The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-16
BREACH GROWING WIDER
Between the Northern Pacific and
the o. r. & N. Co.
THE SNAKE RIVER LINE
No Happy Termination of the Contro-
versy Is Yet in S Outright of Way
Through the Reservation May
Be Held Up

The Wall Street Journal. which has
followed the Clearwater Short line con-
troversy closely from the first, says the
breach between the Northern Pacific
and the Oregon Railway and Naviga-
ton company is widening. It says
| The Northern Pacific has commenced
the location of railroad line down the
! Snake river on the south side. This; in
cludes bridge over the Snake river
near the site of the Nineland bridge
The object of the road is to parallel the
Oregon Railway and Navigation down
the Snake river and to make connec-
| lions with the main line at Pasco.
Large quantities of material are being
shipped into the Clearwater valley, pre-
sumably for the Lapway spur. The
| cold weather interfcres with railroad
construction. When President Melen
was interviewed on the subject he said
such line would be built, possibly in
connection with the Oregon Railway
and Navigation But in the line just
being laid out the Oregon Railway and
Navigation has no hand. 1t is alrea ly
building UP the Snake river. This new
| line is the first portion of what is
termed the "cut off,"whch is proposed
to run from MissOula to Pasco, The
proposed building OF it was what first
caused the rupture between the Oregon
Railroad and Navigation and the North
ern Pacific, although the construction of
the Northern Pacfiic's Lewiston branch
had aroused the suspicion of the Ore
gon Railroad and Navigation officials.
The October agreement provided for
joint building of the Lewist on-Pasco
line: then came the charges made by
each party that the other was breaking
| the agreement. Gradually they grew
| apart President Mellen said the other
day he expected they would get TO-
gether again and come to some agree
ment that would be satisfactory to all
concerned. But no such happy termina-
ton is in sight and the break seems
wider than ever.
The fight between the Northern Pa
cific and the Oregon Railroad and Nav
lgation company over Idaho extensions
has been transferred to Washington,
says a Tacoma special The Oregon
Railroad and Navigation is reported to
nave sent Attorney l.. S. Wilson, its
counsel al Walla Waila. to Washington,
to assist Senator Simons in hanging
up the Northern Pacific's request for
right of way for its Clearwater line
dian reservation lands.
According to reports from lewiston
the railroad office, there has leaked,
making public tele grams sent by Pres
ident Mellen and General Manager. Ken
drick during their recent visit. They
are alleged to have wired Senators
Spooner and Carter, requesting them
to secure rights of way through 1T
miles of allotted lands. and telling them
T
them in Washington.
These kilograms have stirred the Ore
gon Railroad and Navigation into 'ghly
determined opposition. The Northern
Pacific can secure rights of way in the
courts, but hopes to save time by Sc
curing direct action from the interior
department. or congress.
Great Northern engineers are survey
ing for contemplated cut off from Mi
Ian, on the main line, to Loon Lake on
the Spokane & Northern. a distance of
II miles. The cut off will shorten the
distance from the main line to Rossland
and Kootenia country 40 miles.
The Burlington road has received
what is probably the strangest request
ever made upon it. 1t comes from a
convict in the penitentiary at Deer
Lodge, who writes the passenger de-
partment at Omaha as follows:
l am in the Montana state prison.
serving long term. 1 have no friends
nor any money, so am lonely in my
prison cell. What l want to ask you is,
will you please send me hanger of the
United States; I believe you call it the
commercial map of the United States?
If you WILL I can pass a good many
months looking it over, which will pass
my time away. If you cannot do it,
please let me know so I will know that
you got this letter.