, 1890-10-02
THEY ALL WANT IN.
Ira ok Laying in the Ceur
d'Alenes.
RAILROADS FOR THE MINES
Tremendous Activity Is Now Be-
ing Displayed in Railroad
Construction.

MULLAs, Idaho, Sept. 26.-Both OF the
great transcontinental railroads, the
Union and Northern Pacific, are making
extraordinary exertions to control the
ore shipments from the Ceur d Alene
mines. The Northern Pacific until last
year had monopoly on the business by
virtue of its narrow gauge branch, known
throughout the country as the "Chippy
road"
Since the advent of the Union Pacific,
however, IL Is IA different story, and be-
sldes doing u fair share of the business
the latter road has stimulated the North
ern to great extent and has parallaled
every foot of its track.
The Northern now has broad gauge
track from here to Pottsyille five miles
east, aud has a gang of 500 workmen
grading u track from the latter place,
which is at the foot of the mountains,
up over the st. Regis pass, down which
river track is now being laid to a con-
nection with the main line at Missoula
mountain.
Iii is confidently expected that this
road will be finished by December /.
There are 5, 500 men in all working on
DOtn slues OF tue mountains.
Engineer Coutine, with a force of six
teen men, is In charge of the construc-
ton work on the Mullan side.
The road will make the ascent by
what ~ known us a high grade fine; that
Is it goes up and over the Sc. Regis pass
by very steep grade as straight US
possible, and not by meaps of u switch
back, such as the Northern Pacific built
over the Cascades while the tunnel was
baiur hlaatel ont Tho uruda M ~, n
great many instances reach six per cent,
and Will average four per cent. That
means that the heaviest sort of an
engine, a decapod for instance, will
only he able to take up four loaded cars.
The ascent from the 81, Regis side is
accomplished at a very much lighter
grade. Construction on that side has
reached within forty miles OF the sum
NIT, although the road is graded almost
the entire distance.
The scenic features OF this route are
simply grand and equal II not surpass
anything in the Rockies or Cascades.
the succession OF magm tcent views
from every point on this road, from the
Mullan side, battle description and are
incomparaby beautiful.
The grading on the Mullan side is
completed far up the mountain side
and within u fow miles of the summit;
but track Is laid only from Mullan, past
the Hunter mine concen traitor, to Pott-
vile.
This track is standard gauge, and as
soon as the road Is finished tho narrow
gauge track from Mullan down to the
Old Mission will be widened 10 u stand
ard. The road will not bother with "a
third rail, as II was at first thought IL
would.
To connect with the train Mt the Old
Mission ON the CGur d Alene river IA
hnat Ia hatnr bt,t 3 ,xiI Ia.
thirty feet longer than the old one,
much broader in tho beam, and will
have greater carrying capacity, and
lar more speed than the present steamer.
Captain Sanborn will have charge of
the new steamer, and Steward STAINS
bury Will still continue to serve the best
meals obtainable in Northern Idaho.
There is considerable talk, and there
can be no doubt but what it will he a
realized fact in the near tutire, that the
Northern Pacific will build road from
the Old Mission to connect at Cmur
d. Alene City or Rathdrum, which would
place IL III position TO successfully
compete with the Union in the matter
OF freights. The steamer trip on the
lake and river will always, however,
hold its own with tourists Tor the
scenic beauties 1t affords.
When the st. Regis branch and the
connecting link from the Old Mission to
Rathdrum Is finished, there is every
likelihood that the Northern Pacific viii
make this the through line from Mis-
soula to Spokane, as it cuts oil u great
many miles and makes almost n straight
line between the two cities. This will
put all of the camps of the Cnur a. Alene
on through transcontinental railroad,
and bo OF incalculable advantage to
them.
THE UNION PACIFIC.
The Union Pacific has not built any
road beyond Muilan as yet, but the
road is located from there four miles
east to the place where it is proposed to
cut the great Mullan tunnel, which will
be II 900 feet in length.
That this work will be begun In short
time can not be doubted in the light of
the progress already made and now be.
ing made by this road.
The branch road from Wallace to
Burke will be finished in about ten days.
Track is laid for mile and half out
from Wallace and the grading work is
almost completed. A few days more of
heavy rock work will put the grade into
Burke's narrow street; and the Union
racine Will share, together with the
Northern, the creek, and the people, the
twenty five foot thoroughfare known ms
'Burke's one street."
There Is some talk OF branch roads be-
ing built up Nine Mile canyon and also
up the north fork of the Cnur d. Alene To
Murray.
THE GREAT NoRTHERN.
There Is n wild rumor here to the effect
that the Great Northern railroad will
cross the mountains somewhere in this
neighborhood and come down through
tue Ceur d'Alenes. II is hard TO say
just how this could be done, for II is gem
orally supposed that there is no other
way to get into the camp from the other
side than by following up the st Regis,
as the Northern has already done.