The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-05-22

Portland dispatch in the Spokesman
Review Tuesday contained the following:
President r. H. Hartman was the
guest Of honor at banquet given by the
business men at the Arlington club Mon.
day night. Mr.. Hartman announced
that the lewiston Riparia railroad will
be constructed aud used jointly by the
Oregon Railroad & Navigation company
and the Northern Pacific company.
President Mellen of the Northern Pa
cific was also present, talked for the rail
route to Astoria as. being preferable to
the water route. Mr.. Hartman depre-
Gated hostility of newspapers and politi-
clans to railroads and predicted that IL q
man should come out boldly to champion
the railroad cause and to advocate condi-
tions that would enable the transporta-
ton lines to better serve the public, he
would be indorsed by the people.
"The papers have been demanding the
Clearwater, so Mr.. Mellen and have
concluded to give it to you." said Mr..
Hartman. 1--WE will build the Lewiston.
Riparia road and use it jointly. Con-
struction work will be taken up as soon
as the materials can be assembled for it,"
Several years ago construction work on
this line. promoted by the o. R. & N.
was called of as the result of an agree
ment between this company and its big
rival, the N. P. The road bed made at
that time has suffered severely from the
elements and vast amount of work will
be necessary to place it in shape for the
iron when it is ready to be laid.
The old scheme had yard and depot
grounds started on the north side of
the Clearwater. west of the ferry near
the Washington Idaho state line. So far
as Is now known no change has been
made. In case the road desires its tracks
to reach Lewiston. a long steel bridge
with draw in the main channel is q
necessity. This would require over a
years work. Temporarily steam ferry
upon which loaded cars can be hauled
over the river may besused.
The new road, when built, will save
time to shippers both ways and also the
transfer made necessary in the present
shipping facilities. Grain and stock
loaded on the steamers at Lewiston is
now delayed from IL to IS hours at Ri
paria where the transfer is made. The
same is true of goods coming up from
the ocean points.
Rates may be no lower as the new road
is practically in territory where competi
tion does not exist. But the advantage
in short haul, direct communication
with the sea board. with easy grade. gives
to this region an advantage not enjoyed
by any other in the northwest.
1t means that Lewiston Is to be the
great metropolis of the mott productive
section Of our country-aA section with
more varied resources. 1t means. too,
the development of many OF our resources
that have laid untouched in the lap of
nature, because of lack of the facilities
this enterprise assures.
Another feature in this new line is
that it forms the link Portland has 90
long desired. That city becomes the
center TO which every pound of freight
from all the vast interior country must
60. There was no idle dream in the
great fight for the opening of the mouth
Of the Columbia river. That was
necessary to get the big ships to Portland.
There are a score of branch lines in east
ern Washington now in operation and
the traffic over these will fow to Port