Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-04-26
CLEARWATER AND BIG HOLE
PASS COMPARED WITH
PEN OREILLE.

PEN ORE1LLE.
An article in the Butte City Union
Freeman, makes the following statement
of facts which are worth reading:
Had the Northern Pacific Company
located their line from Gallatin City, up
the Jefferson TO the head of the Big
Hole; thence down the Clearwater to
Lewiston; thence down the Snake to its
mouth; thence up the Yakima to its
head, and on to Whatcomb, on the Gin
land sea- of Puget Sound, they would
have saved $50 miles with their trans
continental line, and would not now have
passengers starving to death in their land
slide blockades along "the detour Of the
inland sea" of the Pen d'Oreille. Nor
would they have to approach so near the
glaciers of Alaska, but would have util-
lied the easier passes of the shortcut, as
explored by Mr. Beal of Lewiston, during
the past two seasons. Neither would
they have been under the necessity Of
| writing Mr. Zanier, that he would be dis
charged if he allowed any newspaper man
| to have the information about the short
cut, which he obtained while Mr.. Bcal
showed him through last Fall.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul
the Chicago & Northwestern, and the
Denver and Rio Grande will all find the
shortcut, while the Northern Pacific
makes "detours through inland seas tt
avoid sea-sickncss, up unfrequented armi
towards Pen dOreille, Kootcnai ant
Alaska, cxcurting in search Of "the Lane
of the Midnight Sun"
Not only is the route up Big Hol'
and on by the line we suggest, 35t
miles shorter for transcontinental line
but it is through an immensely rich re
gion, prolific in minerals, farm product
and superior timber; and moreover tn
fabulously rich wheat and fruit lands o
Idaho, Oregon ond Washington are Gu
squarely through; whereas by the circuit
GUS line of the Northern Pacific, there j
not single spot for good farm iron
Missoula to Vancouver in sight of tn
track, distance of 600 miles. True
there are rich farm lands at distance
between Spokane Falls and tho Dalles
but none in sight. The track is along
bed of lava at some points, and driftin
sand hills at others; and in the Coeu
dAlene woods, distance of $50 mile.
it is along wet, sliding mountains, who,
even the trees are mostly unfit for timbf
they being infirm, and hollow in the but
The sand drifts so badly by the incessaI
winds on the Columbia, that sand fenc'
are constructed similar to snow fences G
the Union Pacific, and men are constan
ly employed with shovels, yet in spite {
4 this the trains are almost every day d
layed by sand drifts.
At the canyon through the Cascade
passengers who are conversant with Il
danger from the slides on Shell mounta
usually debark from the cars and tai
r the steamer.
The caving of Mullen tunnel and Il
endless sliding of Iron Butte on the "
lowstone, would suggest the thought tn
the inspiration which prompted the loc
ton of the road where it is, came fro
the electric fishes that, at,navigate the LA
of the Midnight Sun" Certainly al
mountaineer never would have located
, trail along the north faces of wet, slidi
bluffs, when there were south faces
dry bluffs on the opposite side of the CT
T. Won. Nor would he have gone all arou
Robinhoods barn to get to the "unf
n quented arms of glacial seas in the La
of the Midnight Sun"