The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-03-29

But their public spirit and enterprise
got them in several years ahead of
| t me. and along in the spring of 1903,
when they had placed about six miles
NJ road in operation and reached the
limit of their resources. again
picked up the threads of my electric
railway scheme of five years before,
interested strong friends. and the
story of its subsequent rapid develop
ment under the able MANAGEMENT of
President ". c. Richards Is familiar
to all. That. like our steam railway
interests. its mission is but partly full
filled and is bright with promise A.
a great developing factor of this
region, goes without saying.
Progress Elsewhere
las our progress elsewhere is nee
essarily linked with and of mucn I'm
portance in connection with our Yak
ina valley lines l will add that our
present temporary Yakima Spokane
service via the old o. r. & N. line
from Alfalfa will In due time be sup
planted by a short through line via
Ringold Bar and Connell. upon which
some ten miles of grade has been
completed northeastward from Ben
ton and about SO miles southwest
ward from Benton and about SO miles
southwestward from Spokane. leaving
gaps of only about 20 miles. of which
contracts for about Is miles are now
being let. Also that the so miles Of
completed grade just referred to
forms part of our new Spokane
Portland short line which connects
with the old o. r. 4 N. Snake River
line near Aver. contracts for the re-
naming 40 miles of which have re-
Gently been let at an expense of about
$4,000, 900. For the benefit Of our
Walla Walla friends l will say that
this will leave a gap of only 40 miles
to complete a new short line from
Spokane to Walla Walla. which.
when covered, will reduce the dis
lance between those cities by over 80
miles, and very greatly reduce the
present heavy grades.
Growth to the Westward
II have already taken too much CT
your time in this prosy recital to pur-
sue the story into still other fields
sarily involved in a review Of the en-
terprise as a whole. 1 know how
deeply you are interested in what Is to
follow in your immediate vicinity and
especially to the westward. All Of
these things, which are Of such vital
import to you, will, l am confident.
come in good time. Having thus far
made good. and being to a large de-
gree held responsible for the invest
ment of these millions of dollars
which have contributed so greatly to
your prosperity in recent years. 1
think you will agree that my efforts
anu influence will not relax and that
together we must now see to 1t that
there Is fair treatment of and ade-
quate return upon the great outlay
when we can be assured everything
we have hoped for and promised will
be realized.
at would be futile for me to at
tempt to recall even a small fraction
of the absorbingly interesting and
sometimes even dramatic incidents
which have marked our progress in
these enterprises up to date. or to fit
tingly express my appreciation Of the
loyal support we have received from
our good Yakima Valley friends In
many a trying hour. L hope and be-
lieve 1t will always be so. and that
our shortcomings under these new
and possibly graver responsibilities
will be met by your patient and hearty
cooperation in the future as in the
past. We will try to lightly pass and
forget our troubles. which have been
legion, and dwell on the brighter
spots. Yet will merely suggest to
those who think our progress has
been slow that probably no 100 miles
of railroad has ever been built
through an apparently easy country
from a construction standpoint which
has encountered a more infinity vari-
ETY. of obstacles calculated to embar-
rass and obstruct.
Relations With the Public
This naturally leads to some refieo-
tons on our relations with the public.
In endeavoring to faithfully discharge
Continued on page six.)