The Detroit times., 1910-03-02
.UNTAPPEO SECTION
/. IS At LAST OPENED
Millions of Acres Await Tillers-
Great Northern Penetrates Larg-
est Timber Tract.

Before the present year is over the
tremendous wealth of the hitherto
untapped Central Oregon is TO be
opened 10 the world News that 1903
miles Of the Great Northerns newly
constructed Oregon Trunk line be-
tween Cello and and Madras. Oregon,
nave been completed reached this city
/ today-with the additional informa-
ton that the last spike will be driven
! IN this memorable enterprise before
the end OF 1910 The heart OF millions
OF acres of yellow pine-a tract bigger
than an ordinary state--is the goal
OF the railroad construction on which
the Great Northern officials are today
working $500 men.
The board OF directors OF the Great
Northern railroad, through the fore
sight OF Chairman James j. Hill. has
authorized the initial appropriation TO
carry on the first steps OF the pro
jet.
The statement made b. James ].
Hill in san Francisco recently that
the Great Northern railroads extern
sion may be aimed at Mexico City has
| Pacific coast
by the initiative Of the Great North
EN- railroad. American homcseekers
will be given access TO one million
five hundred thousand acres OF free
government land in Central Oregon.
which the United States has offered
TO settlers in the territory that the
new Hill lines will penetrate.
Today Central Oregon is the heart
Of the largest territory of the United
states without a railroad
Present and prospective owners Of
the pcnncd-up wealth OF Central OrS-
eon are receiving the news OF the
progress of the Hill expansion with
tremendous enthusiasm.
line is actually demanded 10 the
east because OF the tremendous lum-
Der tonnage from interior Oregon, Tn
limited quantities of yellow and sugar
pine exists on the east slope OF the
cascades and these varieties are par
tlcularly adapted for competition with
the Southern and Northern pine and
the markets OF the middle west Ii Is
about % per cent lighter than fir and
in hauling II TO the east a waterway
competition will not SO seriously affect
ratemaking
Timber holders OF Central Oregon
demand that their market is i'm the
east and not in the west, which Is al.
ready supplied with its own FIR for
ests.
When the traveller journeying TO
Central Oregon over the Oregon
Trunk line leaves the Columbia river
and enters the mouth Of the Des
Chutes he will be in bare and unpro-
ductive canyons while the train speeds
over 100 miles of track. He will gain
no mixing Of the extent OF the rolling
fields Of grain that lie on the plains
of sherman and Wasco counties 1000
feet above him. The train will emerge
from Willow Greek Canyon with start
ling suddenness through zap in a
wall OF rimrock that forms the west
ern edge of the saucerlike basin IN
which Madras is situated The train
will come from wild and rocky
canyon as II from a tunnel. onto the
cultivated fields OF Central Oregon.
From there southwark the Oregon
Trunk line travels through grain
fields. irrigated lands or timber. all
of which will contribute to its ton.
mage
II has been a big undertaking alone
TO get the construction work of the
Oregon Trunk line under way.
Construction equipment must be
taken into the canyon either over
roads that wind down the sides Of
the canyon or via the mouth, and
thence M a wagon road constructed
by the railroad for 40 miles along the
shore Of ther liver Distributing depots
have been established at Dufur. on
the Great Southern railway, al The
Dalles and al Shaniko. The cOnstruC-
tion camps are reached from The
D.lles via the Free bridge wagon road
with a haul OF about 30 miles: from
Dufur the distance by wagon road 10
Hills ranch. where the railroad has
constructed Il new road into the can.
yon. the distance is IL miles Shcr-
ar's bridge, 40 miles up stream from
the mouth, is reached from Dufur after
a wagon haul Of about 90 miles. From
Shaniko the haul to the camps varies
from 20 10 40 miles
Much OF the energy Of the contract
ors during the first few months after
work started was in the construction
of wagon roads. Railway construc-
ton work progressed however I'm the
meantime. and the entire work to
Madras is now under contract.
sub-contract or let to station men
Miles of grade have been completed
interspcrsed with uncompleted links
where the construction work will be
slow and tedious or by tunnels where
the men are now doing drilling and
blasting. II is promised hat 1r5ecr
Trunk line trains will be running into
Central Oregon before the close of
1910.
TO PROBE MANS DEATH.