The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1909-03-12
RAILROAD DEVEL-
OPMENT.
Col. E. Nj. Heigho. Vice-President
and GensraI Manager of the II,
@ !. N. Railroad, Gives His Views
On the Subject.

The following interview from Col. e
NJ. Heigho, vice president and general
manager of the p. & | n. r. r. ap.
peared in the Weiser Semi Weekly Sig
nal, Wednesday March 2rd, on the most
important railway movement ever in
augurated in the state.
This is matter on which | am some
what reluctant to express my personal
views, but since you ask the point blank
question, and since the subject at issue
is one of gravest Importance to the
people of this state and perhaps more
particularly to the more remote and
less developed districts lying in the
great heart of Idaho, will endeavor as
briefly as possible, considerig the mag
nilude Of the subject, to give express
Sion to my ideas.
In the first place am notin sympa
Thy with complicating the situation and
creating endless prejudices and animos
tiles by attacking the railroads already
in existence and under operation;
to the construction aud maintenance
of which Idaho is undenably aud for
the most part, indebted for the won
derful development which this state has
already achieved. We cannot afford to
either brighten or autagonize the rail
roads which already exist, nor the out
side capital invested in these roads,
which in the past alone made their eou-
structlon possible. These interests have
cast their lot with us in good faith, and
have experienced many viclssitudes and
waited patiently through many years
for anything like an adequate return
upon the investment, and they should
be dealt with in equal good faith and
in all equity. What we need is MORE
RAJ LROADS.
Such measure would undoubtedly
facilitate the construction OF railroads
through better settled parts OF this
state, but | am in some doubt as to the
extent 10 which the ''Railroad district1
plan would facilitate the construction
OF railroads into or through or across
the less settled, more rugged, aud large
ly undeveloped portions OF this state,
which, while immensely rich in natural
resources, would probably return no
direct profit to railroads constructed
exclusively with private capital, until
such time subsequent to the construc-
ton Of the railroad as the dirtrict or
region might develop and fill up with
settlers; and, generally speaking, this
means that the railroad would have to
be run at a loss or with insufficient
profit to make the project attractive to
private capital, for period of from 8
to 10 years.
There is another feature worthy of
consideration; which is, that nearly 40
per cent of the gross area of this state
is occupied by national forests, portions
of which would have to be traversed in
building railways from one portion of
the state across the center of the state
to some point in the opposite direc-
ton, and it stands to reason that rail
road districts could hardly be organ
lied aud special taxes levied which
would be sufficient in the aggregate to
permit the construction of a railroad
through the same.
The same is true of the sparsely set
tied portions of the interior. 1t seems
therefore that in order to encourage the
the investment of private capital in the
construction of local railroads that
some method must be adopted by which
districts, cities or counties not immedi.
ately adjacent to such line, but which
would benefit from the building there
of, might by a vote of bonds partici-