Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-01-14
LewlStOn'S Opportunity.

The development of the railroad situa
ton i'll and about Lewiston has lead to &
great deal of comment, pertinent ant
otherwise, as to Lewiston's relations
to one or the other, or to both of the
rival lines now being rapidly extended
into this territory. 1t is true that Lewis
tons future is vitality interested.
Railroad building to Lewiston ouly &C
centuates our position as natural dis
tributing point but railroad building be
yond Lewiston into the interior is a ones
ton of different consideration. The n
P. extension to Lewiston has rapidly in
creased the facilities by which Lewiston
Is enabled to control trade, but the pro.
posed branches to Camas Prairie and the
reservation may make or mar Lewiston
as opportunity offers
The solution of the whole railroad
problem is the location of trans-conti-
mental line through Lewiston. The Mis-
sonia cnt-off now being constructed by
the n. P. is of vital interest to our future
welfare. Lewiston's opportunity has
come second time within quarter of a
century, and is Lewiston of to-day to per
NIT the folly of 1880 to be repeated?
The n. p. offers what no other road is
in position to offer, main line for a
great trans-continental railway
The ,,rnnpcaJ ,,,o;,, 1;,o .:,i,o.
down Snake river or shoots off from near
the mouth of Potlatch through Pullman
and south OF Colfax, according to a route
defined by the board of directors of the
Clearwater Short Line Railway Co., and
it will adopt one or the other of these
courses according to its interests and The
facilities and the inducements offered by
the people of the respective sectious.
Lewiston has been wonderfully favored
to have second opportunity offered to
secure main line. This will likely be
her last opportunity. With main line
as near as the mouth of Potlach creek
another could not be expected in North
Idaho, certainly not within generation.
We sould not cohunsel opposition but,
rather active support of any or all other
railroad projects in this vicinity. If we
are to have city we must be large
enough to support all and oppose none.
The o. r. & n. extension is matter of
the very highest importance and every
facility should be offered for its promo
ton, but we cannot lose sight of the fact
that the 0. r. & N. has been used by the
Great Northern and Union Pacific which
it to oppose and abstruct and de-
feat the completion of the Northern
Pacific's main line through Lewiston
which would be serious competitor of
the through business of the Great North
ern and the Union Pacific. Do the peo-
pie of Lewiston desire in any degree to
assist in contest waged in behalf of the
main line business of the U. P. and G.
N. as against main line business pro-
posed by the N. P. through this placer
The suggestion that the people may
hope for main line through the Burling
ton and the o. R. &, N. seems wholly
because the U. p. control of
The o. R. & N. is such that it will never
allow it to furnish its iefcompetitor, the
line to the coast. The
Northern Pacific will never run its main
line business through here and down
Snake river, unless it isafforded facilities
which make it practical to build its own
line down Snake river. 1t could not
use its vast eastern system for the pur
pose of corraling traffic to run over any
leased line on which it would have to
pay rental between here and Riparia
while it already owns main line farther
north over which to convey such traffic.
Then let our watch word be inecessant
activity and open handed liberality to all
-ailroad projects in this vicinity, not for
getting however that trans-coutinental
inc is of over-ruling importance. If the
Burlington manifests any disposition to
.xtend its line through here equal effort
or it as for the Northern Pacific, but let
Is never be deluded into opposition to
he Northern Pacific main line by the
that the U. P. will allow the
}. R. & N. to give us main line in con-
iection with the Burlington the u P.'s
thief competitor.