Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-03-01
Where is the Earthquake

Editor Teller: Bordering on TO two
months ago a writer over the nom de
plume or Stranger" published in your
columns letter in which he predicted
dire disaster to the city located at the
juncture of two navigable rivers, each
tapping the rich agricultural and valua-
bic timber districts which two rival rail
roads are striving to control. think it
is about time that the writer's promised
commercial earthquake, predicted to oc-
cur unless the property owners of Lewis
ton cut down the prices of real estate,
farmers gave free right of way through
their houses and farms to the corpora
tons, and the streets were not immediate
1y improved and lined with three and
four-storied fre-proof structures, to be
sold for whatever might be Offered Br
them by strangers, should come about.
The writer of this veritable rot had the
tenierity to assert that unless his advice
was taken the city would be sidetracked
and its streets furnish grazing for cat
tie.
have faith in the judgment of those
citizens of Lewiston, who, after having
spent years in building up our present
city, do not now, upon the eve of the
realization Of their past most sanguine
dreams of Lewiston's future greatness,
propose to sell their property at the fig
ures others see fit to put upon it There
has never been doubt as to the fuurte
greatness of Lewiston since the O. R. &
n. Co. first demonstrated that the Snake
river was navigable to this point. Up to
that time Walla Walla had the monopoly
of the trade to all our mines; after that
time Lewiston became the great supply
depot for all of northern Idaho. Then
began the accumulations which made
many of our citizens wealthy men,
aud it is very likely they will make many
more shekels, both of gold and silver, at
the same old stand. 1t might be possible
for the railroads to sidetrack us, but there
is no reason for them doing so. In the
first place, the railroads are rival corpo-
rations, and both are seeking traffic; in
the second, the Snake and Clearwater
rivers are a safeguard against any black
mail on the part of the railroads, even if
they wished to levy it, because they make
her independent of them, as the William
cite river makes the valley of that name
and its cities independent of the South
ern Pacific. Then again, when Portland
gives up Judge Deady's idea of making
'Portland-on- Wallamet" ever the great
est city of the great northwest, the writer
and many others who may read this will
long before have solved the problem of the
great hereafter. There is no doubt of
this-no more than there is of the fact
that the business men of Portland are
particular, persistent and successful.
They have never given up any PROPOSE
ton they have embraced, and they will
never consent to or permit the malicious
injury of lewiston, one of their best and
most valuable contributing inland cities.
In conclusion upon this point it might
as we'll be remarked that railroads never
seek to evade or destroy prosperous and
established towns and cities; they wisely
argue that where trade has of itself locat-
ed center nine times out of ten that
center is properly located. 1t is true
there have been some overbearing boom
towns hurt by railroads, but there was a
good reason for it. But there is no reason
here, for so far as rights of way are CON
cerned the law protects both the railroads
and property owners from robbery.
As to our streets, they are better than
were those of Spokane two years ago,
and doub1y more crowded with business
than those of Moscow, only mentioned
in comparison because stranger"
brought the place before the public in
his fruitless attempt to frighten the solid
citizens of the gateway city.
CLOSE WA-WA.