The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-01
Robert E. S,rahorn Says the Elec.
tic Line Will Not Build Into
That Valley
THERE ARE OTHER ROUTES
OFFERING BETTER CHANCES
Railroad Man Says O.-W. r. & N.
Wants Its Own Outlet to Sc
attic and Will Not Tie Up With
the Milwaukee

There will be nothing doing in the
way of electric line construction into
the Cowiche valley" said Robert E.
Strahorn, vice-president of the O.-W.
r. & N. company, who was in North
Yakima for few hours Saturday, and
he added, "Mr. Donald already has a
line planned and started into that
valley and there is certainly no need
nor business for two lines. We could
not think of constructing into the
Cowiche under the conditions and as
I have no doubt the fact will be of
interest to a great many people you
may as we'll say it right out to your
readers.
Can Build Elsewhere
There are two or three other val
leys where we can build where the
conditions differ and where route
will be more beneficial to us. ! do
not mean to say that there are other
valleys better than the Cowiche but
as Mr.. Donald is already entering
there and as the Cowiche has not
freight enough for two roads think
it will be better if we devote our
selves to work which will bring de-
velopment to some other section more
in need of it than will be the Cow
iche with a steam road already there.
We have no desire to engage in the
work of constructing lines which will
parallel existing roads in these sub
valleys"
Visit Of Inspection
Mr. Strahorn did not have anything
definite to say with regard to other
possible electric railway construction
at this time and said that his visit
here was merely another of the fire.
quent visits of inspection he makes
to these parts except that having been
at Kennewick at the formal welcome
of the railroad and the opening of its
new station, which was on Friday
night, he had taken advantage of the
opportunity to come this far.
Extension Westward
"As we have many friends here"
said Mr.. Strahorn, who have read
of our Incorporation for the construc-
ton of a railroad west from North
Yakima to Seattle and who are in
terested in that piece of work and anx-
ious to see it completed, you might
say that our Incorporation was for the
purpose of clearing the decks to take
up another engagement. We wanted
to be in shape to definitely settle up
on a route and other such things and
have legal entity for the business
we must do. I am in the hope that
we will find in the future. and at no
distant future. the capital for the
work to be done. The construction
of the road from North Yakima to
Seattle is the thing which now lies
nearest to my heart"
Wants Its Own Route
Asked II there was any basis for
the reports that the O.-W. r, & N
might seek some feasible route from
here to Ellensburg that it might tie
up there with the Milwaukee rail-
road Mr.. Strahorn said, "emphatically
No We have no intention of tying
UP with another road We seek our
own outlet to the coast from this val
ley. Nothing else will be satisfac-
tory"
Mr.. Strahorn arrived in North Yak
ina at l o'clock Saturday morning
and left at 2:30. He came in over
his own road from Kennewick and
went out over the Northern Pacific to
Spokane. While here he was engaged
with Superintendent Kamm, Assistant
Superintendent Lancaster and with
President N. C. Richards Of the Yak
ina Valley Transportation company