The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-08-01
TO BUILD AN
ELECTRIC ROAD
WANT $4,000 FOR ESTIMATES
Meeting Of Commercial Club Called "a
Meet Representative Of Wallace
Coates Engineering Co.


meeting OF the Commercial club wal
called Friday afternon, upon shor
notice, to meet Edward Z. Goudey
western manager for Wallace. Coa.el
Engineering Co., Of New York.
President Davidson aud Vice PIesi
dent Brock being out OF town, A. A.
Jayne was elected to preside at the
meeting.
Mr.. Vanderbbilt stated that the OBJ
ject Of the meeting was to discuss the
question Of building an electric road
through the valley, and after consider
able correspondence and several in
terviews with MIR. Goudey, had
brought him to Hood River to looh
over the situation.
Mr.. Goudey then addressed the
meeting and stated that the Wallace.
Coates company was composed of ii. U.
Wallace, formerly chief engineer OF
the illinois Central; Frank X. Coates,
formerly chief engineer Of the Chica.
60 Great Western; j. Il. Wallace,
formerly chief engineer OF the Pana.
ma canal; Pliny l.. Smith, attorney
at law, and I. W. Snow, presidsn
of the Otto Gas Engine company.
The business of the company was to
make examinations, reports and sup.
ervise Investments ON steam and cleo
trio roads, irrigation work, etc.
make examinations and reports, de.
sign and construct bridges, etc. They
would investigate the project of an
electric road in Hood River valley,
and IL found that the project Is feast.
BILE, would assist in financing the
proposition, il desired. The high
standing, both financially and other
wise, would carry weight In obtaining
capital to finance any proposition
they might recommend. In order to
get at these facts, it would be neces-
sary to put an engineer in the field to
make a study of the conditions, esti-
mates, prospects OF future as well as
present business, and other details
necessary to make the project nnsn-
cial success. He wished to have an
immediate answer, go he could wire
Mr.. wallace and have him on the
ground, as his word would be final as
to the company financing and con-
structing the road. The cost of the
preliminary work he stated would be
1880, which he said was about halt
their regular charges, but that he
made this low price as he had another
project of similar character, and the
two could be attended to by MIR. Wal
lace while here. He said this.money
would have to be paid by Hood ,Riv
er people, and wanted the money
raised that afternoon, as time was
short.
Upon question being asked IL this
report would become the property OF
those paying for 1t, to be used at
some future time, provided the Wal
lace Coates company would not un-
dertake to tuild the road, Mr.. Cloudy
said that it would, but that from what
be could learn of the conditions exist
ing here, 1t looked feasible, and be
had no doubt but what the examina-
tioD would prove that an electric road
would pay, and In that case his com.
pany would finance and construct the
road II so desired He said that he
would want local capital to subscribe
for at least s25, 600 of stock, to show
their good faith and ensure coopera
tion. When asked why the company
required this advance fee to be paid,
when they could make their regular
Profit out Of construction and financ-
ing the project, MIR. Goudey said that
he had five or six requests week to
make similar examinations, many oi
which would not prove feasible, and
1t was necessary to make the prelim.
nary charge In advance to protect
them.
e. l.. Smith stated that the valley
needed an electric road, and would
have to have one within very few
years, but that he thought it was i'm
possible to secure large stock sub
scripions at home. The farmers had
need of most of their money to make
improvements on their farms. He al.
so wished there could be certainty
of putting the road thr ough after the
preliminary survey was made.
Mr.. Vanderbilt thought that S25, 00C
could be raised in the valley.
Mr.. SpIoat asked the probable cost
of construction.
Mr.. Goudey stated that it would be
anywhere from $40, 600 to $50, 900 pei
mile.
G. X. Marshall, who has had con.
siderable experience as an engineer in
railrad building, said that there weie
many conditions to be considered 10
building a railroad or electric line.
He thought that the time was nov
ripe for building such road, oil
would be in two or three years at the
outside. He said that the transmits
sion of power for an electric road wal
an important item. He thought tha'
only such line should be built al
would have traffic connection will
the o. X. & N. but that cost Of sucl
road, that would allow the transfer
ring of standard guage cars to th'
man line of the road might be pro
hibitiye. The difference in the COS
OF constitution of railroad whicl
would handle freight cars of the o
X. Il N. aud simply light trolle!
road, would he considerable, especi
ally as to grades. Mr.. Marshall sale
that he had done some work In small
way himself on railroad proposition
ia the valley, and might have some
thing to offer in The future.
Aftei some more discussion of th
matter the question Of raising fun,
OF $500 to do the preliminary worl
was LETT to q committee consisting O
n Moa n Dathmon and Ehac