Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1904-01-28
TRADE LOST TO OREGON
Inland Empire of Klamath Sc
cured to California.


year tending to the enlargement Of
what we may call the general sphere
of California trade and influence, but
which has attracted little public
notice, is the building of a railroad
from the point where the Southern
Pacific line crosses klamath river, in
the basin of Southeastern Oregon,
This little road, now something like
80 miles long, follows the general line
of the klamath river in a northeaster-
ly direction, piercing the mountain
barrier which separates California
from Oregon, crossing the state
boundary short distance above
klamath Hot Springs, and entering
the fine timber belt which lies be-
tween klamath lake on the east and
the Cascade mountains on the west,
The nominal purpose of this enter
prise is to reach the klamath timber
belt, but that behind this purpose
there is larger one related to the
permanent commerce of the country,
is made manifest by the fact that the
work of construction has been done in
the most thorough manner and that
arrangements have been made at a
point on klamath lake looking to the
establishment of terminal facilities,
Some l2 or 10 miles more of construct
ion from Pokegama, the present
northern terminus of the line, will
carry it forward to a connection with
navigation ON upper Klamath Lake.
The great basin of Southeastern
Oregon thus approached for the first
time by an effective system of trans
portation is the largest remaining
district i'll the United States wholly
undeveloped in transportation sense
1t is a country as large as the State
of Ohio, with a thousand elements of
political wealth, but which up to
this time has been held in the bon
dage of an almost absolute isolation.
The five or six thousand people occu-
pying this great region are devoted
exclusively to the stock industry and
live practically the lives OF pioneers.
1t is useless to produce anything
which cannot walk out to market,
therefore, nothing in tho way of
community industry is attempted ex-
cepting animal husbandry. Wide
areas of the most beautiful and poten-
tial productive country lie barren and
waste because cultivation is useless
where there is no means of getting to
market.
1t has long been question with
those who know anything about the
klamath region as to whether it be-
longs commercially TO California, to
Oregon or to the commercial cities Of
Utah. 1t is approachable by prauti-
cally level routes from the north,
from the east and from the southwest
and the soberest Judgment has been
that the future commercial connec-
tion Of the country depends largely
upon which of these three routes was
first to be opened. This point has
been determined by the enterprise Of
the Klamath lumber company OF
which Mr.. Hervey Lindley, of Los
Angeles, is the most active spirit.
The klamath River Railroad which
has now penetrated to Pokegama and
which must soon reach Klamath Lake,
cannot fail to establish the line OF
commercial interest southward-with
the commercial cities of California.
One railroad will for long time be
ample for all the needs of the
klamath basin. This road, now
nearly constructed, establishes the
connection with California and il
will probably have no rival for many
years to come. California, through
Mr.. Llndley's enterprise, has al
least won the first move and will
probably be able to retain the very
great advantage gained. Sacramento
| TTnipn