Arizona republican., 1909-06-14
THREADING THE PASSES
 0F THE NORTH WEST
THE PATHFINoERs OF THE RAIL
 ROADS.
The Beginning of Wonderful Era of
 Construction

Pathfinders of the Pacific northwest awakened to development and growth never dreamed of even by its most optimistic supporters. have laid the foundations for what is apparent will be the most wonderful era of railroad building the natiorI has yet seen.
 Claiming it by right of conquest. regiment of engineers and their level and rod men has taken possession ot an area of more than 100000 miles in the northwest, extending from the | Dakotas to Puget Sound, and in every | important portion of this span of ter rtory the American railroad giants are waging the mightiest struggles for | empire in the history of the world. Engineers in the employ of the Northern Pacific, the Great North ern the Chicago Milwaukee & Puget Sound and the Hartman systems, have worked over four great noun tain ranges winter and summer. spy ing out every available pass where railway trains can be run safely and profitably. The Rocky mountains on the east the Bitter Root range in Idaho and Montana, and the Cascades and Olympics in Washington have been penetrated and mapped as never before There are reports now that Oregon will also be invaded by the pathfinders.
 When the Milwaukee projected it's extension to Puget Sound, Albert J. Earling. president of the road. gather ed together in conference his trusted men in the engineering corps. Addi- tions to the staff were taken from the ranks of the best equipped rail road engineers in the country They were told that money did count for much. but that scenery was every thing. Then they were directed to seek out and locate the best routes for the coast extension and it's branch line construction to follow later. the project involving an expenditure of s2O0, 100000 or more.
 Since that day the railroad en- gineer has been king of the Pacific northwest. He has gone about his work by devious, but at all times certain ways. More than one man at the head of secret parties for the Earling and Hartman systems has had hundreds of thousands of dollars at his disposal for the purchase of rights of way in the narrow can yons on the Olympic peninsula, or through the steep defiles of the Gas cades and the Bitter Root mountains
 It is a matter of record that an engineer in the employ of Earling saved his company s7O0.O00 by quick and judicisus application of the money test to a man who owned body of timber in the Olympic benin sula where future operations of the Milwaukee road will be on an eX- tensive scale.
 These engineers have threaded every mountain pass and timbered area in the Pacific northwest They have gone through the grain and fruit belts in eastern Washington and central Idaho. staked their lines in the irri- gated districts in the Columbia river valley, bargaihed with wealthy orchard owners in the Yakima valley for rights of way, and have kept their own counsel, the while defying every attempt of agents of rival roads to penetrate their secrets.
 There is a possibility of another transcontinental line for the north west in the project known as the North Coast railway. This company headed by Robert E. Strahorn of Spo- kane, plans to build a line of 700 miles between Spokane and Portland and Puget Sound It has already done con siderable construction work in central Washington and has expended more than SI.OOO.0OO for terminal sites in Spokane.
 MT. Strahorn has so closely guarded the secret of the company's financial packers that the road is the enigma of the railroad world. The most plaus- ible theory yet advanced is that the North Coast is backed by Standard Oil interests ard is eventually to be male part of the Chicago and North western system, which has long looked to this part of the country for DOT ton of the trade of the Pacific coast and the orient It is significant of note in this connection that the North westerns western terminus is now within 600 miles of Spokane.
 Four thousand, eight hundred and eighty-three miles of steam lines and 25O miles of electric roads are actually in operation in those portions of east ern Washington and oregon. north and central Idaho, western Montana and southeastern British Columbia en- braced in the Inland Empire, and 1t IS estimated by competent engineers that more than 1000 miles of lines are un- der construction or projected to be completed before the close of 1910.
 There are indications that the Lew iston country in east central Idaho, south of Spokane, is to get the long looked for transcontinental line by way of Iolo Pass, extending from con Dection with the Oregon Railroad and Navigation company's line at Lapwai Junction, Idaho, by way of Missoula Deer Lodge and Silver Bow to Butte This road. incorporated as the Mon tana. Idaho and Pacific, is believed to be backed by the Hartman interests. | The Northern Pacific is also active in the Lewiston district, and there is a | keen rivalry between the Hill and Hartman engineers now-in the field | for desirable territory.
 Should the Chicago and Northwestern enter this territory it will be by way of Lolo Pass, which is the most feas- NM