The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-08

associates accomplish in this cOnnec-
| ton alone?
They conceived and have substan-
| tally carried out the creation of a
railroad system that honeycombs the
state of Washington where the finan-
cial honey can best be gathered. This
road will invade territory supposed to
| belong exclusively and for many
/ years to come to competing lines;
while this is not intended as his
tory of the Oregon-Washingto Rail-
road & Navigation Company, never
| theless, in order to appreciate some
| of the accomplishments of this great
| railroad builder it might be well to
say that the several hundred miles
| of road surveyed and in part con-
| structed have been paid for to the
| extent of several million dollars by
the personal check of Mr. Strahorn.
A thousand miles of surveyed lines,
a hundred miles completed in the
Yakima valley trains operating on
| portions of road, are a few of the
things that have been accomplished
in an incredibly short time and in the
| face of tremendous odds and oppo-
sition. There has been built one
l
! Columbia; another over the Snake
will be 1910 feet long and 275 feet
high, probobly the highest over any
large river in the United States, and
this bridge will have 100000
pounds of steel used in it's construc-
ton. Mr.. Strahorn will erect in the
city of Spokane alone one bridge 165
feet high and 5000 feet long; an
other It's feet high and 1000 feet
long, and both to be marvellous en-
gineering feats.
J To my mind, his greatest accom-
| plshment was the bringing together
of the warning elements, municipal
railroad and other, in the erection of
a union station located in the heart
of the city of Spokane, and which
will undoubtedly represent an eXpen-
diture of something like $7,000,OO0,
and result in most satisfactory sep
! aration of grades.
Let me give you an illustration of
how closely guarded were the move
ments and methods of Mr.. Strahorn
and his few immediate associates in
/ launching, financing and carrying out
this enormous enterprise.
| For some twelve years l have rep
scented the Hartman lines in eastern
Washington and yet l was permitted
to appear in condemnation suits
against the North Coast railroad, as
we'll as negotiate with Mr. Strahorn
and others in the sale of property
to be devoted to the purposes of this
railroad in behalf of other clients,
and all without knowing the actual in
terests behind this enterprise.
| 1t took tact, persistence, energy, g ;
| perence and many sleepless nights
and long working days to evolve eX-
ecute and finally consummate this un-
dertaking, and to this one man alone
the credit is due.
That Mr. Strahorn was we'll fitted
| for this task, his personal history
demonstrates.
Mr. Strahorn was born near Belle
fonte, Pa, in 1852, of Scotch-Irish
parentage on his fathers side, and
Holland Dutch on his mothers. He
received a common school education
al Freeport, H., but was obliged to
become a breadwinner at the early
age of nine. He worked at farm
labor later as a newsboy, until at
thirteen he learned the printers trade,
afterward engaging in newspaper
work as reporter, editor and cores
pendent, becoming war correspond
ent in 1876 and 1877, following the
Sioux Indian war, where he was COM
mended for conspicuous galantry and
action. For about six years he al
ternated in newspaper and railroad
work, being engaged in the engineer
the nj oil nj re
of the Denver & Rio Grande, Colora-
do Central and Kansas Pacific COM
panies.
In 1877 he became associated with
men in close touch with the Union
Pacific and it's allied companies, and
it was in the next few succeeding
years that the officials of this COM
pany learned his worth and his fear
lessness and called upon Mr.. Stra-
horn to organize, as he did, and for
eight years conducted the advertising
department of the Union Pacific COM
pany: later he became engaged in the
most confidential work in looking up
and reporting on possible railroad
routes in the wide extent of territory
between the Rocky mountains and the
Pacific Coast territory.
In 1873 he married Carrie Adell
Green lat Marengo, ILL.,, the estimable
woman who has been with him for
thirty-three years, through all his
vicissitudes and successes; and to
whom he constantly refers as the
source of his inspiration and the
prime cause of his success. Mrs. Stra-
horn has also inherited many of her
good qualities possessed by her fus-
band. She has just published the
story of their respective lives in blaz-
ing the trains of commerce-"Fif-
teen Thousand Miles by Stage"-and
her history is as interesting as that
of her husband.
Mr. Strahorp's efforts have by no
means been confined to railroad Gre
alton or construction. for heb as very
large outside interests, having in the
various cities of the northwest and
especially in the state of Idaho and
Washington, built and acquired mos
valuable water and light plants, de-
veloped arid wastes, all of which have
poured into his golfers substantial
wealth. TO him the idea of construct
ing large railway system has been
a sort of pet scheme or recreation