Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-03-29
THE COMPACT AaAIN

1
The Union says in relation to the com
pact between the Union Pacific and the
TO- r. e. n. Co., that the details of the
agreement have not yet been made public
t. But enough i. known to make it certain
that these great corporation. have con
tracted one with the other not to build
competing lines within the SITE OF Orc
gon and the Territories of Washington.
idaho and Montana during the ensuing
ten years Technically such an arrange
mcnt, admitting that it had been made,
would not preven! the building Of the O.
III. down Snake river to Lewiston. Fer
| the ORA \. Co. now have no railroad
constructed over any portion Of this route,
nor parallel with it. The o. S. L. does
not intend to build to Portland nor take
my Of the O.R.& Mos business, irom
he mouth OF Burnt river to Portland
But that Is to 20 over the q. R.& \. Cos
road via Baker City to Portland. The
OR. x MO-. have steamers plying on
the Snake between Lewiston and Riparisl,
but M railroad and no immediate pros
pect of one. The only road that would
become rival to the o. S. l.. would be
the Northern Pacific in its traffic to the
Sound. Hence 50 far as the q. Il. & Y.
Co, is concerned, the O.SL. down Snake
river to the Columbia and thence across
the Cascades to Seattle, the OR d y. Co.
as separate corporation could impose no
legal objections To this purpose of the o,
S.L,Co. to follow the proposed route to
Seattle, under the compact as the Union
defines it. But why does the Union in
the same article claim that such a con
tract is void, and cite authorities in sup
port Of the claim, one Of which says that
''In New York it is held that a provision
in a contract for bidding one Of the par
ties to extend its road, would void the
contract But beyond this, if this con-
tract is to continue for ten years without
further building of the q. s. l.. toward
Lewiston, what advantage does the o. S.
l.. gain by making the present surveys
down Snake river il they do not intend
to build during the next ten years? BY
SO doing they can acquire no right, by a
survey, which will not under Congrcssion
al laws, terminate over Government land.
at the expiration of five years, unless the
road be built, and the Central Pacific or
any other company of means can sieze
upon and occupy the Snake River route
without let or hindrancc from the O.S.L.
Go. unless they build within five years.
The truth is that the details of this agree
ment contain no prohibition to the build
ing the O.S.L. down Snake river to Lew
iston at as early period as they find
themselves ready to do 50, nor do they con-
tain any terms that will cause the O.S.L. to
desist in pushing their road to Puget
Sound us fast as means and men can do
the work, and it is, to our mind, sheer
nonsense and moonshine to suppose that
the arrangement made to pool ireights
and traffic between the two companies at
the mouth Of Burnt river, as telegraphcd, !
involves the question Of stopping the fur
Their building of the Oregon Short Line
down Snake river aud towards PUGET
Sound. The statement about dividing
up territory is not mentioned among the
conditions named in the dispatch, and
then again there is no evidence yet adj
dueed that the two great companies spok-
en- OF, by any authority Of their respective
Board Of Directors have ever ratified the
talk that was had in New York among
officials about the matter on the llth,
10th, 10th and 18th of February last or
that any contract has been signed and
executed between these corporations No
doubt there is some embryo agreement or
understanding upon contingency, and
that is all.