East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-05-14

Important developments in the
Huntington-Lewisto line of the o.
f. & N. are expected to materialize
within a very short time, says the
Lewiston Tribune. 1t was learned
yesterday that Mr.. D. Van Arsdal,
railroad contractor from Spokane, is
looking over the surveys out of Lew
iston with the intention of bidding
on the grading work.
Mr.. Van Arsdal has been in the
city for the past four or five days
and nothing was known of his pur-
pose here until parties, who were up
the river, reported his presence
along the river. When interviewed
Mr.. Van Arsdal had nothing to say
for publication at the present time
but did not deny that the purpose Of
his visit was to look over the surveys
up the Snake river and that he had
made an inspection on both sides of
the river for considerable distance.
Heretofore it has been the general
impression that the road would be
built from the Huntington end down
and that this end Of the line would
he the last to be touched. The fact
that a railroad contractor is inspect
ing the work out of here seems to be
conclusive evidence of the fact that
it is the intention of the company to
let contracts in the near future for
the grading at this end.
TO judge the work intelligently
contractor must have the profile
maps and If the company was not
ready for bids on the construction
work these maps would not he avail
able tc the contractors nor would the
contractors be spending time looking
over what they could not intelligent
ly judge without the company's data.
The Utah Construction company
has the contract for the first 5S
miles out of Huntington, which
reaches as far as. the Iron Dyke mine
where the new town of Homestead II
located.
between that place and Lewiston and
it is this stretch that Mr.. Van Arsdal
is inspecting. 1t was his intention to
go from here up the river, but ow-
ing to the character of the country
it will be impossible to do so as
there are no roads or trails over
which even a saddle horse can pass.
Arsdars intention to go to Hunting
ton and make one trip down the river
in a boat.
Two surveys have been made for
the Huntington-Lewiston line. be-
tween Lewiston and the mouth of
the Salmon river, one on the WASH
ington side, made by Mr.. McDon-
ough, and the other on the Idaho
side by Mr.. Cobb.
This will necessitate an inspection
by contractors of both sides of the
river and no doubt 1t will depend
upon their bids which route will be
chosen. The class of work will be
extremely difficult owing to long
stretches OF rock cuts. Those ac-
quainted with the work will readily
recall the peculiar formations of
basalt lava which lies in stratas re-
scmbling pillars on either side of the
deep canyons.
Mr.. Van 'Arsdall estimates that
some of the rock work will run as
high as 100000 cubic feet to the
mile. When it is realized that 100,-
O0G cubic feet to the mile is consid-
cred heavy work the magniture of
the former figures is apparent.
The Inland Construction company,
which has recently finished its con-
tract on the lewiston Riparia line,
has been awarded a five mile con-
tract on the Huntington-Lewiston
work and their equipment has been
shipped to Huntington.
The visit here now of other con-
tractors seemg to show 1t is the plan
TO have all the work on the import
ant ROAD under conetract within
short time.