The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-10-28
smile at the poor imbecile with n lot
Of highly taxed property and no
money to pay the taxes with.
IDAHO AND CALIFORNIA.

\ A great deal has been written and
talked regarding the railroad stu
alton in this immediate locality, and
the SIGNAL has been foremost in ad-
vocating the only honest and possible
measure that will ultimately obtain
and bring out the final great posi-
bilites of the country, and in doing
so has not confined its views to the
narrow borders OF local benefit. While
we fully realize the fact that the town
OF Weiser and the county contiguous
will reap immense benefits and adj
vance rapidly il the road is con-
structed up the natural highway Of
the Weiser river and through the fer
tile valleys of the north, there is, be-
You'd all, the great fact of a general
benefit that is of far greater moment
and one that is in no way appreciated
by the localities most deeply inter
ested. We say this, judging from
the lack Of interest taken by those
who have - much at stake as has
the town OF Weiser and the constit-
uency that the SIGNAL is supposed
to represent; that is, the business
man, farmer, miner and mechanic of
Washington county The construc-
ton OF the road means the opening
OF the immense territory embraced
in the boundaries of Washington,
Idaho and Boise counties, and the
eventual opening of this now sealed
domain to the commerce of the
world. More than this, and requir-
ing no stretch of imagination, is the
northern connection with the great
transcontinental lines, the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern, and the
extension south and west to Sacre-
mento which latter can be made from
Weiser with not mountain range
Intervening and a distance of less
than four hundred and forty miles.
This means to say that the Weiser
man can, with the road constructed,
reach Sacramento rs soon as he can
Portland or Salt Lake, and in trade
and transportation point of view
what does this mean? We are bold
to say it means a revolution in the
commerce of this coast, and one that
interests California rs much as it
does Idaho. Again, let us consider
the matter of distance. The distance
from Weiser to its nearest northern
railway connection is two hundred
miles, saysto Genesse, Idaho, on the
Northern Pacific Ry) and this two
hundred miles is through the greatest
agricultural, grazing, mineral and
timber district of the northwest, and
the extension south from Weiser
would pass through the greatest and
most permanent stock country OF
Eastern Oregon and the north east
part OF California without railroad
facilities, giving line six hundred
and forty miles, two hundred of
which would develop and connect
North aud South Idaho. From
Weiser to Butte the connection can
be made in three hundred and forty
miles, and this line, if adopted, would
open the same immense domain and
shorten the through line from Sacre-
mento to the east and the final re-
suit of the construction of this north
and south line would result in the
release OF two great states from a
railway bondage that has made few
millionaires and kept the majority OF
the people in condition of docile
poverty. All the great field of rail
way construction offers nothing to
in any way compare with this. The
surveys have been made, all the en-
eineering facts are known and earn
ing resources calculated, and we feel
confident that the preliminaries are
all settled and work can commence
soon. The shortest line in operation
between Sacramento and Chicago is
2,277 miles. Over the proposed