Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1885-06-18
THH LEASE AGAIN.

The public who are interested in re-
gard to the railroads which come to this
northwest coast have been exercised for
. long time in regard te whether or not
there is to be joint lease to the North
ern Pacific and Union Pacific of the O. |
r. 4 N. property, or whether the North |
err Pacific is to have an exclusive lease
Of this property, or whether the Union
Pacific is to have an exclusive lease, or
whether there is to be any lease at all Of
this property to any company. AT one
time it is announced that the Northern
Pacific alone has secured this lease at
another time it is annaunced that the
Union Pacific has secured this lease at
another time it has been announced that
the lease had been executed to these
companies jointly. This has been no
sooner credited as a fact, than comes an
other report that Q. II. N will not lease.
The latest account from St Paul, June 8,
Is that the lease to the Northern Pacific
would not be made, as the laws of Ore
gon do not authorize it aud to the effect
that the laws OF congress do not permit
the Union Pacific to make any such lease
It il said that stockholders Of the Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company are
soon to have a meeting at Portland, and
that some close traffic arrangements may
be made or provided for at that meeting
Passenger and freighting public are in
terested in this question so far as it may
effect the traffic furnished by the public,
both in regard to prices conveniences and
speed Of traffic; beyond that they have
no special interests. The railroad record
says that the lowest bid for boring tun.
mel through the Cascade mountains on
tho Northern Pacific is 100000, and
that contracts had been let by the com
pany. The same paper, the Record, dis.
credits the story Of the lease entirely.
From al that We can gather, the plain
inference is, that there win be no lease,
and that the Northern Pacific will build
IT. own road through to the Sound and
operate it entirely independent Of the I'm
Ion Pacific and @. II. 4 N. Company,
and that the Union Pacific will ultimate
y do the same through, though for the
present they may make temporary ar
fangements to exchange traffic with the
q. +. a. n But that ultimately they
will build their own road through to tide
water Of the Pacific. The question in
which We At this point are most deeply
interested is, what route the Union Pa
ci6c will take from its present terminus at
Huntington to complero their road. From
the present knowledge made public Of
the situation Of the Oregon Pacific,
which terminates at tho Aquina Bay,
that company il deeply embarrassed and
cannot proceed further with the construc-
ton Of their road towards the Snake riv-
q to form connection with the Short
Lane, and it il doubtful whether the in
ducement can be made sufficiently strong
for many years to como to influence cap
ital to como TO their relief and build Their
road through to tide water and make the
connection which they originally contem-
plated. There is no immediate prospect
that the Union Pacific or Oregon Short
Line will give encouragement in money
to the further construction Of that road
o. that she win ever make purchase Of it
for her own purposes. II built to-day it
would have comparatively no local traffic
east Of is crossing the Willamette river,
and asthe Oregonian has repeatedly said
there j. not in advantages Of the Aquina
Bay u railroad terminus and as :
great shipping point on the Pacific Coast
sufficient inducement TO override the in.
ducements which other points on the
coast can offer to any railroad company
seeking an outlet on this northwest coast.
So that We may safely predict that the
Oregon Short Line, if it builds at all be.
yond its present terminus at Huntington,
win either build down Snake river or q
parallel road with the o. R. N. over the
Blue mountains The public knowing
the condition Of things must Judge Of the
probabilities u to which route will be
taken by them. As president Adams
said in his speech at Portland, there poll
q y to mind their own business, and
construct and operate their roads in the
interest ofboth themselves and the pub
be who support them. This leads us to
believe that they will not ignore the ad-
vaDtages Of their contemplated road from
Huntington down Snake river to North.
ern Idaho and Eastern Washington.