The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-04-21

kee officials. Surveyors are in the
field for a line to be constructed from
a point near the Columbia river west
of the Moses lake country and tap
ping. eventually, the Big Bend coun-
try, the wheat belt west of Spokane.
1t is also definitely announced that
the Milwaukee will build direct into
Hanford. on the west side of the Col
umbia river. and may in the near flu
ture formally announce its intention
I of reaching the Yakima valley. The
most important movement. however,
| adopted so far by the Milwaukee is
dispatching Assistant Chief Engineer
Kyle to the Flathead country in Mon
tana.
Idaho battle-ground.
There are more than surface indi-
cations that the Johnson Electric rail-
way between Nez Perez and Vollmer-
! Idaho. now nearing completion; the
Northwestern Lumber company's
road, projected from Vollmer into the
! Craig mountain timber district; the
Clearwater Timber companys road
projected from Orofino into the great
| timber district of the Clearwater coun-
| try, are links in a planned system
that when completed will give the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound
and the Hartman roads direct line
from Butte or Missoula, Mont, to
Portland, Ore, through the Clear
water country, with feeders EXTEND
ed to serve the greatest tonnage pro-
ducing districts.
After Timber business.
| Engineers are now active on the
Northwestern Lumber company's road
and on the Clearwater Lumber COM
pany's road. The latter Is a Weyer-
haeuser concern, while the former Is
said to be closely related to the Mon
arch Lumber company and subsidiary
to the Milwaukee. The fact that the
Milwaukee has acquired the Weyer-
haeuser road from Palouse to Boville
and the announcement of plans of ex-
tending to the Clearwater country,
clearly suggests it's intention of be-
coming a bidder for a business that
does not exist at the present time, and
can be developed only through ac-
tivity in the tim Der district.
The two timber companies are now
ready to begin operations. and by the
time the mills are installed and in OPP
Grafton the Hartman and Milwaukee
interests could be in a position to pro-
vide the necessary transportation in
to the markets not accessible under
present transportation facilities.
Electric Line to Hartman
| Northern Pacific officials are Won
dering what part in the game will be
p aged by the Lewiston & Southeast
ern Electric company, promoted sew
eral years ago, and of which little has
been heard lately.
| The Johnson road between Nez
Perez and Volmer follows the Lewis
ton & Southeastern survey between
| those points, and, in fact, has appro-
priated the constructed grade work
without any protest on the part of the
Lewiston & Southeastern
! 1t is also definitely known that in
the last two years all the engineering
data of the electric project has been in
the Portland office or the oregon Rail-
road & Navigation company and that
| less than two months ago an inspec-
|
r. & n. engineers.
As far as the pubic is concerned
the interests of the electric road are
now held by the Commercial Trust
| company, which is headed by Joseph
NJ Keatings. a New York banker, who
came to Lewiston less than a year ago
to make his residence. Mr.. Keatings
| is known to be one of the originators
of the plan of establishing a termina
| at Lewiston and was before the city
council upon several occasions to Sc
| cure concessions for the franchise
then being prepared 1t is also known
| that he has been deeply interested in
Lewiston establishing it's title to the
riparian rights lying between the
Northern Pacific right of way on both
the Snake and Clearwater rivers, and
the meander line.
Many Interesting Phases.
The engineering department of the
city of Lewiston has been engaged
several weeks compiling data prepara-
tory to making a definite move along
these lines, and while these move
ments have been a matter of specula-
ton for some time, recent develop
ments seem to have stamped the whole
movement as parts of the Hartman
plans. II carried to a successful con-
clusion this will practically rout Hill
from his Clearwater stronghold.
Important in the consideration of
these conditions is the fact that several
weeks ago, parties engaged in the
operation of an oil drilling plant To-
Gated in the Willamette valley in Ore
gon said to be Hartman agents visit
ed the Nez Perez prairie on matters
pertaining to the Johnson electric
road. After their return to Salem
they gave out an announcement to the
effect that they had acquired the
Johnson road and that aside from i'm
mediately completing the line from
Nez Perez to Nollmer. an extension
into the timber district would be COM
menced at once. The grade work be-
tween Nez Perez and Vollmer is now
being completed and information from
Nez Perce is to the effect that the
road will be completed and in oper-
alton by July 4, at which time a big
Cplebra tiOn will he held