East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-05-27
BEAT HARTMAN
TO The INTERIOR
GREAT SOUTHERN PUSHING
INTO CENTRAL OREGON
Line Runs West of Deschutes From
The Dalles TO Dufur-Offlclals Plan
TO Extend at Once-Capltalists are
Being nterestcd-Would Cross the
Deschutes Getting Into the Great
Railroadless Area Ahead of Harri-
man.

Portland.-While Hartman IL fill
ing and backing and tying himself up
in legal knots with his proposed De-
schutes railroad, the owners of the
Great Southern, the line running west
OF the Deschutes from The Dalles to
Dufur, are preparing to go ahead eX-
tending their line south into central
oregon, says the journal
President John Heinrich OF the
Great Southern has returned from an
inspection trip over its route taken
with L. b. Spalding and NJ. p Smith,
two capitalists of Spokane, during
which they drove over considerable
portion of the country, both in the d.
rection Of Tygh valley and the Ju-
niper flats, south of Dufur. AS a re-
suit of the trip a crew of surveyors
will be started out the first of the
month surveying routes into Tygh val
ley and into the timber towards
Mount Hood. Mr.. Heinrich stated
this morning that one of the two
routes would be selected and grading
would be done next winter.
1--WE have two propositions up to
us" said Mr. Heinrich, zone to eX-
tend the line to Tygh, as the original
intention and the other to build into
the rich timber belt to the west. The
Tygh line would carry us through a
good wheat country while the timber
should prove very valuable also. There
are four or five small mills in this
timber belt now, as well as that of the
Clear Lake Irrigation & Lumber COM
pany which has a capacity of $4,000
feet daily. The edge of this timber
belt Is about three miles from Dufur.
Goes Toward Desclmtes.
THE Tygh valley extension would
carry us directly toward the Deschutes
and give us a very good start for
line into Central oregon. 1t would
have the great advantage over the
proposed Hartman line of running
through a productive country the en-
tire distance. our report for the year
just ending will show that we have
carried more than 800 cars of wheat
and hogs out OF the country along our
line. The Deschutes road would have
the handicap of running through a
rocky canyon for a long distance. I
do not think that Hartman could ex-
pect to secure interest on his money in
that line for some time to come. II
Will cost him all of $45, 900 a mile to
construct, while ours has not cost us
more than $4,000 with proper equip
ment, or course the value of the De-
schutes road to Hartman would be
the fact that It would prove a feeder
20 the o. r. & n. Standing as a road
by ITSELF 1t would not pay.
I'VE can't say definitely what we
will do about extending our line south |
east of Tygh until II becomes more |
evident what Harriman's intentions |
are. Whether he really intends build |
ing his Deschutes road or not is more |
than I feel capable OF venturing an
opinion upon.'
Would Head Hartman OFF.
II the Deschutes road is built 1t is
evident that It will take away much |
of the business that now comes to the
Great Southern from the country east
of the Deschutes river and the deois-
ion to extend the Independent road is
probably an effort TO forestal any
such move on the part of the Harri-
man line.
The Great Southern has capital of
100000 anu an authorized bond is
sue OF 100000. Its bonds are held
by the stockholders of the ROAD which
include among other Portland busi-
ness men Meier & Frank. It is said
that the outstanding bonds were re-
Gently offered to both Hill and Harri-
man, but that the offer was.not taken
up In either case.