The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1908-09-03
NORTHWEST RAILROADS.

Prior tn completion Of the North
Bank Railroad, construction OF new
rail lines In the Biz Bend country, in
Northern Idaho and In many other
interior localities, would have meant
but little TO Portland That city has
not Yet felt any direct benefit from
the opening OF the Northern Idaho
grain districts by the Northern Pa
cfic. nor from the building OF the cx-
tensive electric line system out OF
Spokane The Central Washington.
which developed wonderfully rich
wheat country in the western part OF
the Big Bend. made nothing access
ible to Portland But the North Bank
road will make some striking chang
- on the trade map OF the Pacific
Northwest This new road and the
q. Il. a. ~. which II parallels. with
the Columbia River between. are the
main trunks into which a most elab-
crate system OF feeders will pour traf-
fic from all over the Pacific North
west.
Our country Is developing 50 much
more rapidly than ever before that
the extent OF the railroad projects ac-
preliminary stage, Is far greater
than Is generally realized. The Lew
iston-Riparia line. which Is now re-
ceiving the finishing touches. is an
important connecting link. not only
for the o. X. & ", but for the Hill
lines. for the North Bank road Is
rushing construction on line from
Riparia to connect with the Portland
road at a point near kennewick. Com
pletion OF this line will give Port
land direct access TO the rich Idaho
country. in which Puget Sound has
had full sway for nearly ten years.
In October this field will be stIll fur
ther enlarged by the completion OF
the line to Grangeyille. Idaho.
A Hill project OF almost equal i'm
portance is the proposed line north
and south through the Big Bend
country. Eight crews Of engineers
are now In the field on this line. and
IL will tap the best wheat region In
the State OF Washington. avoiding
the expensive haul over the noun
tains. by delivering the grain To the
North Bank road at a point near the
Snake river. The Oregon Short Line
has It's Huntington-Lewiston cutoff
so far past the prospective stage that
more than 600 men are at work. and
more are being rushed 10 the front
as fast as they can be secured. The
grading and rock work for sixty miles
north OF Huntington Is well along.
and IL Is almost Il certainty that the
Hartman water-level line will be in
operation all the way from Portland
TO Huntington within the next two
years ut the latest.
Meanwhile the Spokane a. Inland,
which is collecting freight In a big
territory, has nearly reached Moscow
Idaho. on Its way to Lewiston. and all
Of the traffic In the rich field which
II traverses can be turned over to the
water-level roads which reach tide
water by way OF the Columbia river
gorge. In addition TO these roads
mentioned, for which the North Bank
road and the o. r. & y offer prac-
tically the only route to tidewater the
Milwaukee & st. Paul and the mys-
terious North Coast road are still
pushing construction, some of il In
new territory and some In that al.
ready reached by the old lines, but
all OF 1t for economic reasons Is more
directly accessible to and from Port |
land than any other port.-Oregon-
ian