The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-02-10
MILWAUKEE RAILROAD
STRAITS YAKIMA LINE
George w. Otterson, Superintendent:
of Construction, Visits This
City.


City.
Construction work of the Chicago.
milwaukee & Puget Sound railroad
on branch line that will reach both
the Hartford and White Bluffs irri
gated district and North Yakima, en-
tering this city through the Mckee
valley, has been commenced. Such
is the announcement made in North
Yakima on Friday, when George w.
Otterman, superintendent of con-
struction of the line, was in the city
on business trip in connection with
the building of the line. He left dur
| ing the afternoon for Seattle, where
he will confer with the officials of
the Milwaukee.
| According to an authoritative
statement, the Preset Rapids Rail
road Co., which secured the right of
way for the line from Beverly to
Priest Rapids and started construc-
ton work on that line, is an auxiliary
company of the Chicago, Milwaukee
& Puget Sound railroad H. c. Hen
ry, who has the contract for the con-
struction of the line, is a director
of the Milwaukee, a director of the
Hartford Irrigation & Power Co., and
president of the Bank of Commerce
of Seattle. His railroad offices are
in the White building at Seattle. in
conjunction with those of the Mil
waukee.
When the Priest Rapids railroad
was incorporated, it was with the be-
lief that the Milwaukee would have
a fight for it's right of way with the
Northern Pacific railroad. Crews of
men were thrown into the territory
that was expected to be disputed. But
the very fact that every one has talk
ed about the Priest Rapids line be.
ing the Milwaukee, has caused the
announcement that the line that is
'being built is a part of that vast sys-
TEN.
In mapping out the work planned
the statement is made that the line
will extend along the Columbia river
to Hartford, and that two miles OF
the roadbed have already been con-
structed. At a point near the foot
of Priest Rapids a branch into the
Yakima valley will be started. This
will follow the foothills Of the Rat
tlesnake hills until it crosses the di.
vide into the Mckee, and then will
follow the edge of the Mckee ridge
crossing the Yakima river above the
present Mckee bridge.
A grade of seven-eights of one pei
cent has been secured by the Milwau-
kee engineers, who have made al
the preliminary surveys. This is the
lowest grade ever secured by any sur.
vey through the Mckee and Black.
rock sections.
: Milwaukee construction crews that
have finished the work near Bever-
ly are being put into the Priest Rap
ids line work, and it is reported thai
the company will extend all it's eff.
forts to securing the Yakima con
nection as quickly as possible.
: AS a showing of the Milwaukee,
interest in North Yakima. Supt. OF
terspn says that the company is buy
ing all its provisions through thi:
city. From three to six wagon loads
of goods are taken out of the city
every day and the feed for horses
used in construction work is all Sc
cured in the Mckee district. The
company shipped out five immense
wagon loads of provisions, each witt
four-horse team. on Friday. Thi:
purchasing has been going on fol
two months.
There are now 100 men and q
teams at work on the Priest Rapids
line, outside of the engineering
crews" said Supt. Otterson on Fri
. day. Before the first of April thi:
force will be enlarged to 500 men and
$50 teams You can easily judge
what is being done when this increasc