Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-08-07
RAILROADS
WILL BOOM
OUR C ITY
THE SITUATION HERE AS SEEN
BY THE 0REGONIAN I RAIL-
ROADS WILL SPEND A MILLION
DOLLARS HERE IN NEAR FU-
TURE.

When the city council Monday night
unanimously adopted the ordinance
granting 35-year franchise to the
Portland, Eugene & Eastern electric
road, the representatives of the city
opened the door for the expenditure
OF approximately $1,O0OOOO within the
city limits during the next year. In
addition there will be immense sums
of money paid out by the Portland,
Eugene 6 Eastern Railway company
In the construction of electric rail-
roads to the four points Of the com
pass, with Salem as the hub, It is
announced that the inteurban lines
will be pushed as fast as right of way,
franchises and other necessary right
can be obtained.
The Salem franchise annuls fran
chises under which two street car
lines have heretofore operated with
In the city the companies having been
acquired by the Portland, Eugene 6
Eastern. The old tracks within the
city will be used for both street car
traffic, and as connecting links for
the inteurban lines. In addition the
Portland Eugene g. Eastern is given
the right to occupy a number Of
streets which have heretofore been
without adequate car service, and the
company is now engaged in construc-
tion work ON Front and Chemeketa
streets.
III tne plans OF the new company
Salem business interests see great
possibilities for the future Of the Cap
ital City. The new line from Salem ia
Fir, where 1t connects with the
Southern Pacific East Side line, is
now being electrified, and will pass on
to Silverton. From that point a line
Is now being constructed via Molalla
to Candy, making 45 miles of rich ter
ritory available to the merchants Of
this city.
south Salem hills, the country
where, 1t is said, the soil is almost
worth its weight In gold, will be only
20 minutes away from the great ter.
minal station, while the line from Sa.
lem to independence will form IL
miles Of the Portland to Eugene trunk
line Construction Of the trunk line
over the so miles intervening between
Portland Salem ls understood to be
ready to start as soon as the Portland
city council passes the Fourth street
franchise" now pending before thai
body.
Having acquired the Salem, Falls
City G. Western railroad the Port
land Eugene & Eastern is pushing its
construction work as rapidly as men
can De placed on the line. Within &C
days steel will be going up on the
great $95O,OO0 bridge across the VIII.
lamette river, which Is to afford this
me entrance to the CITY, and work
is 10 De completed within 80 days.
The bridge and approaches are
more than 1000 feet in length, and will
be supported by three immense q con-
crete piers, No. 1 being now almost
cohlpleted, ana the others rapidly
growing up from the water
The new franchise provides ade-
quate entrance for all street cars and
inteurban lines to the great terminal
station which will occupy the block
bounded by Liberty, Commercial Ma
rion and Center streets--iust two
blocks northwest of the court house.
All lines will converge on this point
for the convenience of passengers, and
all transfers will be made there.
The new terminal will be operated
in the same manner as the great ter
minal for the street car system at Los
Angeles, CAL, which has been de-
clared to be the most perfect in exist
ence Plans for the new building are
now under consideration by President
Strahorn.
BY the terms of the ordinance the
Portland, Eugene & Eastern Is re-
quired to widen Twelfth street, from
Court to Union streets, distance OF
four blocks. At this point the street
is only 60 feet in width, while tn 10 rest
of the street is 100 feet wide. The
company will purchase the frontage
Of 40 feet from the property owners
and will pay its proportionate share
OF the cost of new paivng required
AS a compensation for this expense
the company is allowed to lay two ex
tra tracks In addition to the present