Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-08
HILLS EYES ON
COOS BAY RICHES
Southern Pacific Accordingly
Wakes Up and May Build
Road to Lumber District.
UTAH MAN is INTERESTED,
David Ecclcs at One Time Seriously
Considered tho Proposition of
Constructing tho Line Himself.

Announcement that the definite in
tention OF the Southern Pacific to build
the Drain-Coos Bay road Is expected
soon comes from Tacoma, Wash, and
revives the dropping hopes OF the peo-
Oregon. Activity along the Drain-Coos
| Bay extension by engineers was re-
| ported late in 1909 and led the people
| of that section to believe that the road
| would be built
| The construction OF the Coos bay line
was commenced by the Southern Pa
| ciflc in 1896. but WAS later suspended.
| 1t Is not generally known that ono of
| Utah's capitalists was at one time near
| to the point OF building the Coos bay
| road. and 1t was only through the high
| prices at which the adjacent lands
were held which prevented the con-
summation of the plan. Now 1t Is re-
ported that the activity OF the Southern
Pacific is accentuated by rumors that
James ]. Hill has his eye on the I'M
mense timber tonnage of that country.
Hills invasion of Oregon Is taken to
mean that more than one croSS-State
line will he added to the railroad mile
age of the Weofoot state. including the
Oregon Trunk line, and another line
from Odell in the Hood River valley,
to I4akevIew. not far north OF the Cali
fornia and Nevada line.
RICH TERRITORY ISOLATED.
For years the people OF Coos bay.
which is located about midway of the
state north and south on the Pacific
ocean, had no railroad at all. Tho
section was sparsely settled and
though the harbor at Coos bay was
capable OF great possibilities. and the
country roundabout was densely TIM
bered and the climate was equal to
any on the Oregon coast. yet the Coos
bay country was isolated on account
OF the fact that there were no roads
in or out and that paths leading to and
from Coos bay led nowhere else Then
a little local railroad between Marsh
field. the county seat of Coos county
and Myrtle Point. town Is or 20 miles
further down the coast, was construct
ed in the hope that the Southern Pa
cilc or some other interest would con-
tlnue the branch to Roseburg. the then
nearest point on the Southern Pacific.
whose line passes up to Portland
through the state 60 miles or more In
land The hope of the people OF Coca
bay wns blasted, for the road remained
cihc refused to build. The horizon look
ed dark for the inha bitants of that Sec
ton, for they had almost Staked their
all on the outcome of the railroad.
They had billions of feet of timber:
they had climate, they had soil; they
had the ocean and all the advantages
of a 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 railroad. even going
TO the expense OF constructing 20 miles
of lire themselves. But their plea wo5
unheard: the railroad remained away.
DAVID ECCLES INTERESTED.
Then the people OF Coos bay went to
David Eccles. the Utah millionaire
railroad man, who already operated a
railroad 50 miles long in eastern Orc
gon The road he had in operation
was begun as a lumber road. but had
reached out in the building up OF the
country through which II passed, and
became an important artery of COM
merce in the section it had been the
means of developing. Several exten-
sions had been built TO the road. and
others had been planned for the future
The people OF Oregon had confidence
in David Eccles. because he had shown
them that he wns there TO stay, and 70
build up their state.
They went to him with a proposition
10 build the balance OF the branch of
the Coos bay line from Myrtle Point tc
Roscburg. They gave him statistics OF
the resources OF the county, and told
him how mucn timber could be had
for a railroad. They showed him that
they really had proposition allur-
ing to any railroad builder. and made
MIN offers to build
Mr.. Eccles considered the plan long
and deeply. IT looked good to him The
hopes of the people rose again, and for
time II looked like the Marshfleld-
Roseburg line would be finally built
But the unexpected always happens.
and so II was In this case. Land sharks
controlled much of the necessary right
OF way, and demanded extortionate
and in some cases prohibitive prices
for their holdings Tho Utah capitalist
finally gave up the project which again
lay idle until report had It that James
j. Hill was going Into the country.
bringing his Oregon Trunk Line and
oregon Eastern line and all the enc,gy
and capital he IL known to possess
with him into the new field. Then the
Southern Pacific got busy. and the re-
port Is now circulated that the people
of Coos bay are at last to have
railroad. which will extend from Drain
q station on the Southern Pacific I'm
Douglas county, westward 10 the coast
and southwark into Coos bay, with the
probability that the branch to the south
and eastward, toward Roseburg. Will bc
completed at a later date.