Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-07-16
Railroad Developments.

: The dawn of the period of railroad
development for Csmas prairie for which
we have all waited with patience and
anxiety is at length approaching. The
Northern Pacific, the Oregon Short
line and the Oregon railroad and nayipa-
ton companies each have an eye upon
these fertile fields, and each are yieinp
with the other to add it to their several
systems. Years of funtring industry on
the part of the pioneers have demon-
strated the productiveness and the
varied resources of our section. and
the time is now near at hand when we
are to be relieved from the isolation
which has hitherto retarded our
growth. The outlook for the future was
never brighter. Our position as
geographical and commercial center is
asserting itself. The era of railroad
building through which the northwest
passed in 1883 had the effect of arrest-
ing development here. We were ont
side the sphere of railroad operations.
ana there was an exodus of many OF
our settlers with their teams to work on
the railroad. With the completion of
the railroad system and the collapse
which soon after occurred, our people
returned home and have since then
been steadily at work, and AS the result
of their united labor our products have
increased in quantity and value, new
settlements haye been opened up and
their productiyeness demonstrated, and
this with the natural increase of immi-
grafton has served to attract hither the
attention ofthe several railroad corpora
tions.
Our first choice for railroad would
be direct route from Missoula or some
point connecting with the Northern
Pacific system in the Bitter Root valley
and descending the Clearwater and
Snake rivers to Ainsworth. With the
completion of this line fixed for def
mite date, the Camas prairie country
would furnish enough grain to tax it's
transportation facilities to the utmost.
But grain alone is an Insignificant item
OF the traffic which this road would
develop for itself. for in the surround
ing country through which the road
would run, are the finest forests of
timber on the continent. and country
tributary toit full of rich and varied re.
sources, all lying idle and unproductive
Tor want OF quick communication. The
mining camps of the Salmon river and
Bitter Root mountains for radius OF one
hundred miles are still supplied by
means of the old-fashi hioned mule trains
costly work, when every pound of -four
and other necessaries of life have to be-
transported by the present primitive
methods. With the cheaper transpor-
lation which railroad facilities always
bring, this scantlly settled county would
AFFORD sustenance to large mining
population which would work the
numerous mining regions where gold is
known to exist in quantities that would
Weld handsome returns if the country
ere made accessible, but which, in the
present era Of high-priced transporta-
lon, cannot be worked at profit.
Then, too, the stock raising and agricul.
urai Interests of our county would
expand to gigantic proportions under
he stimulus of railroad benefits, and
here would be a gigantic development
md expansion of all the varied indus-
nes which make up the sum total of
;lyilization.