Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1913-01-31
TO COMMENCE BUILDING DURING
COMING SPRING.
GRANTS PASS TO HARBOR
Traffic Arrangements Made With
Southern Pacific, and Steel
Rails Already Ordered.

There is no other place in the
whole United States so Disseminated
against in the matter of freight
rates as this district that lies about
midway between San Francisco and
Portland" said Il. NJ. Chester, one
of the directors of the recently in
corporated Portland & San Francisco
Coast Line Railroad company, who
has been in Grants Pass from Port
land for the past few days
THE actual apex of high rates is
reached at point near Gold Hill, be-
tween Medford and Grants Pass, d"
continued Mr. Chester and you will
not get much relief from the condi-
tion till you have competing lines
and an outlet to the coast
ldhS Iut OlS item VI Sletl TdllSs
of which our company has ordered
5000 tons for spring delivery for use
in the construction of our new line
The freight rate from the rolling
mill to Portland is 81 per ton. From
Portland to Grants Pass the rate is
$10.SO per ton, or practically the
same for the 800 mile trip through
this state as for the entire haul
across the continent. These same
rails can be hauled across the 18TH
mus of Panama and landed from
boat at Crescent City or the other
ports to the west of Grants Pass at
a present rate of SIC per ton. other
commodities bear proportionate
rates. 1t is this discrimination that
. makes railroad to the sea the first
condition for the bringing to the
Rogue river valley Of its full mea-
sure of prosperity"
Mr.. Chester while in the city was
busy with ]. G. Riggs, another direc-
tor of the new railway project, and
with other business men, regarding
plans for the seasons campaign of
railroad building.
eve don't want to be considered
as butting in on other railroad enter
prises in your city in any sense of
the word" said Mr. Chester. THAT
is farthest from our intention, for
We have had our plans in process of
incubation and maturity for the past
two years. We have changed our
plans somewhat, however, regarding
the route we propose to follow in
reaching the sea. 1t would be need
less for two lines to attempt to par
allel one another to the coast, and
we find that our best grade will carr
us from the Illinois valley along Tin
cup creek to the Chetco, and down
that stream to the coast at Harbor
This is one of two or three alterna-
tive routes, and at present seems the
most available. We have, however,
definitely abandoned the Smith riv-
er route"
Regarding the immediate plans of
the Coast Line company, Mr.. Chester
had little to say except that building
would commence on some point dur
ing the coming spring, and connec-
ton through from Marshfield, Ore
gon, to Trinidad, California, made as
soon as possible For the Grants Pass
territory, It had been decided, he
said, to build out to New Hope, ard
from there run one line up the Apple
gate to the Blue Ledge country and
continue the other up Slate creek to
connection in the Illinois valley with
the coast line to Chetco. From New
Hope the road would not follow
down the Applegate to Wilderyille,
but would commence making the mp
grade at once, and would strike Slate
creek fairly we'll up, thus greatly re-
ducing the gradient.
Mr.. Chester said that traffic ar
rangements had already been made
with the Southern Pacific comp any
both as regards the freight and the
passenger business that would be de-
veloped along the new line although