The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1905-03-31
ALL men
CALLED IN
&c
Brief Activity in Railroad Matters
Soon Ceases-Another Truce
Probable.

Inc rallrOd0 war IN tne famous
Clearwater country has possibly
terminated. The rival roads have ap-
parently buried the hatchet." Where |
only a few days ago was much activity. |
today all is quiet and serene with hard |
ly vestige remaining to tell the tale.
Reports reached the city Wednes-
day that o. r. & N. surveyors in the
Peck country under Engineer Klippel
of Portland were preparing to decamp.
Wednesday night the party of North
ern Pacific surveyors near Charleston
under Engineer Estep received orders
to break camp and yesterday morning
found men and equipment at the depot
ready to leave this morning for the
sound. Reports from the country In
dicate that all the Northern Pacific
parties in the reservation country were
leaving. No reasons are given out for
the cessation of work Of oficials of
either road. The possible deductions
are left for the general public to sur
mise.
The public is disguested over the way
affairs has turned. The confidence that
has been felt in the few days OF ac-
tivity has vanished. Nothing can be
expected from either Hill or Hartman
as long as a "truce" can be. patched
up. "Truces'' seem to be the chief
"Truces" are what have kept the Ore
gon road from securing territory that
has rightfully belonged to her and to
the evident profit Of the Northern Pa
cific. All railroad men concede that
the most important piece OF railroad
work that can be accomplished in this
country is the building Of the Riparia
branch. Many thousands of dollars
have even been spent by the Oregon
road i'm an effort to construct the line
from Riparia to Lewiston but by a
"truce" agreement made five years ago
with the Northern Pacific the work
stopped. AS long as the merger was
in force IL was considered that this
line would be built by a joint COM
pany, but there was no effort made
to build the line considering that the
interests were mutual and the busi-
ness could be controlled by both roads
The merger case has been settled
and Hill and Hartman are at outs. II
could not but be expected that both
magnates would reach out to strength
en- their lines and more especially the
latter since he is the loser by thirty
millions. but the actions of the pas,
twenty four hours in removing from
the field men that have been sent al
, much expense to pave the way fol
railroad construction indicates that {
loss Of thirty millions is n mere baga
telle alongside Of truce
People in the Lewiston and Clear
water country should not expect any
thing from the rail lines until the sit
uation is forced. They must awai
actual official announcement Of con
struction work before believing that
: will come. 1t is a lesson that shoul
remain we'll in the minds OF the public
The public will do well to retaliat
" by at once building an electric lin
y into the prairie country. The tonnag
. is there and by a community of inter
ests of the people there will be n
> chance for "truces" or other setback
1t was reported last evening on tn
g streets that the withdrawal of engir
GERS of both roads from the field ths
'e a combination had Leen reached whiC
meant the building of a joint line dow
the Snake to be shared in by bot
III Northern Pacific and o. r. & n. TIL
IL condition does not seem possible at tn
i time. The Teller last year publishs
a. innumerable reports relative to joi
i lines but the same conditions do n
al exist now. 1t is to be hoped that Il
NJ future will bring about results. tt
J. country is in need of the roads aud q
'e traffic is there ready to be given.