The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-02-08
Mystery Has
Caused Doubt

Seattle capitalists who have tried
in vain to make deductions as to the
probable connection of the North
Coast road in railroad circles, have
taken to the doubt method, and ru
mors are rife on the Sound that there
is a question whether the proposed line
lis to be a real railroad or a dunn
my.
Mystery has shrouded it since it
was first sprung on an unsuspecting
public, and mystery it still remains.
Inquiry among railroad men who are
supposed to know about these things
only serves to deepen the mystery as
each one has different brand of dope
to offer on the subject, and one was
unkind enough to state his belief that
even r. E. Strahorn, the recognized
head of the North Coast, did not even
know who were the powers that be.
Mr.. Strahorn is a most charming
man to meet, but when it comes to
trying to penetrate the mystery sur
rounding the enterprise he has the
Sphinx put to the blush.
prominent engineer in the service
of one of the big roads, who has been
over all the territory mapped out as
the route for the North Coast and who
declined to permit the use of his name
gave it as his opinion that the route as
laid out was absolutely impracticable
and pointed out as a starter that the
proposed line out of Spokane Port
land & Seattle right of-way no less
than five times between Spokane and
Marshall Junction, II miles out from
!, hot moi q
pound of steel had as yet been laid,
very little grading done, and but
small force of men were doing any
work, and that outside of the termi-
nails in this city. but very little of the
right-of way had been secured.
This statement does not coincide
with the information given out at the
offices of the North Coast, where
it is pointed out that $1,25O,OOO has
already been spent in securing terml-
nails grounds in Spokane and an al
most unbroken right way from 100
to 900 feet wide from the city hall 10
a point six miles southwark. The pas
senger terminals are right in the heart
of the business districts, from two 10
four blocks nearer the exact business
center than any other depot. The
freight terminals fronting on Monroe
street, at the north end of the bridge
are equally we'll located, and as stated,
the securing of such immensely valu-
able property SO close to the business
denter at such low cost has been al
most entirely effected by private ne
gotiations, it having been found neces-
sary to condemn only three or four OF
the tracts out of the hundreds re-
quired.
Contracts Are Let.
Attention is also called to the fact
that the conrac has been let to the
Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging COM
pany for the construction of the long
bridge across the Columbia river just
below the mouth of the Snake Inls
is on the main Walla Walla-Puget
Sound line. Work on this bridge mas
begun and materials are being assem-
bled on a large scale.
Contracts are also reported 10 nave
BEEN let for the construction OF the
line from the west end of this bridge
through the Yakima valley to Granger.
q distance of so miles. Here the heaVv
work is being prosecuted day and nignt
and already about forty miles. OF tne
grading is completed. On the mann
spokane Puget Sound line important