Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-09

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lSak Lake Tribune-l
! One Of the hsst conatructsd rail xxy.
In Amefioa u the Oregon Short Line
which q . branch and feeder Of tn
Onion Pacific, leaves the main line al
Granger, Wyoming, and pushes little
north Of vest. towards Portland, Ore.
Ron. Three years ago Union Pacific
officials we're talking Of CONSTRUCTING
the Oregon Short Line from Ogden
Utah. and had made some preparation
for doing 60. A little later. new fea-
turee in railway matters transpired. and
the eastern terminus, or connection,
| for the rad vas changed to Granger,
Wyoming, and in May Of that year &C
| tive work of construction began, and
since then there has been a constant
rush toward the Pacific With grading
| and track. Al planned, the Oregon
Short Line will secure communication
With Portland. Oregon, and Puget
Sound by . route Of nearly 300 miles
shorter from tho Atlantic ocean than
any other all-rail route now building,
reaches the vast business Of China and
Japan by q route 100 miles shorter than
either OF the existing transc0ntineutal
routes, and develops q mineral. agricul-
tural and forest empire, probab super
lOf to that in any region of similar ex-
tent ON the globe. Az Q highway Of
nations" il will. therefore. rank among
the drst a. . grand factor in tae de-
velopment of hitherto untouched fields.
Beginning at Granger, Wyoming, q
station on the main line Of the Union
Pacific. $40 miles vest Of Omaha, or
1850 miles vest of Chicago, leading di-
reotly to the Northwest through Q fne
grazing region, IL ID an easy grace
from Granger mp Hams Fork. until We
come near tho divide at Twin Creeks,
where long tunnel outs through the
nd2e and gives easy aocees to Twin
Creek Canyon, and taps immense coal
flelds, where the road owns and operates
mines. From the tunnel westward the
road passes through an interesting
country to the valley of Bear river, and
at Montpelier, ia miles from Granger.
reaehs tho heart of the Bear Lake coun-
try. Tho lake is q beautiful body of
water, encircled almost completely BY
mountains, and in extent i've miles wide
and twenty long. The road passes in
sight of the lake at its lower end. near
where it empties into Bear river. Here
some l2.OOOMormons have appropriated
land almost entirely 'fl5wing with
milk and honey" and as fair to look
upon az mortal eyes should care to BE-
bold. Tho lake is An enchanting pic
ture at tho season whom tourists seek its
shores, and abo1nds in trout and feath-
cred game, and mirrors for some thirty
miles y succession of pretty villages and
highly titled fields.
Leaving the lake and following the
general course of Bear river for thirty
miles, the line, at about l45 miles from
Granger, reaches Soda Springs, which
has for years Of the stage coach era
been one OF our oity's INST popular wa
terinR places, and now, with the railway
to reveal its charms more freely, bids
fair TO rank with the first in the land.
Its waters are at once delicious aud eff
caciOus, its scenery romantic, it's climate
OF that quality which Cesar pronounced
as above suspicion" Here the CON-
pany are completing fine shops and
round house, and Soda Springs 10 10 b
tho end Of two locomotive divisions.
When the company erects such q hotel
a. is planned and beauties the place
by landscape gardening, it will be one
Of the finest health and pleasure resorts
In the country.
Westward for seventy miles the track
follows the Bear and Portneuf rivers,
the latter for thirty miles. through re-
Rion not surpassed in scenic interest by
any OF similar extent on the line.
At MoCammon junction, 19l miles
from Granger, the line joins the Utah
and Northern track, and at P0Catsllo,
2l4 miles from Granger, II leaves the
Utah and Northern for the West.
PocatellO is 124 miles mort OF Ogden,
and the Oregon Shurt Line reduces the
time from Montana to the East IL hours,
while it makes Pocatello an important
tranofer point and eating station, hav-
ing already very fine improvements.
Pursuing its way over fins farming
country to the northwest the Oregon
Short Line, when 239 miles from Gran
ger, crosses the great Snake River i'm
mediatoly over that sublime attraction.
American Falls, and thence fairly enters
the lava beds, which have for 70 MANY
years blocked the development of
Idaho. These lava beds have proved
the worst obstacle ever encountered in
railway construction. To make this
road in fact, a. we'll "A in name, The
Oregon short Line" the locating enQi-
neers wore instructed to make it per
fectly straight wherever practicable.
Hence, from American Falls to Boise
Valley, q distance of about 80 miles,
tits practically an air line.
Is was between American Falls and
Shoshone, distance Of 90 miles, that
the heaviest work vas done, and the
country was the worst, but much heavy
grade was required west Of there, al
though supplies we're more easily OBJ
tanned. The blasting Of lava Was often
more difficult than had it been the
hardest GRANITE while the making Of
file was mono the les difficult on 40
count of the scarcity Of lo0se earth Or
gravel ON or near the line. Shoeh0nc is
81 miles west of Granger. and il an
important point on the great railway,
because il 10 the junction Of the Wood
River Branch, the location Of immense
sh0rs, and the nearest point to the
Great Sh0ehone Falls of Snake River,
~ miles south. These three features Of
the place, and its location in the valley
of Little Wood River, With good water
and land, will make Shoshoao an i'm.
portapt point on the line. The Wood
River Branch, running to HALEY, Idaho.
distance Of 81 miles, vas completed
last summer on the came magnificent
scale exhibited ON the main line, and il
10 proposed TO extend noFthward TO Ket-
ohum during the year.
The famous Goose Greek country II
only 20 miles south Of 8hosheue. Il il
the finest agricultural rrgion in Idaho,
east Of Boise Valley. The river plscers
Of snake river arc largely tributary to
Shoshone. and will combine With the
railway, farming. grazing and scenic
interests, and . delightful climate 70
bald mp Gold little city.
Westward from Shoeh 1ne the road
has been completed 70 Oregon, and n
operated BY Regular trains 70 Caldwell,
Idaho, and the new town where the road
cresBss Boise river, distance Of l66
miles West Of Granger. The TRACK ID
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