Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-05-27
TAKE THE TIDE AT ITS FLOOD

which, if they had been taken advantage
Of by our people, we would have been
much farther in advance in prosperity
than We are now, but by our neglect,
whether willfnl or not, We are not now to |
discuss; we have lost many good oppor-
tunitics for our advancement. We have
now the reputation abroad of being an
old dilapidated town, with bu. little en-
terprise among our people. This repu-
tation may not be deserved altogether.
We have lived many years upon our rep
utation As trading depot for the mines,
and 70 long as the mines were prolific in
their yield, VIC did a good business, and
We defcd competition. Times have
greatly changed since then, and what was
once our great source Of wealth, has
greatly diminished, and our main hope
i the agricultural productions of the
country around us, and certainly no
country west Of the Rocky mountains
has more prolific soil, better climate,
and better natural advantages than ours,
and yet we hardly begin to realize the
fact, or if we do, we have been slow to
improve the advantages within our reach
BY little cxert,on on our part. We do
not say but there are some among us
that are a. prosperous now as they ever
were in the palmiest days Of the mines.
But this is not the case with large
class who work and labors as diligently
= they ever did. The reason is there
u not as much money in the hands of
The medium or lower classes Of the peo-
pie = there was in the flush mining days.
We need something to give us, if not
boom, a fair certainty Of increase in our
acquisitions, and relieve US of threatened
poverty Of condition. We can produce
from our coil as much and as easy as any
country around US, but we cannot get as
much for our products in our home mar
bet q many sections near by us can do.
We need cheap transportation for our
products to market, and our farmers
~ they canuot produce aud ship to a
fcseign market and save money at the
present prices Of freight, and hence they
have not the induccment to test their
lands 70 their capacity. They say they
need more railroad advantages, and that
they must have them or cease to cultivate
beyond the consumption Of their own
families. A few men have been untiring
y their efforts to induce the building Of
: railroad to accommodate the necessities
q the people Of these counties, and to
have large reduction IN ireigh.s. That
instead OF having the railroad companies
absorb in freights all th>profts upon the
psoduch Of tho country, they want, IS
producers, share of these profits to live
comfortably, keep out Of debt, and be
able to make some additional improve.
nents upon their lands. There has been
great deal written or published about a
railroad cr railroads in the yallics Of the
. Clearwater and Snake during the past
tan Of twelve years and the prospect has
sometimes seemed almost certain Of the
eal6llmsnt Of our hopes, but up to the
poasnt time not over four miles of rail-
rod hss been built throughout the entire
Ssaks river aud Clearwater vallies near
rid rivers, distance Of over $50 miles.
While the lauds bordering said rivers,
I'D near to them, arc among the richest
md most productive wheat lands of any
found on this northwest coast. What
- now want Is railroad following the
margin Of tho Clearwater river from tho
nountains TO Lewiston and the margin
"a tbs Snake from Lewiston to Aims
worth. The two roads constructed west
cf this meridian and south of Snake riy-
e, bat twenty-five or thirty miles in the
interior, do not meet the wants Of tire
people for transportation, aud all the peo-
PIE east Of the Idaho and Washington
ine, both north and south of Clearwater.
attending from 40 to one hundred miles,
ere wholly without any transportation of
their products to market, save by their
farm wagons More than two thousand
quarter sections of land are thus situated
and settled upon, and land us rich and
productive in cereals as any in the basin
Of the Columbia, and thc.sand more
quarter sections would be settled upon
were there railroad 10 the valley of the
Clearwater, and within twenty or twenty.
nve miles Of the line Of such a road.
What the people of this section ought to
%, y to urge the Union Pacific to build
: road from the Utah and Northern
through the Beaver Head valley and the
Big Hale pass, and down the Bitter Root
valley to near Stevensville, thence across
Ne Beall pass Of the Bitter Root noun.
|aine and down the Clearwater 10 J.aw;s