Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1889-09-05
TIE MIDLAND PACIFIC.

short account OF . new railroad com
pany organized for the purpose o.
building across the continent to thu
Pacific, which is termed tie Midland
Pacific. But v,ry little is known in
relation to the movements OF this com
pauy on the Pacific coast. II has been
mentioned in the Boise papers and also
10 the Oregon,an. We had heard that
surveyors were in the field for the pur.
pose Of selecting their route and that THU
route would be selected somewhere be-
tween the Union Pacific and the North.
ern Pacific aud would be Us direct . route
to the Columbia basin as could be found
practicable. Somewhere about the 10th
Of August party If surveyors attached
to this company were known to be at
Salmon City. That their purpose was to
recounoiter the channel Of Salmon river
and also u mountain route to the north.
Beyond this no definite intelligence was
msde public when they would be through
and what would be their course after
they arrived in the Columbia basin. All
was uncertain. Last Saturday evening
two men, named Bills and Coruet, arrived
At Lewiston ON the Mt. Idaho stage,
claiming to have come through from
Salmon City in sixteen days, although
they encountered very serious and dam
aging fires IN coming through the Bitter
Root mountains. They said they were
not able 10 tsko the route via the Lo Lo
in consequence Of burning and fallen
timber. They succeeded in reaching
Elk City, but with worn ont and weak.
ened animals, and left them there and
obtained others aud came on to Mt.
idaho. Others Of their party separated
from them q Salmon City and, by boat,
started down Salmon river intending to
reach Lewiston before the party crossing
the mountains but did not arrive until
the next EVENING" after the mountain
party had arrived. They then came in
BY private conveyance from Camas
Prairie. They met with 40 accident 10
coming down Salmon river at ! point
nearly seventy miles above the mouth Of
White Bird, losing their boat and all
their supplies and:stools, and were COM
PEELED to follow the margin Of the river
on loot for that distance, and nearly Tour
days Of which they were without food,
aud al the instruments they had Was a
pedometer and . small aneroid barometer.
At the time Of the accident the principal
engineer. Of the party was left on one
side the river and the balance on the other
side. Tho tour men followed the. margin
Of tho river.so the wire bridge, the frs,
habitable place that they found where
they could get food to eat. they ex.
amined the river to " far ~ The mouth
Of White Bird. Here they turned up
the canyon Of White Bird aud took the
trail 10 Camas Prairie which they
reached on Saturday. The parties met
and are generally quite reticent u to
their future plans, save they; are going
the best route they can 6nd TO Seattle.
They speak iavorably Of the route down
Salmon river for a railroad, AUD claim
that on their report the company IN
whose employ they are will build
through This route to Camas Prairie, thence
on BY : route they may select to Seattle.
They claim that the company have an
abundance Of means, aud that their
principal object At present is to establish
the fact that they have a direct and
feasible midland route from the east 10
tho Pacific. So lar they claim that they
have encountered no insnrmountable
object aud il none more difficult than
they have met with from Sioux City, on
the Missouri, are encountered during the
lalsnce Of the route TO Seattle that their
road will be built, and ths: At au early
day. they are preparing horses to push
on their tour Of rcsonnoltcring.