Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-30
RAILROAD MOTEJIENTS.
1ctice Interest iN LetCisfOn Com
cerninO Probable Railroad
lMOcenteufs TOWdFls LeWis-
ton and CdM0s Prairie.

Since my last letter a new proposition
has been submitted by the O. II. & N.
Co., to the people of Lewiston offering
to build railroad from Riparia up
Snake river to Lewiston in twelve
months, provided that the citizens of
Lewiston will secure right OF way for
the entire distance and provide the
Company with depot grounds in Lewis
ton. A meeting was called ut the Court
house on Tuesday evening last to con-
slider the proposition, and all the busi-
ness men of the town were present, and
| much interest was manifested. The
general feeling, as ELECTED in the dis
cussion of the proposition, was non
| committal policy, and after an animated
discussion a committee was appointed
to run over the proposed route and
ascertain the probable cost OF securing
the right of. way. At the date of this
meeting the committee have not yet re-
turned, and l am waiting now to hear
their report. At the lust meeting /
suggested the advisability of having the
road extended to Camas prairie, and at
the coming meeting l shall press the
matter still further, and hope upon my
return to have some good news for the
citizens of Idaho county in general and
Camas prairie in particular. There is a
general disposition here to assist any
railroad company in building road to
the prairie, and the citizens are unit
in appreciating the advantages which
the road would bring to Lewiston in the
shape of affording transportation facili-
ties to our fertile fields, and their assist
ance in any reasonable degree may be
safely counted on to have the road ex-
tended to the prairie.
Meanwhile the excitement anent rail-
road matters here still continues una
bated, and powerful interests are now
enlisted to secure the Manitoba railroad
down the Clearwater. There is also
probability that the Spoksn and Palouse
railroad will speedily be a competitor in
formation that this company will strike
across country to Camas prairie, and
thus add the Clearwater country to the
Northern Pacific system. AS things
look to.dry the prospects for railroad
to the prairie are brighter than they
ever were before, but still there is moth
ing definite known. My impression is
that the o. r. & n, will build up Snake
river to Lewiston this summer, and
next year extend the road to Camas
prairie, but we shall know more when
the right of way committee returns aud
reports tomorrow, when definite action
will be taken either one way or the
other to settle transportation matters in
the Clearwater basin for long time to
come, 30 far as the o. r. & NJ, are con-
cerned.
At the railroad meeting held in Lew
iston Monday night a committee was
appointed to solicit subscriptions to pur-
chase right of way for the o. r. & N,
road from Riparia to Lewiston. 1t is
probable that the amount required will
be raised and it is tacitly understood
that further negotiations are to be
opened with the Q. II. 4 N, to ascertain
how much of subsidy is required to
extend the road to Camas prairie. For
this purpose Lewiston will contribute
generously. and with what can be raisen
on the prairie handsome subsidy can
be raised. A. 4. Z.