The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-02-02
N. P. EXPECTS
A BIG YEAR
Recent Heavy Shows Mean Large
Yields of Wheat and Fruits
Road to Be Kept Up to High
Standard.

Northern Pacific railway, who lately
-eturned to New York after a trip
,ver his line, is reported in an inter-
siew printed in a recent issue of The
Wall Street Journal as having given
nit fiattering accounts of conditions
n the Northwest.
According to the interview Mr.. Ell
.ott sees only encouraging signs in
he Northwest, and the Northern Pa
nc is being steadily improved to-
candle growing amount of business.
he says that maintenance of the
property has been brought up to a
high degree of efficiency; wooden
bridges are fast giving away to steel
and concrete structures, light rails
.re being replaced with heavy ones,
grades and curves are being eliminat-
I'd and new branch lines are being
mapped out.
The recent heavy snow was a
emporary embarrassment which we
we're very glad to meet, in view of
Saat it ultimately MEANS" said Mr..
Elliott. Lots of snow now indicates
olenty of moisture in the spring and
good crops. 1t means water for the
rrigation projects and mining opera
ions. So you see we can smile at the
rouble storms bring us. for we are
going to be repaid in a few months
With increased traffic. Most of the
inc is protected by fences and we
equipment.
held back in our terRtory still and
We shall be feeling the benefits of its
movement for some time yet. The
Northwest is full of activity. 1t Is
surprising to see how many people
are travelling out there, at time
vnen you might think the storms and
'eports of uncertain service caused by
me strike would operate to make
them avoid unnecessary journeys.
1t Is a certain sign of a good season
70 come; people are moving about
looking for opportunities for farm
nc, or for going into business. Farm
ag has become, in fact, business it.
self. There is no more reason to
1oubt that a man will regularly re-
'eve generous return on mis- money
put into agriculture than II invested
m trade or manufacture. The states
colleges and railroads are all spread
ing the doctrine of modern methods
for farming, with the result that
thousands Of acres of land formerly
considered fit only for grazing are
yielding big wheat crops. On five
experimental farms conducted by our
company such land produces forty
bushels to the acre. 1t is the right
approach to the problem Of feeding
ninety millions of people.
"A coming great industry in Wash
ngton and Oregon is the growing Of
fine fruits. 1t will not be long be-
fore that section is producing as much
as lower California. The yield will
rapidly increase in the next few
years as thousands of trees already
set out begin to bear. The transport
tation Of fruit is going to be a big
item in our revenues before long.
Banks have lots Of money to loan
and everything points to q busy year.
You can see that everywhere in the
Northwest"
President Elliott was asked If he
vas apprehensive over the increased
demands Of railroad employees. He
declined to venture an opinion on the
p. ssibilities of future trouble on that
score, but said that up to this time
the roads had managed to keep down
me unit cost Of doing business by
Increasing the size Of locomotives and
cars. putting in heavier rails and
bridges, and increasing train loads.
Whether we can continue this way
am not ready to consider" he said.
Sometimes l think the economizing
cannot go much further along these
ines"
THE st. Paul extension" he said
in reply to another question, lis our
territory and must inevitably get
some business which we have had.
All roads in a section must yield
traffic to a new line. We are not
worried. The Puget Sound manage
nent is following the same broad
gauge policy of other roads out there,
and doing all it can to encourage set
Element of it's adjacent land. Before
.ong the country will have grown up
10 it. There is business enough for
Ill the lines and there will soon be
more. l regard the prospects as very
fright"
The Northern Pacific has under
consideration a plan to shorten the
distance between Spokane and Seat
le by 100 miles. At the present time
he road makes a wider detour to
ne south of a straight line connect
ng those two points