Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-05-01
RAIL ROAD MAY BE BUILT,
Col. Draper Meets With Citizens
and Offers Proposition which
Is Accepted.


Morgan Draper, Manager Of the Wald,
Smelling & Mining Co, to further con
slider the matter OF the proposed Oregon
x Pacific Railroad. As the Mayor ant
President of the Council were both ab
sent, the meeting was made that OF tn,
Board OF Trade alone and was called tS
order by President r. l.. Coe.
Col. Draper was present, and upon be
ing introduced, briefly stated his objecr
IN meeting the citizens OF Grants Pas,
and Josephine county In closing hil
remarks he made a proposition to the
Board which was voted upon and unapi l.
mously accepted. The proposition was
to the effect that If right OF way and ter.
minal grounds be furnished the Oregon
& Pacific Company through and in the
city OF Grants Pass, they would begin
the survey OF the road from this city to
to Waldo Immediately.
The meeting was an enthusiastic one
in every respect and all seem pleased
with the fair business-like proposal ol
Col. Draper. Ii was moved and carried
that committee be appointed to work
in conjunction with Col. Draper IN the
matter OF securing right of way and ter
minals in the city, and it was also moved
and carried that similar committee be
appointsd to aid in the work OF securing
right OF way between Grants Pass and
Waldo.
On Thursday morning a special meet.
ing OF the Board OF Trade WAS called a,
the parlors OF the Southern Oregon Ma
tional Bank and liberal discussion
made of the new railroad matter. All
realize that in order to secure right OF
way for a railroad that money is neces.
ssry, and precaution in all such matters
Is also as much OF a necessity. At this
meeting a committee was appointed to
devise ways and means, and do the pre-.
liminary work THAT must be done before
the survey is begun. The committee
appointed consisted Of II. G. Kinney, @.
E. Harmon and r, II. Harth.
The following is the full text Of the
address made by Col. Draper before the
mass meeting last Wednesday night:
! greatly appreciate the joint resolu-
tions passed by the official authorities
and by your honorable Board of Trade.
| appreciate it all the more because it
was compliment paid to my associates
and myself. l ilatter myself that such
a resolution could not have been passed
unless you had had confidence In the
integrity and fair dealing of my associ-
ates and myself in the past two years,
in which we have been operating in the
southern part Of Josephine county. It
is but another illustration of the fact
that honesty pays in the long run, even
in days of sharp trading and the chase
Tor the Almighty Dollar, in which many
men are sometimes required to turn
pretty sharp corners in their business
relations.
Since the joint meeting of your two
bodies, on April 7th., when the aiore-
resolution was passed, have
consulted with associates OF mine and
have laid before them the desire Of
: ranta paco 10 baya ,,,n o,,,to,,,I.l
abroad surveyed from Grants Pass to
he sea. You can and will readily un.
lerstand, as business men, that this is
merely question Of business and bust.
less only. Whilst | personally have
he kindliest feelings for every one in |
'our city with whom | have had deal.
ngs or whom / have known socially, |
'ou must realize that | am a steward |
Il other peoples money and must try
o be an honest steward and do what il
'est for their interests: therefore, you
will more fully understand that my
Irst desire was TO obtain an outlet for
he wares we had TO sell at Waldo TO
'oint that would be the best for our
interests. We have gone over the wag-
on road proposition. My position on
his subject has been misunderstood,
ut | want to say here that at all times
ur company has been ready to aid the
ouhty or the city OF Grants Pass or
City TO put the wagon road In
sssable condition. This, 1t seems. has
cen impossible to attain. The subject
as been sgitated and again aVitated, but
othing has come Of it, whether through
1r fault or through the fault OF others
is needless at this time 10 state and
entleman. we are through with the
agon road proposition. We propose
ow to have an outlet that shall not
epend on any form Of government 10
eep 1t in working order.
In looking over the situation, We
'und that a railroad could be- Luilt from
le vicinity Of Waldo, to Crescent City
one or more perfectly feasible routes.
'e also found that the railroad .itua.
on at that point was about az follows.
Le California & Northwestern X. r.
ON San francisco has built north TO
'illetls the Eureka & Eel River X. X.
as built south from Eureka. in Hum
1ldt county, toward a connection with
10 California & Northwestern; and
lat, year by year. the gsp between
Iese two was lessenng TO such an extent
lat within two years time there will
3 all rail connection between Eureka,
umboldI county and San Francisco.
he same people who control the Eureka
Eel River X. r. also control a new
known as the California X
orthern, which Is not 70 be coniounded
ith the California & Northwestern,
icy being distinct and separate cor
'rations. This road has line sur
'yed from Eureka to Crescent City,