Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-08-16
REPORTS OF PRELIMINARY
WORK ON COAST LINE
COMING TO GRANTS PASS
Bandon Attorney Tells of Activity
at the Sea End of the
Route.

For weeks the air has been sur
charged with railroads and rumors
of railroads, and while no definite in
formation has come from the rail-
road authorities the belief is general
that something along the line will
develop within the near future.
Parties who have been through
the mountains between Coos Bay and
Grants Pass report the situation as
exceedingly interesting. and indica-
tive Of immediate action on the part
of the railroad people.
Several surveying crews operating
along the south fork of the Coquelle
and far enough up that stream to
show conclusively that they have no
connection with rumored lines up
the middle fork with Roseburg as an
eastern terminus, are headed towards
Grants Pass.
One survey party has crossed the
summit by following the Coquelle riv-
er, through Eden Valley, over the low
pass into the west fork of Cow creek,
and entering the Rogue river valley
just east of Mount Boliver in Jose
phine county, thus avoiding the ex-
pensive construction incident to the
short curves and rock work of the
lower Rogue. This party is now
working in the vicinity of Whiskey
creek, and should finish the survey
as far as the Almeda mine this week
Our informant could not say on
which side of the river the survey
would be at Galice, but from appear
ances it will cross close to the site
of the government bridge thirteen
miles below Galice and come up the
river on the south bank 1t is gen
orally conceded from incidents oc-
curing along the route that this line
is connected with the proposed ex-
tension of the P. & f. across the Cas-
cades, and plainly evident that it is
under control of interests hostile to
the Southern Pacific
There has been much development
of the vast coal field of the Eden
country during the past year, and
while there is still a controversy be-
tween the coal claimants and the
government in relation to these coal
lands, the manner in which they are
being opened, and the high quality
of the product, makes it unlikely that
patents will be long withheld. The
Importance of this coal field is Of
course fully appreciated by the rail-
road interests, and the line from Coos
Bay that taps 1t must then continue
on up the Rogue 10 this point. In
addition to this great deposit OF
coal, this line will tap the immense
body of Port Oxford cedar lying be-
tween here and the coast, and with
a down grade for the tonnage it will
supply, will mean much to the de-
velopment of Grants Pass in the up
building of factories
Judge Geo. P. Topping, an attorney
of Bandon, was in the city Saturday
and gave some light on the situation
that "dove-tais" exactly with that
from the parties who are just re-
turned from the scene of the survey.
He says that representatives OF the
big railroad contracting firms have
been in Bandon of late making pre-
liminary surveys of the work to be
lone on that end of the line. The
railroad people have purchased large
holdings along the water front, ex-
pending between 100000 and
s40O,O 900, and getting possession OF
5000 feet Of water frontage. Con-
tracts for quantities Of ties have also
been let
Mr.. Topping says that the impress
sion is general in the Bandon coun-
try that the new line will follow the
route over which surveyors are now
working, with Grants Pass as the Oh
iective point. and from here on