Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1909-05-15
MISUNDERSTANDING
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS To BE
EXPENDED THIS YEAR.
Whole Northwest Win Soon be Honey
combed with Main and Branch Lines.
New Territory Invaded by Rail,
Which is Bound to be Settled in a
Short Time by Enterprising Citizens.


Many millions Of dollars viii be ex-
pended by the Great Northern Railway
company ON construction work in
Washington, Idaho and the province of
British Columbia during 1909 and the
next three years.
The foregoing announcement, made
through official sources, would indicate
that while the Chicago, Milwaukee and
Puget Sound Railway company and the
Oregon Railroad & Navigation company
are forcing entry into what is consid-
cred to be Hills own territory in
Washington, Idaho, Montana and Brit
ish Columbia, the empire builder
has some new tricks up his sleeve in
an aggressive campaign for supremacy
in the Pacific Northwest.
1t is officially announced that line
has been surveyed and that construc-
ton work will begin this year on
road from Spokane, following the Spo-
kane river to Miles, Wash, crossing
the Columbia river at Hellgate and re-
crossing it at the mouth of the San
Poll river, which it will follow to Re
public, tapping the big mining region
at Keller, and giving Republic direct
connection with this city.
1t is also given out that work will
begin shortly on line from Oroville,
near the British Columbia boundary in
the Okanogan country, north central
Washington to Brewster, where the
Okanogan river empties into the Colum-
bia. This line will be 60 miles in
length and win be in operation next
summer. Leaving Oroville, the road
follows the west bank of the Okanogan
to Riverside, where it crosses to the
east side, to which bank it clings as
far as Ophir, where it crosses to the
west bank and cuts across the country
to Brewster.
The line from Columbia river below
Wenatchee or the east side of the
Columbia river, now completed to
Mansfield, win have all rails laid
within few days, and will next fall
be ready to drain the wheat belt in the
Waterville district in central Washing
tonton, where the field will produce
100000 bushels of grain this season.
four and one-half mile spur is pro
posed from Douglas to Waterville. The
total length of the line is 60 miles.
Surveys have been made for a line
on the west side of the Columbia river
from Wenatchee to Brewster, approx
mately 60 miles. This will tap an en-
tirely new region. A fleet of steamers
is planned for Lake Chelan, which,
it is expected, win assist in develop
ing the Stehekin mining district, where
copper, silver and gold lodes have been
found in bodies sufficient to encourage
the entrance of transportation line
From the Columbia river the survey
and franchise held by the Northern
& Southern Railway company, con
trolled by Al Rogers, of Rogers &
Howe, of Waterville, Wash, viii be
used south along the east bank of the
Columbia to Priest Rapids, where it
win follow the west bank of the river
to Kennewick, effecting a junction with
the Spokane, Portland & Seattle, thus
giving the Hill line a complete water
level haul from the Canadian boun-
dairy and Big Bend wheat country to
the sea.
Track-laying is under way on the ex-
tension of the line along the Sinai
kameen from Keremeos to Princeton,
B. c., As miles. This line taps a great
mining district, Hedley, on the new
line, having one of the best-paying gold
mines in British Columbia. This road
is surveyed and plans are under way
for construction work from Princeton
to Hulameen, down the Similkameen
to the Fraser river and thence to Alb
botsford, making a direct connection
with the road already constructed from
Vancouver through Cloverdale to that
point.
The Spokane, Portland & Seattle line
has been turned over to the operating
department, the road from Spokane to
Pasco. Wash, being completed on
May 3. Eight passenger engines, built
for 100 miles an hour, are required to
handle the four passenger trains
a day between Spokane and yancou-
yer, Wash. Eight new stations have
been opened on the line between that
city and Paseo. They are: Levey,
Snake River Junction, Kahlotus, Wash
tucna, Benge, Waukee and Lamont, a
freight terminal 100 miles north Of
Pasco and Calvert and Cheney.