Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1909-03-26
RAILWAYS BUILDING
over 5000 MILES in NORTH.
WEST STATES.
Wonderful Record Being Made in This
Northwest District-Steam and Elec-
trio Lines Going Most Everywhere
Men of Money Surely See Great
Future.
Future.

More miles of railway lines are under
construction in the Inland Empire, TAX
ing in 100000 square miles of territory
in eastern Washington, northern Idaho,
western Montana, northeastern Oregon
and southeastern British Columbia, than
in any other similar area on this CONT
nent. The mileage in Washington alone
is 1900 and the works in the other
three state and province mentioned will
bring the total to 5000. pproximately
$50 miles of line was built in Montana
last year, when that state headed the
list in the Union for new work. There
are at present 1896 miles of main lines,
branches, yard tracks and sidings in
Washington, which was second, with
between 500 and 600 miles built in
1908. The completion of the main line
of the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget
Sound railway will add as much more.
In addition to this approximately LOO
miles of steam and electric lines are
projected to be completed before 1911.
Steam roads now in operation in the
Inland Empire are the Great Northern,
Northern Pacific, Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy, Spokane Falls & Northern
| chill property, Spokane International
| Canadian Pacific system), Oregon Rail
road & Navigation company (Harri
man system), Central Washington,
Idaho & Washington Northern. Robert
E. Strahorn, president of the North
Coast Railway company, building from
| Spokane to the Sound, announces it will
be part of a transcontinental system,
the name of which he will not give out
at present. The Canadian Pacific also
will be extended from Spokane to the
Pacific coast.
In addition to these activities it is
unofficially announced that the Canadian
Pacific and the Milwaukee systems will
be connected by new line to be built
from the Canadian boundary south down
the Flathead valley to Kalispell, Mont,
and from a point on the Milwaukee
north to that city. With this stretch
of road, go miles north of Kalispell and
20 miles south, the Milwaukee will be
able to reach the coal fields in British
Columbia, and the Canadian Pacific
road will find an outlet traversed by
the Milwaukee's coast line for lumber
and coal products on it's lines north of
the international boundary.
There are reasons to believe that the
Canadian Pacific will be factor in
the Inland Empire. The company al
ready has entrance to Spokane over the
Spokane International line, built by D.
G. Corbin of Spokane, and it is now
stated that further extension will be
obtained to Portland over the Oregon
Railroad & Navigation company's lines
While this will cut into the Hill, Harri
man and Earring territory, there is
enough business in sight for all.
Economy of operation and facility
in handling freight from the east t.
southwestern Washington and western
Oregon by way of Spokane have beer
greatly promoted by the opening of the
Spokane, Portland & Seattle line along
the Columbia river, giving an outlet
over practically water grades for traffic
which formerly went over the Northern
Pacific and the Great Northern lines.
G. B. Pride, hydraulic engineer of tn,
} Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget SounC
railway, says that contracts will b.
awarded shortly for two electric powe,
plants in the Bitter Root mountains t.
furnish power for the operation of NOR,
than 100 miles of line on the Idaho
division, between st. Joe, Idaho, anC
st. Regis, Mont. The plants, which will
as at first constructed, furnish 10000
2 horse power, are to be on the st. Jo
2 river at st. Joe, Idaho, and on the Mis-
l soula river, 40 miles below Missoula
, Mont. The grades and curves are heavy
the former ranging from 215 to pc
cent. Several other possible power site
have been located, and if it is deeme,
, advisable later to install electrical oper
alton over greater portion of the roa,
additional plants can be established
e More than 10000 horse power cleo
e trical energy is developed in and nea
+ Spokane, and there is at least 10000
e horse power available and undevelopeG
. The expenditure upon electrical plant
Z and service amounted to $4,000 900 i
:, 1908. The Washington Water Powe
company announces that $16,0OO,OO
. will be expended at the rate of $4,000
> 900 year in extending its city and il
y terurban electric railways and light an
s power plants, and the Spokane & Ii
l. land Empire Electric railway system
headed by Jay P. Graves, also has plan
h for extensive works in addition to tn
v projects now under way. This compan
i is surveying line into the Big Ben
= wheat belt.
Inere are numerous other electri
e railway projects, one of these being
y passenger and freight line from Nigh
y hawk to Brewster, Wash, by the Oka1
ogan Electric Railway compayn, heade
y by Colonel Albert NJ Dewey of SpC
p kane. This line involves an expenditur
8 of $2,5O0,OOO. The Big Bend Trans
% company will also build line to pent
+ trate the Big Bend wheat belt, west q
Spokane, at cost of $3,OOO,OOO.
The Great Northern company wi
build a line from Wenatchee, Wash
to the British Columbia line, and tn
a company and the Milwaukee are DIT
<, jecting lines in central Washington
(. tapping rich mineral and agricultur;
n belts The Idaho & Washington Nortl
~ ern Railway company will extend il
8 line from Newport to Metaline. F.
IL Blackwell, president, has disposed {
the bonds and work is to be pushe
II on the 60 miles of road.
n One hundred and twenty miles {
street railways, or one mile for ever
1000 population, are in operation j
Spokane, and 2S5 miles of electric lin,
extend into the suburbs and as far we
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