The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1905-03-31
ROAD war
WILL HELP
|,sk;aess Men Expect the Rail-
road Trouble to Develop Pa
cifIc Northwest.

saws: Business men Of Portland
oreeon and of the Pacific northwest
.rerally are eagerly watching for the
.uroad war which 1t is the belief OF
~ has already begun. Eyes are
L..e;ned toward the Clearwater coun-
where surveying parties from the
,..thern Pacific and from the Harri-
-, companies are sighting their tran
y. and setting stakes, and toward
r.,,,a, Orego, nwhere easy grades"
:. heing spied out and where rights
1, raw are being secured. For these
,.,ness men know, and do not hesi-
q. 10 declare, that the coming of a
o;,voad war is the coming of pros
nerity. Not, they say, that Portland.
breron and the Pacific northwest in
s,eral are not already prosperous,
VT that they might be more SO, and
m be, il railroad lines are built. And
railroad war means the building OF
lines.
goes without need for proof, these
non say. that shorter routes, cut-offs
nd new lines will not only aim to
ban new country-country that will pay
nth its products for being tapped
Aut will strive for shorter routes and
asier means of reaching tidewater.
rhe easier route to tidewater is down
\ tidewater is down the Columbia and
through the port of Portland. No one
bretends to gainsay this, and it is con-
eded by all that anything James j.
bin is now doing along the line of a
oute down the north bank of the CO.
umbia has tendency to obviate the
necessity for burning the coal and los
hg the power which Is now employed
hauling his heavy trains across the
fountains to Puget Sound.
water Grade" Means Much
With route to Portland, along
which both Northern Pacific and Great
Northern freight could be rolled down,
b the delight Of managers heart, a
water grade" all this now necessary
Expense would be saved. Larger trains
ould be hauled. less fuel would be con-
umed fewer locomotives would be
|eeded and business could be much
hore expeditiously handled
The business man of Portland sees
bis, and realizes that such a road
ind he believes the road will be built
Fould mean much to him in a finan-
pal way. Freights would come here
increased quantity, and Portland, as
supply depot, would be much ad-
lanced
But this Is not all. The Portland
BUSINESS man looks toward Central
oregon. Already the surveyors Of the
Northern Pacific. backed by Hill, who
Jas ever been the enemy of Hartman,
re working from Pendleton toward
he south. Just what that means,
pany are conjecturing. but one thing
held certain-that is. that the sole
wnership Of Oregon by the Hartman
nterests has reached the end Of its
avs and the time has come when, If
larriman Is to retain control OF the sit
anon he must go forth and fight for
or send his agents to fight for him.
whichever instance the result will
the same.
In Eastern Oregon Also
IN the farther district of Eastern
Pfeson there are things doing also.
rom Walla Walla, Wash, a road has
cen projected down iato the waliowa
ouhtry. This, too. is Hill project.
these things. these subtle moves,
ese maneuverings for position, are
eng watched by the business men.
no see that when the fight really be-
pns-the active part of the conflict
VIII mean increased business, be-
Ause country will be reached by rail.
az reached speedily, that now is in the
ao'e interior, separated from the
oes by days of travel with most
F1mitive methods.
tyr years the chief business of Gen.
a oregon has gone to California, be-
1'e california was in closer rail
A"ecion with it. This was not what
BUSINESS men OF Portland wanted
was what they had to submit to.
hey could not swing enough capi-
W construct an independent road.
hartman would not build to con-
he district with Por.lad. Now,
ousn the invasion Of the state by
sonlstic interests. they see a way
the box in which they have been
.0ners for years. And they are glad.
zee that the Central Oregon coun-
WI De developed, that it will be
~ nv closely peopled, that its resources
oe enlarged, and that it will find
Aarket in Portland.
Whole State 10 Aided
people of Oregon and business
ali over the state are interested
Se they have long prayed for bet
!. lamentations and better facili-
ihese have been denied them on
pea that business did not justify
Co. They have no disposition to
az. 10 prove the contrary, for they
80 'e the railroad companies the best
a. VI their own business, but they
ny that competition will force
u.s 'ney have requested, whether
Jusufies IL or not. And they