or that he has
purposely mlsrepresented the facts, for a
bluff to other railroad companies. If the
former, to have the boldness to
utter the above as a fact, it must
have been done upon his faith in some
person or persons who have induced him
TO believe the statement If the latter,
then he is wilful hbeller and falsifier
of the condition of Oregon and Washing
ton in relation to open avenues for trans
portation companies to step in and furn-
ish the means of transportation which the
people of not only Oregon and Washing
ton but North Idaho imperatively de-
mand and which would pay fair interest
on their capital invested as soon as their
lines had been put into active operation.
That the Northern Pacific and o. X. *
N. companies own, control and operate
practically every completed line of rail
road in the Northwest, is true excepting
about Is miles of road between Olympia
and the junction on the Kalama road,
unless they have recently purchased that
short line of road. But that either or
both of them together own or control all
the prospective lines of road is in no
manner true, or that they own and con
troll all the valuable navigable water com
nunications in the Northwest is equally
untrue. That they have attempted to so
represent their power and control abroad
has been patent for a long time past, and
the dominant spirit some of their official
actions have shown to the people of the
Northwest, would induce the inference
that the management of these companies
really believed they were complete masters
Of the people of the Northwest, in all that
pcrtained to transportation and that they
intended to hold this mastery for all time
to come. That by the exhibition of this
spirit, they are fast alternating the good
will Of the people of this section and stir
ring them up to test their hold upon the
country is becoming prominently appar-
snt by the oral and written grumbliugs
that come from the people in almost every
quarter of the Great Northwest and prob
ably the investigation and enquiry as to
the extent of their hold upon the country,
never was more rife than it is at present,
and this enquiry is fast disclosing that
they have not yet closed all or one-third
the avenues against the occupancy of new
lines OF transportation for the people in
either Oregon, Washington or North Ida
no, but that these remain as freq. and
open as though no Northern Pacific or O.
Il. 4 N. Companies had an existance.
The mere fact that these companies in
oluding the Oregon Transcontinel, have
HE'D incorporation acts to the number of
~, embracing that number of separate
lines in almost every section of the coun
Try, has not closed these avenues for rail
road lines to other companies, only where
hey have commenced the construction
\ these lines Most of the rights, if any
hey obtained. by these filings, have been
orfeited already and had they not been
Q forfeited, these companies in their greed !
o swallow up the Northwest have already {
ound out that they have attempted to c
ute Oft much more than they can chew.
)regon, Washington and North Idaho, :
onstitsting the Northwest, have near y
as much territory to be supplied with ?
transportation as has the States of Hi. a
DIS, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and Min u
esota all combined, and possess the !
over Of producing as much demanding "
ansportation. They also have far more le
Hand navigation, that is open to eompe- e;
lion in navigation, and long extent y
sea coast, while the five named States =,
we none, and to make the assertion that ca
e Northern Pacific power, including Il
e ., 4. 4 N. Co. and the Oregon Trans u
ntinel Co. own and control all these, !,
ast be the offspring of knave or a m
ainless fool, and to find such state m
ent In the columns of paper of the sh
lebrity of the Chicago Journal, and s
los3 Its editorials is matter of great h., !,
rprise to us Western editors, and We bo
Mt propose that it shall 90 uncontra- tic
ted even If 1t does fatter the stock to
lders Of the Northern Pacific and the e ,a