The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-08-10
GREAT NORTHERN
PLANS BIG WORK
EXTENSIVE PROGRAM OF I'M.
PROVEMENTS WILL TAP RICH
AND PRODUCTIVE TERRITORY
NEXT YEAR-OKANOGAN HIT.

An extensive program of improve
ments which will include the building
of branch lines to tap rich and pro-
ductive territory in the west and i'm
portant betterments of service has
been planned by the Great Northern
and will be carried out during the
next few months.
The carrying out of the plan means
the expenditure of several million
dollars, the employment Of thousands
of men in constructive work and
eventually a great increase in the
traffice and consequently the earn
ings of the road Also it will ma
terially strengthen the Great North
ems position in it's competitive fight
with the Hartman interests and the
Chicago. Milwaukee & Puget Sound
for far western and Pacific coast bus
mess. This latter consideration I'M
doubteily had much weight in in
fluencing the Hills to decide to push
the improvements at once after some
of them had been hanging fire for
years.
Most Important Move.
One of the most important of these
/ improvements will be the building of
the new Okanogan branch, from Oro-
vile, on the Spokane & OroviIle line
Of the Great Northern, down the val
ley of the Okanogan to Brewster.
This line will follow the route taken
! by the fur traders of the rival Hudson
Bay and Northwest companies a CEN
fury or more ago, Brewster being on
the site of old Fort Okanogan. 1t will
afford traffic facilities to an extensive
area of rich fruit land, portion Of
which has recently been irrigated by
the government under the Okanogan
irrigation project. The area of fruit
land to which the line will give ready
access is said to be greater than the
Wenatchee, North Yakima and Hood
River tracts combined, and the land
equally good for the raising of fruit
The line will also pass down the
west side of the CoIville Indian reser-
walton, which embraces 100000
acres Of mineral, timber. grazing
agricultural and fruit lands. and one
half of which will have been thrown
open to settlement by next year.
Eventually the new branch will be
extended southwark to connect with
he main line of the Great Northern
at Wenatchee, about 10 miles south
of Brewster. 1t will then pass through
the rich Entiat and Methow valleys.
Brewster flats, Bridgeport Orchards
and tn Okanogan valley, all of which
districts are already large producers
OF fruit
Will BE Built Next Year.
This section of the line will prob
ably be built next year, but orders
have been given the contractors -
rush that part of the line between
Oroviiie and Brewster to completion
as soon as possible and work will be
at once commenced.
Another important movement to be
made in the west by the Great North
ern this fall will be the double track
I ing the line between Seattle and
Everett This will be done to enable
more passenger trains to it's Coast
The service between Portland and
Vancouver, and as a direct result ..f
the agreement with the Northern Pa
cific by which the Great Northern HIS
secured trackage rights betwee
Portland and Tacoma from the North
ern Pacific.
Eastern Montana will soon see the
building of long branch line by the
Great Northern. The new branch will
run from Bainville. on the main line,
to Plentywood, so miles north and
iltdE tut SduduldH y. VIII
follow the course Of the Big Muddy
creek and will pass along the eastern
forder OF Fort Peck indian reserva-
ton. This reservation. which contains
about 100000 acres of good agri-
cultural land, is now being surveyed
and as soon as the Indian allOtments
are made it will be thrown open to
settlers, probably next year. To the
north of the Fort Peck reservation
there is still some land available for
| homestead entry.
More Work i'm North Dakota.
The line now being built from Co
lumbia River station, 62 miles north
to Waterville, and which Is to be COM
pleted by November 1, and another
short branch which is to be added to
| the extensive network already pos-