Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-05-02
GREAT NORTHERN.
There Is Much Anxiety About the
Definite Location of this
Railroad.
It is Conceded to Run North of the
Washington Central and South
of the Columbia River
To the Grand Coulee, but From That
Point Westward All Seems
in Doubt.

A deep interest is manifested by the
public, and especially by those of a
speculative tendency, as to the real
route of the Great Northern railroad
west of Spokane Falls.
1t is generally conceded that it will
keep north of the Central Washington
and south of the Columbia river until it
reaches Grand Coulee. From that
point westward all seems in doubt.
That the Washington Central railroad
is DESTROYS of securing the trade of
Okanogan county, there is no doubt, and
to this end they have made a survey
down Foster creek, which heads near
the upper end of Moses Coulee. The
Great Northern railroad has also made
a survey down Foster creek, and thence
down the Columbia valley to Wenatchee.
They have also run a line down Moses
Coulee to the Columbia and thence up
that river to Wenatchee.
Looking at both routes from bust
ness standpoint, one entirely unac-
quainted with the resources and topo-
graphy of the country would be likely
TO decide that the Great Northern would
adopt the latter route, because of the
difference in distance, which amounts to
from twenty to thirty miles in favor of
the Moses Coulee route.
As to the likelihood of this road
adopting the Foster creek and Columbia
river route the following reasons might
be maidtained.
l. Ease of grade.
2. The securing of large share of
the Okanogan mining, stock-raising, and
agricultural trade, and also of the Big
Bend and Columbia valley.
5. The stimulation of investment of
capital N the immense water powers
along the Columbia, which of necessity
would create great industries and sup
port large population.
4. The road would be tributary to
great timber belt, large quaries of mar
BILE, deposits OF lime and immense coal
fields.
5. The Columbia river route would
be a scenic one. The attractions are
many. Notably is that of Lake Chelan
which is admitted to be the finest lake
in America and its surrounding and
climate are such that, with railroad facil-
tiles, thousands of people would be at
tracted thither.
6. What more could the Northern
Pacific, the great competitor of the
Great Northern, ask than to have the
latter road go down Moses Coulee, and
entirely isolate itself from the great re-
sources of the Columbia valley and
Okanogan county, thus throwing mil
lions of dollars in the lap of the Wash
ington central.
At various points along the Great
Northern towns will spring up, and one
or more Of them will develop into cities.
Wenatchee has bright future and will
no doubt make city of considerable
Importance. Chelan with its immense
water power, its great resources tribu-
tary and the attractions of that beauti-
full lake, will also become an important
trade center and manufacturing point.
At the Methow, where also there is a
good water power, good town will I'M
doubtedly be built.
Branch lines, reaching out into the
gold and silver mines of the Okanogan
and the coal fields of the Methow, will
undoubtedly be built should the Great
Northern adopt the Columbia route.
Lake Chelan itself would be a feeder
to the road, as it extends back into the
Cascade mountains sixty-eight miles,
where timber, mines of silver and gold,
large deposits of marble and lime are
tributary. The lake is navigable winter
and summer and could be utilized to
great advantage for TRANSPORTATION to a
trunk line of railroad. The Entiat,
which flows into the Columbia some
twenty miles below Chelan, would also
be a feeder to a railroad, as it reaches
back into large bodies of timber that
could be easily foated down tn the Col
| umbia river. This stream also affords a
good water power. If the Great North
ern should adopt the Moses Coulee route
it would simply be on account of saw
ing in distance.
The demands of the Columbia valley
and the Okanogan country are such that
railroads of necessity must penetrate
that region, and that very soon. The
people of that attractive country who
have been patiently waiting for trans
portation will not be compelled to wait
much longer before hearing the shrek
of the iron horse, for when two great
transcontinental railroads compete for
business it means railroads.
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