The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-03-27
TRAIN SERVICE JULY |
Oroville- -Wenatchee Line Will
Be Completed by End
Of June

From the best information obtain
able it is safe to say that the gap be-
tween the completed north end and
the completed south end OF the Oro-
ville-W -Wenatchee branch OF the Great
Northern will not be closed until late
in June, and that trains will not be
running between Oroville and Wenat-
chez before the LIST of July. 1t is true
that the consummation OF q road from
the upper Okanogan to the main line
at Wenatchee is only three months
to the future, but to the inhabitant
along the route that seems too long
a time for the accomplishment Of
something promised several years ago.
When ground was first broken ON
the grade of this much wanted line
the impression was given out that
work would be continuous until the
road was in operation. Following the
grading as far as Pateros from this
point, with no material progress in
the way OF construction at the south
end, there was long hiatus, and not
until the government was induced to
register portest at the dilatory tao
tics did the company start to finish
the work, begun SO long previous, by
laying steel. When the track laying
crew was in the field the promise was
held out that the road would be COM
pleted in the fall OF 1913. BY some
process of reasoning or representa-
ton, an extension OF six months was
granted by the Interior Department
and the announcement made public
that trains would not be running until
in June, 1914. Setting the final date
in June was made to cover the entire
month, and the line will not be open
to traffic before the 3Oth. This ex-
tension of time is especially CALLING
to residents of the territory through
which the road extends, because there
remains only few miles of the road
between Pateros and Chelan Falls to
construct in order to weld the last
link in the chain. 1t Is safe to say
that the gap could be closed-and
could have been closed at any time
during the past several months-in
thirty days, working from both ends.
The chief plea advanced by the
company for their procrastination is
chat there was no object in completing
the road insofar as haulage is con-
cerned, and that the line would have
to be operated at q direct loss until
tonnage was produced in sufficient
quantity to insure a revenue. There
may be some ground for this conten-
ton, as the public is in no position
to know the cost of operation on the
one hand, and the receipts derived
from the road on the other hand. Yet
there is tangible evidence that the
line, operated only as far as Pater0s,
even at the present time, is doing a
heavy carrying business, both in
freight and passenger, considering
the length of the road and the fact
that at present it Is no more than a
mere stub. There are reasons to be-
leve that the income from this source
is far greater than the company an
and that it will be still
greater when trains are running
through from Oroville to Wenatchee.
No man or company can be expected
to do business at a loss, and the COM
pany can hardly be condemned for
refusing to assume a burden, II the
line is to prove a losing venture.
However, the balance is bound to be
in favor of the company In q very
short time, for the very presence Of
transportation stimulates production
of that that must seek market over
the road. With vast orchards COM
ing into bearing, greater activity in
farming, stock raising and other in
dustries, a business will develop that
will make the Oroville-
branch one of the best paying feeders
of the Great Northern system.