Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-03-19
A RAIL ROAD FROM
HUNTINGTON
To Coos Bay Shall it be Built or Not?
What the People Ought to do.

lowing, and hope every one will read and pom
der, when opportunity lies just at the door.
"Before reading this article examine for a
few minutes map of the United States. Ly-
ing little north Of due east of Coos Bay, on
the eastern border Of the State, close to the
dividing line between Oregon and Idaho, and
about midway between Baker and Boise cities,
is the town ofHuntington, the present termi-
nus of the line of The Union Pacific Railroad
Company. From this point the cars OF the U.
+. X. K. Co. pass over the lines OF the o. r.
g. N. Co. to Umatilla. and thence down the
Columbia river to Portland. Nor has the
Union Pacific any road of its own 10 the Paci.
nc Ocean through the State of California, be-
ing compelled TO run its rolling stock over the
circuitous line OF The Central Pacific from Op.
den to San Francisco. Starting from Omaha
IN Nebraska, the Union Pacific runs in as near
ly as practicable straight line, little north
| OF due west, to its terminus at Huntington,
and the most casual observer cannot fail TO
see that continuation Of the road TO COOS Bay
would make by far the shortest transcontinen-
tai line that has yet been built. The construc-
ton Of such road would neither be very diff
hcult nor expensive. The distance would be
something over four hundred miles, and for at
least three fourths of the way would pass
through the finest agricultural land in the
State OF Oregon, large portion of which re-
mains unsettled for no other reason than the
lack OF transportation facilities. For months
past the depth Of water on the Coos Bay bar
has been as great as on the bar at the mouth
OF the Columbia river, and some of the leading
and most experienced engineers in the U. S.
have asserted that there is no question what.
ever but that with the expenditure of com |
paratively small sum of money the former can |
be made equal if not superior to the latter, and |
the bar at the entrance to Coos Bay can be
deepened sufficiently to admit Of the free in
gress and egress of the largest vessels that
plow the ocean.
So much for the feasibility of the road,
or, In other words, the advantages TO be de-
rived there from by those who may build it.
Let us now consider for a moment how
such road would effect Coos and Douglas
counties. In the first place at the terminus
ofthe road, whether it be at Empire City
or elsewhere, city of at small estimate, ten
thousand inhabitants would spring up almost
before the road was completed. Such a city
would mean home market for all the products
Of Coos county, and farmers would have no
more reason to complain of hard times.
Moreover it would mean such an increase in
the value of real property throughout the
county that we are afraid to give even an esti-
mate of it for fear that we may be accused Of
exaggeration. Then again at Roseburg, where
the road would cross the line Of the o. & C.
r. R., city would rapidly grow, hardly if at
all inferior in size or importance to that at the
terminus, and the people Of Douglas county
would reap not only the benefit Of home
market, but additional advantage Of low
frelghts for their surplus products, owing to
the necessary competition between the o. &
c. K. r. r. and the road to Coos Bay.
Between The Cascade mountains and Hunt
ington there are hundreds of thousands Of
acres of fertile land almost uninhabited, offer
ing homes for thousands of families on gov
ernment land such as cannot to-day be OBJ
tanned in any other part of the United States,
and the settlement of this vast tract of country
would be an inestimable benefit, not only TO
Coos and Douglas counties, but TO the entire
state.
And lastly, let us consider what steps
should be taken to hayethe road built. We
have not sufficient money available in the two
counties 10 build the road ourselves, and the
first thing, therefore that we must do is to lay
the matter in its most favorable light before
outside capitalists. To do this it is absolutely
necessary that survey of the route should be
made in order that it may he possible to make
a reasonably accurate estimate Of the cost of
the road. Monied men in the east usually
want 10 look before they leap, and before they
invest their capital they want facts and figures
on which TO base their calculations. A survey
has already been made from Coos Bay 10 Rose
burg, and it therefore only remains TO survey
the line from the latter place TO Huntington,
which we are informed can be done for a few
thousand dollars. After the survey has been
the proper men should be selected
to represent the matter in the east, and we are
confident that with little judgement and
plenty of energy and perseverance their efforts
would be crowned with success.
If the people of Coos snd Douglas counties
will only-w up to their own interests, and
shoy their willingness to assist the enterprise
withV pney as well as words, before the dawn
of I8ooSwe shall have direct railroad commu-
nication with the east, and thesestwo counties
will take the position to which they are nat
urally entitled as the wealthiest and most pros
porous in the state. ~
~--%<ANS.e-~~~~~~
Totce From Nebraska.
RISING Cry, Neb., March 3, 1886.
En- REVIEW. I received two copies of