Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-07-19
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THE CONTRAST,

THE CONTRAST.
An Eastern correspondent who has
travelled to the Pacific over the North
ern Pacific line gives description of the
country, including Montana, Idaho and
Eastern and Western Washington that
is truly forbidding. He claims that Mon
tana is a cold and dry country, that with
out irrigation it is good for nothing as an
agricultural country, that no part of Idaho
along the line Of the road amounts to
much, that the road is covered with deep
SHOWS in winter, and liable to be buried
in mud in the spring, that Eastern Wash
ington is no good grain country, and that
ali that gives Western Washington val
ue is the timber and fish. The above
gives about the substance of his opinion
Of the country. While in some respects
he has made much too gloomy picture
Of the country, in others it is no wonder
he was uniavorably impressed from the
immediate surroundings Of his line of
travel. Montana is generally cold and
dry country. Idaho in the vicinity of the
line of the N. p. road has but few attrac-
tons and those not for agricultural pur-
poses and Eastern Washington though
an open country along the whole line of
the road cannot be considered good ag,i-
cultural country, nor much of a wheat or
grain country, as nearly all who have seen
it from the line of the road can fully testi-
fyif they will tell the truth. But We think
Puget Sound and its surroundings is
much moderated Not only its vast tim
Der regions and its fisheries make it val
liable, but its immense coal fields, only
partially developed, and its small val
lies extending into the mountains, con-
tanning some of the richest lands, but its
remarkably mild and healthful climate,
its excellent, deep and safe harbors make
that section the best along the Pacific
coast This leads us to wonder why
the Northern Pacific managers should
have selected its present route across the
continent when there was one much bet
ter degree and u half south of this.
But this We have time and again discussed,
but to no purpose save to induce them in
their bull-headed purpose to persist in
ignoring better counsels and in building
their line SO far as the west coast is con-
cerned over the longest, most expensive
route for building, but through much the
poorest lands lying between the Cascade
mountains and those of the Bitter Root.
The contrast of this route with that which
the .. S. L. has chosen is very great and
shows the superior wisdom of the latter,
aud especially their wisdom in turning
down Snake river after reaching that
stream near the mouth Of Burnt river
and reaching the very heart of the rich
grain country at this point and then ex-
tending below this point about $50 miles
to the Columbia river and thence I'D the
eastern slope Of the Cascade range through
the coal and timber regions to the Sound.
That portion from Granger City with
the exception Of few miles through
Wasateh mountains) to the approaches
Of the Cascades, is of low grade and all
below the snow line and furnishes con-
tinuance Of about 1000 miles of railroad
line where the maximum grade will not
exceed 26 feet per mile and where one
locomotive can haul from 80 to 40 cars
laden, without any apparent difficulty and
with great speed. No snow sheds will be
needed and no danger from land slides or
snow slides, will be experienced. Their
engineers were not baffled or stalled at
the statements of others to the effect that
the Snake river canyon above Lewiston
was impenetrable or impossible by rail
road. They have entered it, made their
survey through it and demonstrated the
fact that railroad can be built through
it at cheaper rate per mile than was
the Northern Pacific built from Ainsworth
to Missoula, giving to them route 100
per cent. better in all respects than is the
Northern Pacific from the western border
Of Idaho to Helena and on to Bismark,
and yet Mr.. Willard says in his speech
in Walla Walla that no competing liue
to his system will be in operation in the
Columbia basin for many years if ever.
Does he consider all other railroad COM
panies but his own fools and that they
do not ksow the advantages they have
over his system, or does he think he can
buy them of or frighten them off The
men comprising the Union Pacific, if we
mistake not, are men of sterner material |
han Mr.. Willard with his high sounding
md fulsome verbiage. We will see.