The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-04-23
A DOZEN TRAINS A DAY.
Scheme to Build An Electric Railway
to Occur dAlene Lake.
The Plan Assuming Shape.


The Plan Assuming Shape.
II is probable that the long talked
Of electric street car line from this city
to Ceur d'Alene may he at last realized
With its natural facilities and pic
tnresque surroundings, Spokane is lack
ing in one thing, and that lis a summer
resort in its immediate vicinity. Ceur
\ d Alene lake, in consequence, is the at
traction for tourists from this city dur
ing the summer months. The distance
is In the neighborhOOd of ~ miles, and
has railroad connection with this city.
but the latter is TO inirequent to accom-
MEDIATE the number of visitors who
would take advantage of the trip il
hourly or half hourly excursions Were
run, say on Sundays, and others less
frequently on week days.
For the past few days Engineer Il. c.
Riblet and ". S. Norman, manager Of
the Spokane Street Railway Company
have been in close commuli :at.ol over
some project. On Saturday afternoon
last, accompanied by third party. they
drove TO Hayden lake, ostensibly TO fish,
but in reality 10 size up the contour Of
the country in that vicinity, with a
view Of establishing electric street car
connections between this city and Ceur
d'Al-ne.
Mr.. Riblet was prolific in his talk on
the fish question and enumerated differ
ent species of the !inny tribe that Hay
den lake WAS stocked with. but when
reference was made TO possible survey
Of that part Of the country, his mouth
was clamlike. Mr.. Norman was ditto.
His knowledge, too, of the methods of
Isaac Walton was profuse. but anything
else in regard TO his trip WAS out of the
question. He had merely driven over
10 Hayden lake to spend Sunday with
an old friend and had taken Engineer
Riblet with him as an escort.
II leaked out, however. that the Oh
ject Of these gentleman's visit was of a
somewhat different nature than prac-
ucing the art piscatorial. When con.
fronted with the true phase Of their
trip Mr.. Norman spoke quite freely on
the subject.
In the first place, he; me tell You
said he, the Spokane street Railway
Company has nothing TO do with any
such project as building an electric
street car line TO Ceur d Alene, neither
am ! inster-sied i'll it myself. In con-
structing such line there are great
many things 10 be taken into considera-
ton. Not alone the feasibility OF <uild-
ing the line. but the financial results
have TO lie weighed. VIII il pay !.
That is tie question. The line if con
slructed, would have 10 I've equipped
with different system of cars than
those now running on our city lines. be-
sides good many incidental matters
that have not time 10 dwell upon at
present"
Was your visit in any way eonnec-
ted with proposed line there"
We'll. yes" responded the manager
in sort Of AN indifferent manner, 1t
was in the interest of a friend of mine.
a capitalist who resides in the west.
We were merely looking the ground
over, but we didn't do anything definite.
There are great many things 10 be
considered before report 10 him.
Where does the protector of this line
reside"
But Mr.. Norman declined to commit
himself. Throughout Mr.. Norman was
entirely -committal and the effort
to induce him TO say anything on the
subject was hercu!ean task. From
other sources it was learned that the
construction of such line is pending
and that very few weeks more will
reveal the details of the plan.
The understanding is TO Use the
motive power here 10 propcl the cars rs
far as Post Falls. which is nearly mid
way between this city and Cnur
dAlene. From Post Falls to Cour d.
Alene the power will be supplied from
the former city, where there is an
abundance of water power Spokane
Review.