The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-12-09
ROADS FIGHT
FOR A BIC
PRIZE
VALUABLE WATER RIGHTS AND
RICH TRADE OF COLUMBIA
RIVER VALLEY ALLURE-AP-
PEAL MADE TO COURTS.

With the valuable water rights 10
Priest rapids in the Columbia river
as one of the prizes, and the future
rich trade of the Columbia river val
icy and north central Washington as
a reward, three transcOntinental rail-
roads and the mysterious North
Coast have drawn preliminary sur
veys in a railroad construction war
that promises to begin with the set
ting of weather conditions in the
spring. Surveying parties believed to
represent the Northern Pacific, Great
Northern, North Coast and Milwau-
kee railroads have been at work IN
central Washington districts for three
months.
Back of the struggle for the trade
OF the section-yet in its infancy
the fight of the North Coast and Mil
waukee centers around the struggle
for the ownership of the water right
of Priest rapids, capable of general
ing, it is estimated, 10000 horse
power, furnishing motive power for
their trains across the territory be-
tween the water power sites Of the
Rocky mountains and the Cascades.
The Milwaukee has a plant near st.
Maries. Idaho, for the utilizing of the
water power of the st. Joe river. Use
of electricity as motive power is
being advanced by both lines.
The efforts of the Strahorn inter-
ests to secure title to Priest rapids
is supposed to have been blocked by
the Milwaukee last SUNNI in the
Benton and Yakima county courts.
The water right for the falls is now
owned, and has been for years, by
the Hanfori Power company, and
used for irrigation and land develop
ment near Hanford and White
Bluffs.
North Coast Seeks Stock.
Michael Earle, real estate man,
with headquarters in Prosser, is said
to have represented the Milwaukee in
the contest for the controlling inter
est in the Hanford company. The
North Coast also attempted to buy ur
the stock. The Hanford company
managed to weather the storm and
retain it's interest. The North Coast
is said to have sought the water
power to furnish electricity to a
transmission line, furnishing light
and power to the towns in the Yak
ina valley between Kennewick and
North Yakima.
The Hill lines seek a water grade
down the Columbia river to Pasco
furnishing an outlet to tidewater fol
the wheat and fruit of the Big Bend
and Okanogan districts and the boun'
dary provinces of Canada. Surveys
have been made from Columbia river
junction down the east bank of the
Columbia to a point near Connell
rapids. The party is said to be com
posed of Great Northern surveyors
working with Pasco as an objective
point. The completion of the line
from Pasco to Columbia river juno
ton would give the Great Northern
an easy grade from Waterville to the
grain docks of Portland; eliminating
the heavy haul over the Cascades.
Several Lines Projected.
Feeders from the main line of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound
railway, projected down the west
bank of the Columbia from Beverly
and thence west through the Pries
rapids and Hanford country to North
Yakima; branch lines of the North
Coast, from Pasco up the northeast
bank of the Columbia, and from Ken
newick on the west bank to Priest
rapids; the long proposed Lind cut
off OF the Northern Pacific, and &
Great Northern branch from Colum
bia river junction on the main line
to Pasco, with Spokane, Portland &
Seattle railway connections, are pro
posed lines that persistent rumors
say will be under way.
Mutterings of the rumored con
struction work and an inkling of thu
real object of the roads were brough
to light with the presumed attemp
OF the Milwaukee road to block thu
North Coast by bringing legal pro
eeedings in the Benton and Yakim;
county courts to prevent the Nortl
Coast from securing a right Of wa!
below Priest rapids, where there Il
only room for one track, and the eff
forts of the same road in the Gran