East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-03-15
NEW RAILROADS.
LINES PROJECTED OUT
OF WALLA WALLA.
Hill Line May Invade o. IL. " y. Ter
ritory-Grand Ronde May BE the
Objective Point-Action of Hill
May Hasten o. II. Il n. TO Build
From Elgin TO Lewiston.

\ special from Portland to the
sunday Walla Walla Union, in giving
the details of new railroad projects
in lie Inland Empire, says:
As a move in the railroad war game
which has already started between
the Hill and Hartman interests, into
the Northwest, railroad men, and |
those who are conversant with the |
conditions and the situation, expect to
see the construction of the projected |
Walla Walla and Southern railroad as
a part of the general plan for extend |
ing Hill feeders into the territory of
the o. r. & n. company.
This company was formed about
two years ago, or was Incorporated
with a number of prominent business
men and capitalists of Walla Walla
as directors. 1t was projected to eX-
tend from one of the branches of the
/ Washington & Columbia across the
/ Blue mountains, to the eastern slope
of that range, down the Grand Ronde
river to Elgin, thence extending east
to supply transportation facilities for
the interior of Wallowa county, and
invading the region of the proposed
line of the o. r. & n. from Elgin to
the Snake river.
Skirting the western slope of the
Blue mountains, another branch of
the road was designed to furnish an
outlet for the wheat region of the
great plateau that skirts the Walla
Walla valley, along the western side
of the Blue mountains, now remote
from rail transportation, and in its
course the road would traverse a half
dozen townships already producing
immense yields of cereal. although
but a small proportion of the total
area is now in cultivation.
To Enter Hartman Territory.
Ostensibly the movement is the re-
suit of a lot of solid business men
having the interest of their city at
heart, getting together in the organi-
zation of a corporation to develop a
tributary country, but is now sur
missed that it is to be the means of
obtaining valuable feeders in a region
that is the recognized territory of the
Hartman system. t
The Northern Pacific under the
agreements held sacred by both com
panies could not be known as party
to the construction of such a road
but in view of the probable disruption
= of existing treaties of territory anC
= traffic, the possibilities of the futur,
n might be secretly safeguarded through
$ the agency of others.
U Recently. it was stated that work OF
the road for which the surveys wer
g made, might be commenced with tn
n opening of spring this year. Shoul
t, the contracts be awarded for sucl
IS construction, it will be a matter o
Y more than passing interest. Their
would the o. r. & n. hasten to bull
from Elgin to Lewiston, as planned
- to defeat the purpose of the othe
road to command the business of tina
region.
The Grand Ronde valley is a mos
=. attractive territory. but its bushes
- has been the exclusive right of the {
r. & n. company, and there is no rea
1T son to suppose that any acknowledge
6 ment will be given to any other raj
- road to claim a share of the business
le There will be, i'm time, developed
n. large traffic from the Elgin countr!
20 and the interior of the Wallow
county that has remained undeve
oped because remote from the line
but the road already having survey
perfected, apd once on the point {
m extending its lines to the Snake rive
10 via that route. will heardly perm
another to lay first claim to that trat
fic