The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-08-31
Connecting and Exploiting Railway
Links Being Put In.
NORTH And south JOIN HANDS
How Salt Lake Tribune Correspondent
Sizes Up Operations.

WrlJlng from NOrln lQan0, gives The
great Utah journal the following in-
telligent and comprehensive review
OF those important railway operations
now going on and working out fu-
ture great destiny for the state, espe-
cially for Washington and Idaho
counties:
1t will no doubt be matter of in
terest to those who are not already |
acquainted with it to understand the
method of travel between north and
south Idaho. And let me say here
that the gap which separates this
state is wider than that which sepa-
rates any two states in all our union.
An almost impossible mountain di
vides the state north and south. For
about three months in the summer
time teams can be driven north and
south over the mountains. The other
nine months is by railroad around
through two other states and then by
steamboat sixty miles up Snake
river. Our stale has expended nearly
5000, 900 trying to connect the north
and south by wagon roads, and still
we have no roads. Had this same
amount OF money been spent in aid
of some railroad, we would long
since have united the north and south
by an iron rail At present the only
method Of travel by railroad is from
Huntington up through the stale OF
Oregon to Pendleton, thence north
through the state Of Washington to
Riparis, thence by boat up Snake
river to Lewiston in idaho. Or you
can keep on going north to Colfax
and from here branch runs out to
Moscow and then you Can go from
Moscow by railroad to Lewiston. An
other branch at Tekoa, still farther
north, runs into the Cgur d Alene
mining district. This is the present
and only method Of travel by railroad
between north and south Idaho, un.
less YOU should go from Pocatelio to
Helena, thence west to Spokane, and
thence south to TIE koa, Coifax or Ri
paria.
| propose now to explain the rail
road situation in the north aud soull
and YOU will then see that the unioI
of these sections by rail Is not fal
distant. In the first place, the U
n g. N company is actually build
ing the gap between Riparia ant
' Lewiston, and this link will in al
probability be finished by the hrs
day of November And when lin
ished this distance will be covered II
TWO hours, where it now takes tel
hours by boat The next importan
step is the extension OF the Norther
v Pacific east from Lewiston and theme
south along the Clearwater to Grange
vile. This is not mere contempla
tiop. but the road is actually unde
construction, and its roadbed
Graded as far south as Kamiah, viii
in twenty miles of Grangeville. The
comes The extension Of the y II
" N road from Lewiston to Grange
Vile. This road is intended to ru
narallel with the Northern Paclf
~ along the Clearwater to Contac
thence it strikes directly soul
through the Nez Perce reservatie
and on through the heart OF Cams
Prairie direct to Grangeville. In
road is surveyed and the right
way is secured. Here | should e
plain that there is conflict petwe
no. the O r & N. and the Northern I
. cific. the exact nature OF which
do not understand, and we dou
whether they do themselves. In a
e,. event. whether these roads are frieno
or hostile, it is certain that one, II
10 both of them, will be running II
Grangeville within a year. TINS G
plains the railroad situation IN
north.
AZ have now brought these Dorth'
, railroads to Grangeville, which IS
r,u. the head Of the great Camas Pra
farming country, and at the loot
the almost impassable mountain :
separates north and south /. toa y.
Here we are at sea level OF %
feet and we now ascend this mo-
20. tain that reaches almost continuou
to Idaho City Its sea level Is gl'
and at Florence at $500 and at Bun
The HUMP at 1870. There is appareh
the but one opening through these see
mos mo ingly impenetrable forests OF hr
.no nine and tamarsck, and even tha'
wolves the bridging OF wide nv
and deep canyons But we ~
Soda north are watching with intense
terest the building of the fac'n
Idaho Northern railroad ana IN
first final completion of this ROAD an !;
'derS oapterpd We have nOll