Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1900-06-01

Wv u"y suco sosOpAOuO
message was received here from
Mellcn of the Northern
Pacific railroad. stating that he
would be at Stuart that evening,
and would be glad to meet
delegation Of the Grangeville
people and hear what they had to
say to him. A meeting Of the
members of the Board OF Trade
was hastily gathered and COM
nittee consisting of Mayor Henry |
Wax, Trustees w. w. Brown and
Geo. X. Reed, ]. A. Wilkinson,
president of the Board of Trade,
and X. Bertsch and A. F. Parker
were appointed committee to 60
to Stuart to meet and confer with
Mr.. Mellen. Teams were promptly
hitched up and the committee
took the road for Stuart and
reached there just in time to eat
supper before the presidential
party pulled in on their special
train. Mr.. Mellen alighted from
his car and introduced himself to
the committee and invited them
into a car, where q long conference
was held, the result Of which was
SO extremely satisfactory that the
party returned to GrangeyiAie in
excellent spirits,
Mr.. Mellen himself opened the
conversation by stating that he
knew what they were there for,
and It was entirely unnecessary
for the committee to use any
argument in an effort to convince
him that railroad to Grangeville
would be good thing for the
company, because they had in
vestigated the situation very
thoroughly and had concluded that
a branch road to Camas Prairie
was a very necessary part Of their
system and they had concluded to
build it in the next twelve monthe.
Mr.. Mellen further stated that it
was a good thing for Grangeville,
as well as for the company, that
the agreement between himself
and Mr.. Hartman was made last
year, for the reason that at that
time they had fully decided to
build up Cottonwood creek to
Denver, and in that case Grange
Vile would be left out entirely.
The truce, however, had given
them time to make further surveys
and they had fully investigated
the several approaches to the
Prairie and had found a better
grade from the river to Grangeville
which they could build for one
half the cost of the Cottonwood
creek route. The company had
therefore definitely and decisively
decided upon the construction ol
the road to Grangeville direct
Grangeville would be the terminus
of the branch and they would de
all they could to build up . goot
town here, as they fully realizet
that the town had great natura
advantages in the way of location
and surroundings to make it th'
natural distributing and outfittini
center for a great scope Of tribu
tary conutry, He also compli
mentcd us upon building up sucl
; a good town in q section of tn
country SO remote from transport
alton and said that this wa
evidence enough for him that j
was a good point for good town
The committee asked for som
assurance that the road would b
built to Grangeville in the mex
twelve months; that such q
:. assurance would encourage tn
; farming population to plant croI
! for shipment over the road, an
!, thus make a difference of one Gro
by the time the road was bull
Mr.. Mellen was unable to give an
such personal guarantee or promii
r but he was emphatic enough
Q state that there was no reasonab
4 doubt about the branch to Grang
); vile being built in the ne
: twelve months and that he hops
!. to come to Grangeville in the ca
q by that time, and he could fores
. nothing at present to prevent Z
y construction Of the Grangevil
y branch in the time specific
Nothing now remained to be do
: but the settlement Of few y
important details, and the bran
to Grangeville could be consider
:. as . part Of the Northern Paci
e system. The plat Of the bran
had BEEN fled in the Lewist
land Office. 1t follows Thl
Mile creek for two miles and Ii
swings back to the south fork Z
then turns again on the breaks
the Clearwater and follows
divide between Three Mile .
Butcher creeks, to apoint In
center Of the school section ,
and . quarter miles north
~ Graneeville. The commit