The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-06-20

nat Is Sucn a pretty ana plauS-
ible story that I couldn't have the
heart to spoil line of it. 1t is
fact, too, that I am getting so
bewildered over my railway rela-
tionship that I am almost afraid
to go out after dark for fear 1
will turn up on the wrong door
step when I think I am at home"
This is the only statement Robert
e. Strahorn would make when a
Spokesman Review representative
showed him a pot pourri of specula-
ton on his railway connections Thurs
day evening. He was absolutely nom
committal concerning the rumors, most
of which bore out the belief that the
real power behind Mr.. Strahorn and
the North Coast road is the Chicago
& Northwestern.
"By the process of elimination" says
the report, certain railroad represen-
tatives in Spokane have arrived, by in
ference at least, at the conclusion that
the North Coast railroad, that has
been in prospect for some time under
the guidance of Robert e. Strahorn. is
the Washington connection by which
the Chicago & Northwestern railroad
expects to reach the coast.
'rhe secret meeting at which this
deduction was made was held Tuesday
afternoon. Every effort was made to
keep the matter quiet, and even now
the names of the conferees can not be
learned. Nevertheless. the substance OF
their deliberations has leaked out. The
logic by which the man arrived at
the Northwestern parentage of the
North Coast is simple and apparently
conclusive. e. s. Clark, the engineer
who is known to have charge of the
Northwestern surveys from Walla
Walla to the mouth of Salmon river,
is now said to be in charge of a locat-
ing party of the North Coast road in
the Yakima valley and is said to have
been with the North Coast road ever
since the mysterious surveys about
Walla Walla.
"In addition to this, Engineer Clark
is thought to have surveyed the right
of way through Walla Walla territory
for the Northwestern, that has since
been acquired by the North Coast
road. Still another deduction that has
been made is the fact that F. L. Pit
man, chief engineer of the North Coast,
is said to have been formerly division
engineer for the Northwestern noun
tain line.
'These circumstances seem to con-
vince some Of the railroad officials OF
this city that the Northwestern is hur-
rying as fast as possible to circum-
vent the Milwaukee and that the mat
ter Of a line to the coast across this
state has been left to the management
of the road that is now known as the
North Coast. The process of elimina-
ton that was followed by the confer
ence is as follows:
1.-The North Coast road Is not
Gould line, because with all its spread
ing out over the Northwest it has
never paid the slightest attention to
southern route Other well known
railway promoters in Oregon and Ida
no are covering this matter by lot of
we'll directed engineering and other
work, pointing conclusively to the
Gould people having covered this mat
i ter through interests entirely inde-
pendent OF the North Coast company
1.-THE North Coast is manifestly not
y a Hartman line, because 1t has been
= at war with the o. r. & N. at Walla
j Walla and in the Big Bend and the
4 Palouse country. At Walla Walla the
contest has been especially marked.
3 where the North Coast finally got a
most valuable franchise giving it a
right of way through the heart of the
city and depot grounds near the busi-
4 ness center. and far inside the o. r. &
Z N. and the Northern Pacific.
"As Is well known, the North Coast
people have lately purchased the Spo-
kane Columbia River Railroad & Navi-
cation Company property and are now
perfecting the engineering and right of
way work of this line. parallelling the
o. r. & N. for many miles this side of
Connell. Its engineers and right of
way men are right now within 20
miles of Spokane on the south. getting
a Palouse feeder for the Spokane-Co-
lumbia river line in direct opposition,
not only to the o. r. & NJ. but to the
Northern PaciAc and the Spokane &
Inland as well. Canadian Pacific par
entage is out Of the question. AS is
we'll known. d. C. Corbin. the builder
of the Canadian Pacific Spokane ex-
tension. never works under cover. He
always builds his own lines and will
doubtless start in on his Pacific Coast
extension as quick as he gets his
Eastern line into Spokane. which will
be very early this fall.
1.-The statements. generally enamat-
ing from Tacoma and Seattle. that the
North Coast is put out by the Northern
Pacific to bottle up the Yakima and
Cowlitz valleys. are considered by
those best informed on railway mat
tiers. as intended to handicap Robert
f. Strahorn in his right of way work
in the Yakima valley and the Column
bia river country. where his line goes
through many miles of land worth
from $3.50 to $1,000 per acre. What the
public is most demanding over there
is competition. and this shrewd knit
ing is pretty deadly to railroad
scheme whose independence is moi
known or that is not well backed
About the hardest jar the Northern
Pacific argument has received is the
fact that about 100000 IN cash ha'
recently been paid out at North va