The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-03
RAILROAD FIGHT IS ON
Clearwater Con troversy Is Not
Settled.
A RICH COUNTRY TAPPED
The Oregon Navigation Company Will
Not Abandon the Field-Some Traffic
Arrangement May Yet Be
Agreed Upon.
Special Dispatch IN the Standard.

special Dispatch to the Standard.
New York, July at is difficult to
appreciate the merits of the Clearwater
controversy without studying a map of
the Clearwater country. There is a
great deal of Misrepresentation regard
ing the points of contention between
Oregon Navigation and Northern Pa
cific. The former has now a line from
Wallula to Riparia through the Palouse
country. This line is not satisfactory,
and so the company has projected
line between the points mentioned fol-
lowing the Snake river. The water
course gives easy grades and better
route. At Alto on the present line
there is 8 per cent. grade, so that
practically all trains from Spokane and
the north have to be broken up there.
This Will be avoided by the new line.
The old line will then become merely
feeder for the Palouse country. Now
there IS no dispute, as generally sup
posed, over this new line along the
Snake river, the Northern Pacific rath-
er favoring its construction. This line
the Oregon Navigation has about COM
pleted. What the Northern Pacific OBJ
Jects to is a continuation of this line
as projected along the Snake river
from Riparia to Lewiston, where the
oregon Navigation now operates a line
of steamers.
The Northern Pacific has line from
MOSCOW to Lewiston, to which the Ore
gon Navigation has no objection, but is
building lines east of Lewiston in the
Nez Perces and Camas Prairie dis
trlcts, to which the Oregon Navigation
OBJECTS very seriously because the
Northern Pacific has made no arrange
ment with it for handling traffic from
this rich country. The Oregon NaViga-
ton says it will not only build the sur
Veyed line from Riparia to Lewiston,
but Will also build east of Lewiston and
night the Northern Pacific in the Nez
Perces and Camas Prairie districts. 1t
believes the Northern Pacific has not
been fortunate in the selection of its
routes, and discounts it's threats to
subsequently parallel the Riparia-Lew-
lston line. One who knows the value
OF the Nez Perces and Camas Prairie
territory can easily understand how
the two companies have got into such
dispute over it, for it promises to
rank with the WalIa Walla and Pa
louise sections in the richness and
abundance of its wheat fields and other
agricultural resources. For the present
there can be no open collision and the
oregon Navigation has its Riparia-
time traffic arrangement has been
agreed upon, the fight between the
two companies will begin in earnest,
and fight of no mean proportions it
will be. The Oregon Navigation is so
situated geographically that it cannot
abandon the Undergraduates offered
by the Clearwater country. Its line for
the most part runs south OF the Co.
lumbia river and cannot get very valu-
able traffic from the country north of
it. Its terminal is Portland. where it
has large interests, and Portland's
prosperity depends considerably upon
its keeping open the channel from the
richest wheat fields of the Pacific
Northwest. 1t has offered the North
ern Pacific a short route via Cornell.
burt the Northern Pacific wants more
liberal traffic considerations than the
Oregon Navigation deeRs reasonable.
or than are usually recognized. The
Northern Pacific now has to take it's
freight to near Spokane and down
again, but of course If it built right
through west of Lewiston to it's coast
line 1t would have as short a route or
even shorter than Oregon Navigation
could offer it.