American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-10-29
BIG IDAHO LOOP
PLANNED BY SHORT LINE
report OF the Purchase of the Gilmore
q ~f1ttsburg by Hartman Inter-
ests is Confirmed

ests is Confirmed.
confirmation of the report published
by this paper with reference to tn,
plans OF the Oregon Short Line. or tn,
Union Pacific system, in the prospec.
i've taking over of the Gilmore &
Plttsburg railroad and the possibilit,
OF completing a belt line down the Sal
man river to Grangeville and Lewis.
ton connecting up with the Idaho
Northern. is contained in the following
story in the O~regonian, Portland:
Immediate purchase by the Oregon
Short Line of the Gilmore & Pittsburg
railroad and it's extension westward
from its present western terminus at
Salmon. Ida. along the Snake river,
to a connection with the o. W. r. & n.
company's line at Grangeville, is a
plan receiving earnest consideration
by officials of the Union Pacific sys-
tenn.
L. f. Calvin, general manager of
the Oregon Short Line, together with
Carl Stradley, his chief engineer, re-
Gently made a thorough inspection of
the Gilmore & Pittsburg property for
the EVIDENT purpose of reporting on its
condition preparatory to is purchase.
The Gilmore & Pittsburg extends
from the connection with the Short
Lines branch road between Pocatello
and Butte, at Armstead, Mont, to Sal
mon, a distance of 120 miles, with a
branch of its own from Leadore to Gill
more, a distance of nine miles.
Northwestern Deal Abandoned.
A few years ago it was generally uu-
derstood that the Chicago & North.
western had procured options on the
stock of the Gilmore & Pittsburg and
that this road a to be used as part
of the Northwestern's proposed exten.
sion to the Pacific coast. 1t was in
tended at that time to build the North
western from its present terminus at
Lander, Wwo., to Armstead and then
to follow the Snake river to a connec-
ton with the Northern Pacific at
Grangeville or Lewiston. The North
ern Pacific was to have been the
Northwestern's coast outlet. But that
plan was abandoned and the Gilmore
& Pittsburg, which apparently was
built to sell, has been on the market,
1t is understood.
BY acquiring this property and
bridging the gap between Salmon and
Grangeville, the Oregon Short Line,
together with the O.-W. r. N. com
pany, both of which are units of the
Union Pacific system, would be pro-
vided with a direct line into Spokane
from the east. This, together with the
natural along the route, are
the probable objects of the Oregon
Short Lines interest In the situation.
Line Built at Heavy Cost
The Gilmore & Pittsburg was built
at heavy cost W years ago. With the
exception Of that part of the read
which goes over the divide between
Armstead and Salmon. the line has
heavy steel rails, is well ballasted and
well constructed. The original en-
cheering plans called for the O
.struction Of a tunnel through tho
mountains to avoid the heavy grade Of
the divide. but its building was post
poned. owing to the cost. Surveys for
an extension Of the line out of Salmon
west along the Salmon river to Lewis
ton were made, but the line was never
extended.
The road is equipped with three To-
comotives and 393 passenger and
freight cars. w. A. McCrutcheon is
president and B. P. Little is vice presi-
dent. II taps a rich mineral and stock
section OF the state.
The Oregon Short Line controls the
principal of traffic north from
Salt Lake through eastern Idaho, via
P~ocatello and Idaho Falls to Butte, or
the Salt Lake-Butte division OF its
line. Armstead is a station on this
line, just over the boundary in Monta-
ma from Idaho, The Gilmore G. Pitts
burg is therefore a feeder Of the Ore
gon Short Line.
Dewey Road Acquired,
The oregon Short 1.-The recently ac-
blurred the Idaho Northern railway
Known as the Dewey road. operating
north from Nampa to Emmett, II
built an extension at heavy cost to the
Payette lakes. paralleling the Pacific
& Idaho Northern, the independent
line, Just across the divide in another
valley. 1t is probable that the Payette
lakes, rapidly becoming a summer re-
sort. are not intended by the Oregon
Short Line as the terminus OF the
Idaho Northern. but that the road
would be extended on into northern
Idaho, to Lewiston, a comparatively
short distance, giving to the state its
first north and south road.
The proposed construction along the
Salmon river to Lewiston, reversing