Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-03-15
WE WERE RIGHT.

The statement of the Omaha Herald
that the Short Line would continue on
to the Sound via. the Snake river r ute
confirms the opinion of the Democrat
as well as the Lewiston journals. We
see nothing to prevent the consumma
ton of this plan and it appears to he
route superior to the other. The inter
change Of traffic at Burnt river does
not prevent road to the Sound the in
terchange is only for through freight
to Portland and points in tho east
". Democrat, March SM.
We have not seen the statement in
the Herald, but presume the Democrat
has reported the substance of the state
mcnt correctly. The Portland Ne,rs
claims to trace the dispatch containing
the first announcement of the compact
to the Omaha Herald office, and there
fore it was not believed in Portland.
We then saw nothing in the dispatch
that forbade the continuance Of the o.
s. L. down Snake river and to The
Sound, notwithstanding the compnc: to
pool at the point of meeting Of the two
lines at Snake river, and we so sa;d,
and the real cause of alarm which the
people of Portland foresaw, was that
the O.S.L. would not build to Portland
as they had hoped. but would build to
the Sound instead. Hence their pre-
tended uubelief in the arrangement and
their chasrin and disappointment. But
we believe that the dispatch was in the
main correct, to the end that freights
and passenger traffic would be pooled,
for we had before, even months before.
been apprlsed that an attempt would
be made to that end as soon p, the two
lines met, yet tho 0. S. L. would con-
tinue building towards the Pacific all
the same after tho compact as before,
thought it was not then determined to
build down Snake river. But when
We learned that the O.S.L. would not
build to Baker City but would seek an
other route down Snake river if found
practicable to get through tho canyon,
we rested easy in the faith that the
road would be built this way and pro-
coed on to the Sound via. one Of the
northern passes Of the Cascade noun
tains and give Portland q wide berth
and that those castles in the air that
were to be built at St. Johns and be.
low Albina and Portland, for termi-
nus Of the O.S.L. would soon vanish
from the vision Of the Portland specu
lators. Now it seems from the report
Of the Democrat that the Omaha Her.
aid, which is an accredited authority
for the Union Pacific, comes out plain
~ and says that the 0. S. L. will con-
tinue on down Snake river in its route
to Puget Sound. Jay Gould and Dillon
and the managers who net with them,
arc not going to submit to any compact,
that would place them to such disad-
vantage as the termination Of the O.S
L. at the mouth Of Burnt river would
bring to them. They now have too
many viewers and reporters of the sit
uation in the Northwestern field, on
the ground in Eastern and Western
Washington during the past eighteen
months, to be caught mapping, and it
will take smarter men than Willard to
encompass them by compact that will
shut them from the Pacific waters at
the Sound. Even blind pool of eigh:
million, or twice that amount will not
accomplish that end. 1t is readily ad.
mitted that Willard has proved himself
to be hazardous, dashing smart man in
securing capital and influence in carry
ing forward his schemes and has been
successful in making himself great
among capitalists, but he is liable to
find "a greater than he" in his further
progress Of railroad manipulations.
The O.S.L. is bone be can't pick yet.
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