East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-09-18

pertinently says.
1t means more great railroad shops
on the lower peninsula; large round
houses to accommodate the locomo-
tives of both the Hill lines; and extern
sive docks on the willamette river
front, where Hill steamships will,
eventually discharge and receive their
cargoes. 1t is said the general effect
of all this innovation will be a tre-
mendous stimulus to Portland's com
mercial growth, as it will forever end
conditions in the nature of monopoly
by the Hartman lines. that have not
always been acceptable to the bust
ness interests of the city and state.
The metropolis of Oregon will for
the first time secure railroad COM
petition in its broadest sense, and the
benefits from such competition will,
it is expected, give an impetus to
Portland that will in the next decade
make it city of more than 100000
people.
Construction Under Way.
That actual construction work has
been begun on the north bank of the
Columbia river is no longer news to
Journal readers. The Northern Paci-
fic and Great Northern-with all the
Hill affiliated interests-are back of
the new organization known as the
Portland & Seattle Railroad company
When these men make an official an
nouncement that they will build
railroad. it is nearly always followed
by immediate construction.
In the present case this is conSpic-
d, 'siy true. Construction parties are
Del. rushed into the field, and equip
0ent 5 being accumulated at camps
all along the route as fast as trans
portation facilities by rail and boat
will permit. Contracts are being rap
| idly let for grading. and the iron for
| ths bridges ano tracks "a already on
/ the way to Vanc, ,Ver. l. is said that
/ within two years the railroad and
bridges will be completed and in OPP
/ Grafton.
Contract Let.
Contracts have been let to Feter
Simms, of ST. Paul and to Porter Bros.
of Chicago. 1t is said Peter Simms
has secured the larger part OF the
contracts for grading. Porter Bros.
have gangs of graders already at work
at Hollands landing, and in the vicln-
ity of Cape Horn preparations are un-
der way for the beginning of heavy
blasting to remove distractions in the
nature of basaltc rocks close to the
river bank. Large quantities of giant
powder are being received at Vancou-
yer and taken by boat to the scene OF
operations.
The announcement made officially
today removes the last doubt of the
names of the real purchasers of the
Columbia Railroad & Navigation COM
pany, which Is the Goldendale rail-
road and the Regulator line of steam
boats. The boats of the Regulator
line are being freely used to transport
supplies, equipment and men from
Vancouver to the points where con-
struction work has been commenced
along the north bank.
Right OF Way Secured.
1t is now believed the Northern
Pacific has secured much more right
} of way along the north bank than it
was generally credited with owning.
So far as rival railroad lines could
, tween Kennewick and Vancouver was
owned by any railroad company a
month ago and today it is said the
20-mile stretch from Vancouver to
WashOugal is still in the hands of
, original owners.
1t is believed the larger part of the
route has been secured by agents of
the Northern Pacific, but that the
transfers are not yet placed on record.
Efforts made three months ago by
SPECTATORS to secure large tracts Of
ground on the lower peninsula with
view to transferring them to the
Northern Pacific at advanced prices
proved futile. 1t was found that the
. Northern Pacific people had been be-
forehand and that the company had
all the rights of way and terminal
grounds it needed.
Columbia River Bridge.
The new bridge over the Columbia
river at Shaw's island will be one OF
the most modern design steel bridges
double tracked and probably double
decked, for street car and wagon
, travel Construction will he COM
menced from the pier now standing
close to the north shore, at the west
limits of the town of Vancouver The
route from the Columbia river bridge
will cross the sloughs and low lands
over a trestle mile long to reach the
, ridge that rises toward st. Johns, and
will skirt this ridge at l per cent
grade to the site purchased for the
Weyerhauser sawmill, a mile below
:. st. Johns.
Here the Northern Pacific will build
, high bridge over the Willamette
river. On the west side of that stream
the new line will hug the front of the
hills and descend along the river to a
: connection with the present main line
/. This route is said to have been Sc
/, lected as the most feasible after many
surveys had been made.
q Surveyors Long at Work.
= Practically every yard Of the avail
!, able ground for right Of way has been
s surveyed by the Northern Paciflc'i
= men. They have been constantly al
= work for the last six months.
!, Many of them have operated under
n the guise OF geological survey
! parties. They have surveyed five
routes to approach the proposed high