The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-01-16
Caldwell TO BUTTE
RAILROAD REVIVED
At SALT LAKE

The dream of the people of this sec
ton of Idaho is railroad connecting
Butte to our north and San Francisco
to our southwest. The ultimate aim
of every railroad promoter who has
operated in this part of the state has
been to make this connection. Cir
cumstnaces have forced them to cur
tail their ambitious project. Today
there is company promoting line
between Caldwell and Winnemucca
and another between this city and
Butte. We locate Caldwell on both
lines as both of them must cross the
Oregon Short Line and this is the
most feasible point wherever they
may be operating from at the present
time. 1t frequently happens that the
base of operation of railway promot-
ers is far distant from the ultimate
destination of the road, and as FREE
quently other points are mentioned as
the terminus. When it comes down
to actual location that point will be
utilized which offers the greatest ad-
vantages. The advantages that will
be considered are but two, viz: ply
steal conditions which will be encoun-
tered and tonnage that may be oo-
tanned
The readers of The Tribune know
the status of the Winnemucca rail-
way. The following news article
bearing Salt Lake date line will be
of interest both in shedding light on
present conditions, past transactions
and future prospects.
The application of the Chicago,
hTsH,x,o,.1-oo O. c. II
railroad commissioners of Wisconsin
to be permitted to increase the bond
issue of the Milwaukee road $30,000,-
600 has brought out the fact that the
Milwaukee has had J. H. Foster, gen
eral superintendent of the eastern
lines of the system, in Boise and
Butte three times within the past six
months looking over the route of the
proposed Boise-Butte railroad.
Mr.. Foster did not herald his COM
ing to the intermountain country and
from statements made at the time the
Boise-Butte road was proposed dur
ing the spring of 1913, it is thought
that he was connected with the re-
cent activities of building the road
bed on the citizens right of way
through Ada county, Idaho, which
work has been going on intermittent
ly for the past six months.
While the Salt Lake offices of the
Milwaukee processes to know nothing
about its interest in the Boise-Butte
road, officials of the company admit
that Mr.. Foster was in Boise and
Butte and looked over the railroad
situation. Officials of the Oregon
Short Line, while they would not COM
ment upon the proposed road nor the
rumored interest of the Milwaukee in
the Boise-Butte project, say that it
is likely that the Milwaukee may be
looking into the building of such a
line.
E H. Hartman gave his consent to
the building of the line between the
Montana mining town and the Idaho
capital short time before his death,
but the trip to Europe and his sub
sequent demise threw the matter in
doubt. There was an agreement be-
tween several transcontinental lines
that no new railroads should be built
in the west for some years.
Those who were behind the Boise
Butte project made final surveys, ton
mage surveys and population surveys
these matters were all presented to
the Rockefeller interests and to Spey-
er & Co. of New York. After a con-
ference, which lasted for several
months, the consent Of Mr.. Hartman
was obtained. The road was to en-
ter into a traffic agreement at both
Boise and Butte with the Oregon
Short Line in return for the aid given
by Mr.. Hartman.
Nothing was done in the matter
until last spring, when the engineers
started totsurvey the right. of way for
the e-Winnemucca line, which is
designed to be a part of connect
ing link between the Gould roads on
the south and the Hill roads on the
north. Immediately upon impetus
being given the Boise innemucca
project the Boise-Butte road was re-
vived and work was started in order
to secure the citizens right of way
which extends thirty-two miles
through the richest part of the Boise
valley with terminal facilities al
Boise.