The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-06-20
THE MOVEMENT UNDERSTOOD
Some Merchants Think Not Too Late Yet to
Preserve the Advantage Once Belong
ing to Baker.


will be the result of the completion
of the P. & |. N. road from Weiser q
into Billiards. Landing on Snake !
river, but the mining and farming
communities of the eastern portion
of Baker county are already figuring
upon the advantages to them by the
advent of the new transportation
cases, shorter haul by team to the
railroad and better roads for teaming
from the further away mines, with
corresponding reduction in expenses
and a cheaper rate on the transporla-
ton of materials into the mines.
Baker City has in the past sup
piled nearly this entire district or
has ut least rehandled the bulk Of
the goods going in there. With the
new road in operation Baker will get
little of this trade, which is now
valuable and rapidly on the increase.
Let the farmers once become edu
Gated to ship to Weiser and find
their supplies there, or through that
gateway, and not only Baker City
local merchants but the merchants
of Portland cannot fail to lose heav
lily
1t is believed by those in position
. to know, that had there been suificl-
: ent local support in Baker City only
few months ago to the proposed
road from Baker to tue Seven
Devils the scheme might have been
floated before this time. The sup
port was not given and apparently
the project was buried. The build
ing of the Baker City line might not
have prevented the building OF the
extension of the Weiser road, but it
would have preserved Bakers local
trade in the eastern part of. the
tn county, developed new mining DIS
. tricts that would have employed
many more men and put much moro
money in circulation here from low
grade properties that never can h'
= developed without transportation
I
81 facilities, and it is conservatives
estimated that the road would hav
paid from the start.
. There is not little talk amongs
JOY the merchants in certain circles o
making an attempt to secure til
w building of railroad from Bake
CITY at least as far as Ballard
Landing and saving the trade OF
. rich territory to the metropolis whei
it belongs. 1t remains to be see
what, If anything will be done OF
tangible nature. That the questio
is an important one is evidenced |
the interested discussion of it eve
on the street corners.
Something over two years al
there was movement on foot, sta
w ted by the Baker City Chamber
Commerce, to secure the constru
tion of railroad from Baker Git
''u down Powder river, to Ballard
Landing. and thence on into t
Seven Devils in Idaho. 1t was n
ured that about $40, 900 would
the preliminary work and intert
capital in the building of the III
Some reports were made and es
III mates of traffic that might be
- cured roughly compiled. 1t is kno
that several surveys for rallro
or over this proposed route have be
made bv the railroads and promote
All of a sudden the whole proJ
was wiped off the Chamber of Go
merce slate and nothing more
heard of the matter further II
- the remarks of different indiyIdn
that it was no concern of Bal
CITY as the railroads would ou
ct some time to protect their other
forests That time does not seem
have come yet, and now indep
no. dent capital is putting line in tn
- from the east as local business :
position, having big 2,0oo.
smelter at one end and the big mi
ser at the other. Incidentally the I
will develop large farming cou'
AHo. naturally tributary to Baker CITY