The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-04-17
VISIT OF R. R. OFFICIALS
Resulting In Encouraging Out
look for the Big Irri-
cation Project

Word was received Tuesday that
Louis w. Hill, president OF the Great
Northern road, and number OF rail-
road officials, had made their way
north from Wenatchee to Pateros, and
that the party might be expected in
0roville some time during Wednesday.
The trip was in the nature OF a tour
OF inspection over the uncompleted
part of the branch between Wenatchee
and Pateros, and up the finished road
from Pateros to Oroville. one OF the
chief objects, however, of President
Hills visit to Orovilie at the present
time was to hold a conference with
the directors of the East and West
Okanogan Valley irrigation districts,
projects that the railroad authorities
are very much interested in seeing
consumated. Tuesday night President
Hills special train arrived from Spo-
kane going south on the branch We'd
nesday morning There was much un-
certainty as to the exact time OF the
return of the train with the officials,
and certain hours were fixed, only to
nave the time changed. 1t was first
announced that President Hill would
be here at l p. m The band was en-
district directors and Commercial Club
to meet the train and give the visit
ors a rousing welcome. At 1 o'clock
the time of arrival was postponed to
o'clock, then to $50, and finally to
|7:5O. About O'Clock the special
finally arrived and was greeted by
large crowd, the presence OF the
band making the visit a gala event.
inI a
directors and several citizens boarded
the train and held a long conference
with President Hill, in which the prop
osed reclamation scheme was freely
and exhaustively discussed from every
angle. President Hill, by his incisive
nterrogations and review of the plans,
convinced his hearers that he had
made a careful study of the several
reports of engineers in his possession,
had familiarized himself with the
country to be watered and what could
be expected in return in the way of
production. He recognized the i'm
portance of placing so great an area
directly in touch with his road under
water, both to the land owners and
the railroad, on the one hand enhanc-
ing the value OF the land, and on the
other insuring tonnage that will re
quire transportation. He convinced
those present that he was not only
keenly interested in the carrying out
of the proposition, but that himself
and associates would use all the in
fluence at their command to aid in
the consummation of the object. He
insisted, however, as a concession re-
quired by the railroad, that the two
districts be consolidated into one, and
the land on both sides of the Okanogan
river embraced in the surveys be COW
cred, thus reclaiming as great an acre
age as possible. He could not commit
the railroad authorities to any defin-
ite promise, but he did have authority
to say that with consolidation, and
land owners enterino into a binding
contract, the railroad would encourage
contractors to accent bonds, and that
the railroad would take care of such
bonds as were not so disposed. Fur
thermore, the officials would use their
influence with the Interior Depart
ment to have the Indian allotments
come within the district and assume
their proportion of the cost.
Those who were present at the con-
| ference, and are directly interested in
the success of this long delayed ir-
rigation scheme, express themselves
as being more encouraged than at any
time since the conception of the en-
terprise 1t is felt that with energetic
work there will not be much longer
delay in getting a start. The outlook
for ultimate construction is so bright
| that already a much more cheerful
feeling prevails which will be felt in
both business and real estate circles.
, President Hills special remained
here only an hour or two, pulling out
for Spokane. Among those who ac-
companied President Hill on the trip
were: ii. Kenney, vice president in
charge of traffic; J. NJ. Gruber, general
manager; e. M. Budd, chief engineer;
E. S. Bowen, engineer of the western
division; T. G. Hasty, engineer Mar
Gus division; NJ j. CASTILLO, general
western traffic manager; e. S. Lever
idge, general western superintedent; /;
w. c. Carswell, superintendent of the
Marcus division.