Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-10-26
THE COAST ROAD
REFUSES TO DIE

The impression is rapidly gaining
strength that the Oregon Coast & East
ern railroad will become the coast line
of the Great Northern and Northern
Pacific, and that it will be one of the
two great transportation Javelins that
Jim Hill is sending into the heart of
Harriman's cherished Pacific coast ter
rltory. The other is the projected Des-
chutes river line, which reaches through !
central Oregon, across the state line to |
the Pit river, and south indefinitely
supposedly to San Francisco.
No official announcement, nor the
slightest admission, can be secured. All |
mouths are sealed on the subject of the
backing OF the Oregon Coast & Eastern,
as we'll as the Oregon Trunk line, both
of which are being silently pushed along
by the man who have been placed in
the forefront of these projects. They
pay their bills, ignore newspaper as
saults, smile at charges of being the
- | vi poPOl ldlliOluo anu sdN
the time is not far off when the public
may know more about their pIans-but
not now. When the lines of their re-
spective surveys are followed, it is seen
, that they form a gigantic loop, taking in
the coast and the two states of Oregon
and California west of line drawn
! from the mouth of the Deschutes river
: to San Francisco, with a connecting
link through the middle from the mouth
of the Siuslaw river to point near
u Prineville, and effectually tapping the
traffic of the Willamette valley, the
} coast counties, the regions of Crook,
Klamath and Lake counties, and the
Il rich territory of the Pitt river, which
y extends through the heart of the north
It ern half of California.
II Rumors have been flying thick for
r months that Jim Hill has planned a
~ sweeping invasion of the Hartman ter
. ritory on the Pacific coast. No definite
statement has been wrung from any.
A. one on the inside, and all that has been
m printed was based on the nature o
ig known affiliations of the men openly
r. connected with these projects. But any
le one who studies conditions can see that
rs if Hill enters the Pacific coast traffic
al arena, he will naturally have selected
5 the very routes and plans that are be
ing followed by the Wilsey and Nelsol
er railroad projects.
le In the period that Mr.. Wilsey ha
u carried on his operations he has sur
III veyed about $50 miles of railroad ant
ai spenl about $4,000. A close investiga
As ton fails to show any debts left be
81 hind these operations. The work ha
70 been clean and we'll considered. 1t i
d. certain that Wilsey is not spendin
eo money for amusement, nor are hi
hackers, Baker & Crabtree OF st. Louis
s's furnishing 1t merely for the purpose c
y, keeping men employed The furthe
f. fact that Jacob L. Greatsinger of Nel
81 York, who is one of the promoters,
lg. we'll known to be one Of j. j. Hill
a particular intimates, is significant, as
ad also the fact that the surveyors for tn
er Oregon Coast & Eastern have carrie
NJ their lines from the coast to poin
Oh this side of Cornelius pass, within tw
p- miles of the Northern Paciic's presen
track in Portland, and there cease
work.
1t is also significant that E. f. Lytlt
.et president of the Pacific Railway & Ma,
or igation company, who inherited th
Hillsboro-Nehalem project from II.
Pittock of the Oregonan and associate
is making determined fight for terr
tory sought by Wilsey in Tillamoo
'o' county. Mr.. Lytles railroad is SUI
WI posed to have been financed by Harr
w man interests at San Francisco, and
is said the Hartman people have fc
some months been aware of the Hi
plans for coastwise and interior route
into Oregon and California.
y, Mr.. Wilsey, asked about the route
no that have been surveyed by his engir
eers, and the financial backing of IL
project, said;
"We have surveyed two routes b.
tween Portland and the coast. 1t r
mains to be decided which one will
I'VE taken. ! am not the man to tell I'll
ar story. will say this, however: "
nd have surveyed nearly $50 miles; "
Is" have secured grades that are not in g.
03. cess of per cent, and it has cost [
ase about $4,000. If anyone can find
man to whom we owe dollar l wou
;. be glad to secure his name"
Of The routes surveyed extend fro
Cornelius pass and also from sherida