Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1902-08-06
FARMERS MEET PRESIDENTS
CONFERENCE AT DAVENPORT.
Three Presidents of TrinscOntinen-
tai Railways Make Addresses to
ington Railway to BE Extended {"
Meet q, N,-Save Long Haul.

Davenport, Aug ga new railroad, %
miles in length, and costing $35O,OOO, Is
to be built in the Big Bend country.
This is the direct result of the confer
enee arranged between the farmers OF the
Big Bend and three railway presidents
Mellen, Hill and Mohler.
The announcement OF tne new railway
was made by President Mellen OF the
Northern Pacific, after conference with
President Hill OF the Great Northern. Inc
line will run from Coulee City to ADRIAN
Coulee City is the present terminal oil the
Central Washington branch oi the North
ern Pacific. Adrian is on the Great
Northern line
The building Of this line will save the
Northern Pacific the long back haul CT
$50 miles in carrying the freight OF the
BIC Bend country to the coast. 1t is eX'
pected that the new line will be finished
by November, 1902. 1t is stated that the
surveying party will be in the field next
week, President Mellen said OF the new
railway:
"This will save the back haul, and will
give you the btneiit. The result Will be
$3.50 900 spent in your midst, increasing
the taxable property, without any chance
for revenue. The country is barren. This
improvement is a gift to you.
Il would like to go into detail as to the
cost. The whole rate fabric is like card
house. We can do nothing here without
doing something at other points. we are
bound to gain something by the spirit in
which this conference has been called, COM
ing to us not by Intermediates, politicians
who work you and then try to work us.
But you are working with us as allies;
and thus :, GU freeze out the middle men,
A strong Delegation.
The special train from Spokane to Dav-
export, carrying the people to the big con
ference held between the farmers OF the
Big Bend and the railway officials, lett
Spokane before o'clock Monday morning,
arriving at Davenport about $3.50 a. M
The train was made up OF the special ears
of James j. Hill, president of the Great
Northern; j. p. OBrien, general superin-
tendent of the Great Northern; Thomas }
Cooper, general manager of the Northern
Pacific and President Mohler of the ..
R. & n.
There we're ebtween 80 and 40 passen-
gers on board. These included f. W. Gil
bert. superintendent of the Northern Pa
cifc, and 1rainmaster j. l.. DE Force, be-
sides Messrs. Miller Cooper and OBrien,
prominent railway officials. The Spokane
chamber of commerce committee was com
posed of j. Grier Long and n. w. Dur
ham. Others in the party were X. A.
Hutchinson OF Spokane. Don Ryrie OF Spo-
kane, L. j. Lake of Elk, George w. Seal
of Addy, Julius Siemens of Ritzville, Rev.
w. r. Cunningham of Ritzville, Stan
lev Hallettt of Medical Lake, d. w.
Metcalf of Wilbur, C. G. Garrettson OF
Harrington, II. G. Farrell, +. II. Mck-y
and NJ. Moriarty of Spokane a delegation
from Reardan included the following:
John Raymer, Peter Pramm, Claus Carr
tens, c. Shannon, John Wickham and W.
b. Warren.
Rev. w. II. Cunningham of Ritzville
was sent to the conference by the commits
sioners of Adams county, claiming to rep
resent a country that produces 100000
bushels of wheat yearly.
Chairman Odgers of the committee told
President Hill that there would be no
banquets or champagne: but that he would
have some chicken TO eat. Hill replied:
THAT is all right. just put me in with
the farmers. | always get along all right
with them"
One of the crowd called out:
GLOW about getting out the wheatf'
Hill replied: Don't you worry about
getting the wheat out Well attend 10
that; and well get it out all right
Hill Talks.
At 10 o'clock the Auditorium at Dav-
export was crowded to the limit by the
farmers and business men, too, who want
ed to hear what the railroad men would
say.
James Odgers. editor Of the Davenport
Tribune, presided over the meeting. Seat
ed on the platform were President Hill of
the Great Northern, President Mellen 1
the Northern Pacific and President Moh-
Ter of the Oregon Railway & Navigation
company.
President Hill was introduced by Chair
man Odgers. He said, in part:
81 am always glad to meet the people
who are working for the development and
upbuilding of the country served by our
lines. When / first saw the country from
Spokane to the Columbia river / did not
think much of it as a commercial asset
warranting the building of a railroad
Here the president paid fine tribute 10
the farmers in making the Big Bend pro-
ductive country. twenty-five years ago
| began trying to build up the west. IN
the Red river valley they told me it was
too wet. Out here they told it was too
dry.
"The railroads and the farmers in the
country tributary to it are linked to-
gether. You may sell your farm. / may
sell my railroad-if Mellen is willing 70
buy it, or Mohler. Or | may die and get
rid OF it. l will have to in a few years,
but remember that desire to look down,
and not up, and see you prosperous.
"You have crops that keep you busy
four or four and half months in the year
You want to do something the rest of the