Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-10-06
SALEM TO YAOUINA BAY
Would Build Railroad from Capitol
City to Sea, by Way of
independence.

to Yaquina Bay, by way OF Independ-
ence, Kings Valley and the Siletz
reservation, submitted report favor
able to the project at the Eugene meet
ing. The report was read by Hon. F.
w. Waters, Mayor of Salem, who
called attention to the need for rail
road across the Willamette Valley.
The report follows;
'The most profitable railroad that
could be constructed in Oregon today
would be line from the capitol of the
state to Yaquina bay. The first 25
miles would operate through a thickly
settled country, and then it would
penetrate the heaviest bodies Of timber
in Western Oregon. All the heavy
hauling would be down grade to deep
sea shipping, or down grade to the
main line of the Oregon and California
railway. There are enough agricul
tural products along the line now to
make it self-sustaining. Following
are some of the statistical facts about a
railroad from Salem to Yaquina bay,
as gathered by this committee:
"First-Yaquina bay has II feet Of
water at low tide on Yaquina bar
with an average rise OF feet Har
Dor inside is from ! to l mile wide,
and miles long, with 40 feet Of water
''Second--Proposed line would run
through the Siletz valley for a dis
tance of 20 miles. This valley aver
ages to II miles in width, rich sandy
soil, none better in Oregon and about
10000 acres Of this is pillow land would
produce any good crop. 1t would
tap large body of timber, estimated
at 8,OOO,O 900 feet by cruisers on the
reservation. Also tap granite quarry
equal in quality of Maine and Vermont
granite, and quantity unlimited
'It would reach in Polk county tim
ber in S. w. part of TIP. s., r. W.,
all of TIP. s., R. W., S. J of TIP. S. |
R. 8 W., S. E. Or TIP. 7 S. R. 9 W.
north of TIP. 9 S. r. 6 w. and 8 S. r. 7
W. and S. r. 8 W. Estimate of tim
ber in this section, 5000, 100000 feet. |
1t would open up an excellent valley
in TIP. 8 S. r. 8W.
'It would also tap valuable timber
in and s. in W., part of which
is not in the Siletz reservation in Lin
coin county.
Through Pedee valley, in Polk
county, it would reach a small amount
of business estimated as follows: Pc
dee valley, four miles in length, J mile
in width; about 400 acres of valley
land under cultivation cattle sheep
and goats carried in abundance by
farmers.
Through Kings Valley it would
reach valuable farming section in
Polk and Benton counties population
of several hundred grain, hops, hay
and vegetables and range for stock.
Several stores in this section.
'Third-Feasibility: A line has
been surveyed from Siletz timber to
Independence This line we under
stand, starts from Independence, 60
ing west through what is considered
the lowest pass through the mountains
in section 6 of township south of
range 7 west and after crossing
through said pass, follows down the
Siletz river until it reaches a point
near Newport where line direct from
said point to Newport is feasible.
'The second survey followed an
easier grade, in that it followed the
Big Luckiamute river on an easy
grade through Pedee and by way Of
Kings Valley and went around range
6 as in the first description and fol-
lowed the same course to Newport.
Survey has been made to Salem
from Independence and the estimated
distance is IL miles. The complete
line from Salem to Newport is esti-
mated at not over 65 miles. Estimated
cost will be under 81, ,25O,OO0.
''This line would have no grades
over 8 per cent and all per cent
grades would be found by trains 60
ing west, when freightage would be l
light as all timber would be coming
out, not going in.
"Direct outlet to eight townships of
timber in Siletz and Polk county, and (
this timber is considered the best body {
in this part of the state.
'The shortest route from the coast :
to all points north of Corvallis and I
would connect Polk with Marion, and s
travel coming this way would be
extensive. Motor connections with
the Yamhill division Of the Southern
Pacific would add both freight and /
business. l
Railroad would reach counties a
having a population of 100000 and |
make an outlet to $4,000, 100000 to :
l5,OO0,0OO,OOO feet of timber. These t
counties produce in farm products e
SS, zoo, 900; oats, l,676,O bushels; s. d
100000 gallons of milk, 1884, ass b
pounds of hops, 100000 bushels of 5
wheat.
Respectfully,
+. w. WATERS, c
w. H. HOLLIS. u