The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-05-03
A NEW ROUTE.

president Of the Union Pacific r. R.,
recently addressed the Portland
Chamber of Commerce on the mat
ter of a portage railway at the Dalles,
and made some very pertinent re-
marks and suggested certain posi-
biltles that are worthy OF very close
consideration.
Any move that tends to add to
the transportation facilities of this
great inter mountain region is of
such Importance that to overlook
mention of it would be a dereliction
of our duty to public interests, and
it is the province of the Signal at this
time to call attention to the or, at
Importance commercially to this To-
cality of the construction of the
above mentioned new connection with
the ocean 1t signifies one more
commercial fetter removed, and an
other avenue for the transportation
of the various products of this i'm
mense mountain country to the
marts of the world from which they
have been excluded, only by reason
of extortionate and arbitrary trans
portation charges This Is a fact
better known to the corporation man
agements than to the public generally.
Millions of dollars Of Idaho products
have lain dormant, and thousands
of hands kept idle because market
prices barely exceeded the cos
of transportation The stupidity of
traffic management that has allowed
this condition TO obtain is not mat
ter for present consideration. AS
it occasionally happens, in this in
stance, the private interests of a
man of national repute and Of great
influence, politically, accords with
public interests.
Mr.. Adams says:
If this country is to develop to its
fullest extent, cheap transportation must
be established. Along the line of the
N,l,, y tn ~, 4 l, 4.
will float cargos from the Clearwater to
Portland almost without effort. The
Great Northern, Northern Pacific and
Canadian Pacific must haul their loads
over mountains to get them into the
Sound country, while Portland's tribu-
tary territory sends its freight down
stream all the way.
IF an unobstructed river. open to
boat navigation from Portland to Lew
lston, could be secured, the effect on
rates would be instantaneous. 1t would
force the railroads to meet the rates of
cheap water transportation"
The benefits suggested would be
far reaching The extension OF the
Pacific & Idaho Northern Railway
would place all the country from
Weiser to Lewiston in the direct line
of benefit. Low grade mines would
be opened and new demand created
for the products of the farm, and
an additional territory opened for
our merchants. In fact, to a coun-
try like Idaho, that has managed to
exist under the transportation law
OF CALL THE BUSINESS WILL STAND, I"
the relief would be inconceivable
and the opening of new industries to
follow would be miraculous.
The work on this great enterprise
is now actually progressing and the
sum of 5000, 600 has been appropri-
ated for boat railway at the dalles
of the Columbia and 1T is the pur-
pose to have this transferred to a
fund for portage railway and other
improvements suggested, for which
$400, 600 additional will be asked.
The rapid construction of the Pa
cifc & Idaho Northern Railway to a
northern connection will bring day
OF deliverence and years of jubilee
to this section of Idaho Hasten
the day, and the Signal only asks
as fair treatment from all parties
concerned as it has always accorded.