Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-05-05

only step. Far more remains to be
done. For several months Of the low
/ water period Snake river is not safely
! neers estimate that only $4,000 will
make it continuously navigable. Some
, rocks in the Columbia below the Snake
are to be removed. All interests will
unite to press upon congress the neces-
sity of providing at once for these bet
. terments; small in cost but of great
! importance. Certain engineers have de-
/ clared broadly that the Columbia and
Snake above Cello are not navigable.'
| Strange, If such be the case, that steam
craft have run on the route intermit-
! tently for 45 years Their captains as
| sert that the route is navigable for
| seven to nine months in the year. The
Ohio river is a great highway for
| freight. yet the largest boats in that
! service--great steel barges-run only
! three months in twelve.
4 "All interests in the Columbia basin
demand an all year water line, hence
all the valley towns must unite in the
movement to interest congressman in
our needs. We want special bill put
through the next session of congress
for both the Cello canal and for i'm
provement of the upper river.
After five years work We have Sc
cured a beginning on the Cello canal.
The portage road is the big stick which
will be potent in pushing construction.
But there is no rest for us now. We
must continue to work as one man to
expedite the canal construction. Major
Langfitt says it can be built in four
years. We must firmly and vigorously
demand that this be accomplished. To
this end every man interested should
begin now writing letters to his cor
respondents in all the coast and noun
tain and southern and eastern states
asking our outside friends to interest
their congressman i'm this work Of free
ing an empire of industry from the
, thralldom of wholly inadequate trans
porta ton conditions by an expendi.
ture trifling i'm comparison with the
certain results.
: Railroad Feeders.
Unlike eastern river valleys. onl,
small stretches and narrow bottoms q
our inland empire river valleys nea
the rivers are productive. For the mos
i part especially i'm the wheat districts
production begins several miles ava.
upon the high plateaus above the can
II yon walls shutting off the rivers. II
some sections this is overcome b.
tramways from the edge of the plat
l. to the riverside.
:. THE area possible to serve thus
only small fraction of the total. Onl
by means of railroad feeders. so to 10
miles into the interior. can the pro
ducts reach the waterway. Such
feeder from the river at Lewiston
Charleston into the phenomenally ric
e wheat lands surrounding Grangevill
II and Nezperce. the people along tn
l. route have determined to build an
n operate for themselves. tired OF waitin
for relief from Wall street. Operate
II in connection with boats on the rive
e this feeder will add $1,0O0,00O a yea
$. to the wealth of the immediate distri.
H. of the railroad. It viii he complete
'e within two years. 1t will be the begir
: ming of series of similar feeders frol
y the river into the Palouse, the Wall
'e Walla and Pendleton sections. Alread
IL an independent electric-steam road
l. under construction from Spokar
Is through the Palouse to the river
- Lewiston. These roads will great
le benefit the interior towns and all II
- districts traversed. But no town W!
be benefited much as Portland TT
L river and these railroad feeders W
" make of Portland an imperial city,
l. her people will.
&c Lewiston Granseviiie Electric Ros
:. las to the Lewiston Grangeville G
:. ectric road and its connection DO;
"A line. we shall build 1t anyway. "
j, do not ask for Portland's help "
-, but invite her to join US in the NOV,
:. ment, as she may see il to her adval
!, tage to do so. Thus far her respon
40 has been all that we could ask. v
"a are consulting her business men as
-, the wisest course to pursue to bril-
80 the movement to a successful issue
nm least cost of money and energy VIII,
or the engineering plans are complete
and the financial plans adopted. ,
have no doubt that Portland will me
the opportunity on a liberal bas
ID Without the railroad feeders the Cd
ne river will be of little use; with them.
" will make for an abounding prosperi