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

The Union, of Walla Walla, under
the caption, 1.-THE outlook" makes several
arguments in favorof the growth and I'M
portance of Walla Walla in the future as
. commercial center, which no doubt are
convincing to the editor as well as to many
others. Among which he claims it must
necessarily grow because it is the centre
Of the great grain growing country of the
northwest. 1t surely is centre of quite
. district Of the grain country. But there
are several centres of equal if not great
er, Importance in the grain growing belt.
Its early settlement and transportation
advantages have contributed largely to its
present commercial importance. Extend
the same or similar transportation advan-
tages to other centres OF the grain lands
Of equal if not larger area than those
whose centre is Walla Walla, and these
centres uill have equal, if not superior
thrift. Hence in the construction of rail-
roads it is not necessity to run all rail
roads through Walla Walla in order for
them to prosper and make money. The
claim is much like that of the people of
Portland who seem to think that all trans
portation lines must Of necessity be via
Portland in order to be a success. Walla
Walla Is town Of much Importance 1t
has grown to fair proportions as an in
land town. and in some respects it has
advanced beyond the demands Of the
country tributary and surrounding it
While thus growing the demands Of the
country demanded some general centre
for business, and that seemed the best
Of any that had made commencement,
~ town. But other towns have since
sprang up and have absorbed from the
business Of Walla Walla and have been
building themselves up at the expense
Of Walla Walla and they will continue to
hold the business and trade and increase
- rivals Of Walla Walla. Several Of
them have As good natural location al
does Walla Walla and now have eaua
railroad facilities and better, being on
main trunk lines, while Walla Walla is
reached only by branch lines. The logic
OF facts it Is useless to dispute. Las,
winter when VIC claimed that the o. s. L.
would not cross the Blue mountains, our
neighbor Of the Union stoutly claimed
that it would, if not in the direction Of
Portland, it would cross in another direc.
tion and 60 through Walla Walla, init.
mating that il could not be success and
pass BY Walla Walla. Now, since, the
labon Of the engineers have made it ap-
pear highly practicable to build down
through the canyon Of Snake river, on a
much easier grade and below the snow
line and reach productive country 90
or 100 miles east Of Walla Walla, the
Onion changes ground, as shown in the
following:
Tho report Of the 0. s. L. engineers
that broad guagc road can be built down
the bank Of the Snake river, from Burnt
nver to Lewiston, for less than $50, 900
per mile, or less than one-half the cost
Of the o. X. & N. Co.'S line over the Blue
mountains, makes it almost certain that
It will Be constructed during the next
70 years. If built that fur il will be ex-
tended down Snake river and over to
Puget Sound tapping Walla Walla on the
way. We shall be disappointed If the 0.
8. L. docs not tap Walla Walla before
the close Of 1856.
The light begins to dawn upon the
Onion and ii is apparently in the direc-
ton Of the truth. Save that the road
win not tap Walla Walla, but continue in
IL course to the sound, without deviation
TO accommodate that town. The entrance
Of that town is not necessity for success
of thst road, as the Union claims in the
following:
Walla Walla merchants and capitalists
have Branches in various parts Of Una
tilla, Columbia, Garfield and Whitman
counties, and il is not exaggeration to say
that Walla Wallians will handle the
major portion Of the grain raised in their
limits. These facts make Walla Walla
. place Of such financial and business i'm.
postance that no railroad company can
ahosd to leave it out Of its plans.
Il i sossumate folly to suppose that
II Walla Walla capitalists should happen
70 control tho grain Of all these counties
named it will be necessary for them to
take it all to Walla Walla, and then ship
It BY rail. They can take it where the
railroad can the most readily be reached,
and . large portion can more easily reach
. road along Snake river between this
end its mouth, than at Walla Walla, so
that the 0. R. 4 N. Company Official
Il =