The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-09
B u / | D | n 6
I Fl r @ j & II
OREGON
(san Francisco ChronIclel }

1
| tontion Of the Southern Pacific to
build aud Drain Coos Bay road is ex.
! pected soon comes from Tacoma
Wash. and rcvives the dropping
hopes OF the people OF the middle
western shores OF Oregon Activity
| along the DrninCoos Bay extension
! by engineers was reported late In
1903 and led the people of that sec
| tion to believe that the road would be
| built.
The construction of the Coos Bay
line was commenced BY the Southern
Pacific In 1906, but was later suspend.
ed. 1t Is not generally known that
one of Ogden's capitalists was at one
time near to the point Of building the
Coos Bay road, and It was only
through the high prices at which the
adjacent lands were held which pre-.
vented the consummation OF the plan.
Now II is reported that the activity
OF the Southern Pacific Is aocentu,
ated by rumors that James ] Hill
has his eye on the immense timber
tonnage of that country. Hilrs in
Yasion OF Oregon is taken to mean
that more than one cross-stste llne
VIII be added to the railroad mileage
Of the Webfoot state. including the
Oregon Trunk line. and another line
from Odcll 10 the Hood River Wiley.
to Lakeyiew, not far north o. the Call
fornia tnd Nevada line.
Rich Territory Isolated.
For years the people Of Coos Bay,
which is located about m'd'rly oil the
state north and south On the Pacific
ocean. had no railroad at all The
section was sparscly settled, and
though the harbor at Coos Bay was
capable OF great possibilities. aud lhe
country round about was denssly tim
bered and the climate was equal 10
any on the Oregon coast. vet the Coos
Bay country WAS isolated on account
of the fact that there were no roadr
in or out and that paths leading 20
and from Coos Bay led nowhere else
Then little local railroad between
Marshheld, tho county seat OF Coos
county. and Myrtle Point, a town Is
or 20 miles further down the coast.
was constructed In the hope that the
Southern Pacific or some other inter
est would continue the branch TO
Roseburg, the then nearest point on
the Southern Pacific or some other
interest would continue the brtnch to
Rosebdre the then nearest point on
the Southern Pacific. whose line
passes up TO Portland through the
state GO miles or more inland The
hope Of the people of Coos Bay was
blasted, for the road remained at
Myrtle Point. and the Southern Pa,
cifc refused to build. The horizon
looked dark for the inhabitants Of that
section, for they had almost stnked
their all on the outcome OF the rail-.
road. They had billions OF feet of
timber; they had climate: they had
soil: they had the ocean and all the
advantages OF n good harbor. and a
sea coast town, and were located in
the midst OF one OF the best states In
the Union. They had everything to
offer In the way OF Inducements for a
railroad. even going to the expense
selves. But their plea was unheard,
the railroad remained away.
David EccIes Interested,
Then the people OF Coos bay went
to David Eccles, the Ogden million
aire railroad man. who already oper-
ated a railroad GO miles long In east
ern Oregon. The road he had in oper-
alton was begun as a lumber road.
but had reached out in the building
up OF the country through which it
passed, and became an important ar
terry OF commerce in the section II
had beno the means of developing.
Several extensions had been built to
the road and others had been planned
for the future. The people of Oregon
had confidence In David Eccles. be-
cause he had shown them he was
there to stay and TO build up their
state
They went to him With PROPOSE
tion TO build the balance of the
branch of the Coos Bay line from
Myrtle Point TO RosebTrg. They gave
him statistics of the resources OF the
county. and told him how much tim
ber could be had for railroad They
showed him that they really had a
proposition alluring to any railroad
builder. and made him offers to build.
Mr.. Eccles considered the plan long
and deeply. 1t looked good 10 him.
The hopes of the people rose again.
and for a time it looked like the
Marshfield-Roseburg line would be
finally built, But the unexpected al
ways happens. and so IL was in this
case. Land sharks controlled much
OF the right OF way that was neces-
sury and demanded eXtortionate and
in some cases prohibitiyc prices for
their holdings. The Utah capitaliss
finally gave up the project, which
again lay idle until report had II that
James ]. Hill was going into the
country bringing his Oregon Trunk
line and Oregon Eastern line and all
the energy and capital he Is known
to possess with him into the new
field. Then the Southern Pacific got
busy, ind the report is now circulated
that the people OF Coos Bay arc at
last to have railroad which will OK
tend from Drain a station on the
Southern Pacific in Douglas county
westward TO the coast and southwark
into Coos Bay. with the probality that
the branch 10 the south and east
ward toward Roscburg. Will be com