Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-29
AS OBJECT LESSONS
Colonel Richardson Returns from Long Tour
With Good Roads Train.
WANTS OMAHA TO BID FOR HILLS LINE
This City should Make Deter
mined Effort 10 Become the south
ern Terminus of n Great
Northern Railway.

Colonel R. ". Richardson, government.
highway commissioner, has just returned
from Boise City, Idaho. where ended a four
months trip Of the special good roads train
over the Great Northern railway. During
the four months II has been out this train
has been carrying on its work Of construct
ing object lessen roads in Minnesota, North
Dakota, Washington, oregon and Idaho. The
train was in charge Of Mr.. Richardson and
James W. Abbott, commissioner OF the
Rocky mountain and Pacific coast states, and
under the direction Of Hon. Martin Dodge,
director Of the highway division Of the gov
eminent. and Frank H. Hitchcock, associate
OF Mr.. Dodge and head Of the bureau OF for
eign markets. A. W. MAchen, superintend-
ent Of the free delivery, accompanied the
party on the eastern end Of the trip and j.
W. Irwin, superintendent Of the free delly-
cry on the coast. was with them on the lat
ter half Of their journey.
The development. enterprise and prog
ress of the northwestern country is won
derful," said Mr.. Richardson yesterday.
THE railroads are encouraging immigra-
ton by low rates, and they are succeeding
in excellent style. Large numbers are
nocking to tina territory and many timber
claims are being taken up in Washington
anu OAtkOus bthLlttt hNtItLl hhu II NlllNn
of the Puget sound are booming. j. ]. Hill
is concentrating great efforts in promoting
the oriental trade, and is extending the
railroad system with the idea OF assisting
in the development Of that country.
Likes Hills h
Omaha should make a determined effort
to bring the Great Northern railway into
this city. 1t is now in operation as far
south as Sioux City. and a heroic effort
would no doubt bring the road here. maxi
ing this the southern terminus. 1t would
put Omaha in direct connection with the
greatest trafic road in the country. Mr..
Hill not only builds the very best railways,
but he develops the trade and
along the line. He's now constructing sew
eral ocean vessels for carrying the trade
across the Pacific, and he is determined to
have the oriental trade. He is far-seeing
in this. He would carry the food products
Of the Mississippi valley to the Orient and
bring back the oriental products to the
northwest. thus giving freight both ways,
enabling his road TO minimize the cost OF
transportation.
The business interests of Omaha should
take up this question at once and push it
vigorously until we should become the
southern terminus o! that great railroad
system. ] had the pleasure Of meeting and
talking with Mr.. Hill and / caught some
Of the spirit OF his great intentions.
During the last year and a half / have
visited every state OF the union and there
is no other section so blessed &C the Mis-
sissippi and Missouri valleys. Omaha is
more favorably situated than any other city
in the country. There is no reason why 1t
should not be the greatest city. II. seems.
however, from what you hear abroad, that
Kansas Cit, st. Joseph. Des Moines, Min
neapoliss st. Paul, Portland and others are
much more active in the spirit OF progress
and are making more Roadway. II one
tenth OF the advertising -sSp push that
other cities use we're expeI lea here we
would have the greatest cit on the map.
In the south they have to fertilize; in the
north they have TO thaw: in the west they
nave to i~rrigate. while in this section OF
the Missouri valley nature has been sc
lavish that the soil only has 10 be tickled
with the hand Of industry and it responds
abundantly."