The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-03-02
PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR PINE CREEK
RAILROAD NOW PRACTICALLY COMPLETE
RIGHT AND AGREEMENTS FOR ORE SHIPMENTS
HAULING TIMBER WILL BE BIG FAcToR-WHo is
BACK

Pine creek is to have railroad Lo-
cal business men who fully recognize
the Importance of that section as a
future traffic producer have taken ad-
vantage Of the delay of railroad COM
panies in occupying it and have now
practically secured right of way for a
line from the mouth of the creek to
the Constitution mine and for about
three miles up the west fork 1t is ex-
pected that the last papers will be
signed today securing the right of
way, and as soon as conditions permit
work preliminary to actual construc-
difficulties to overcome in the way of
construction, and before the summer is
far advanced it is expected that the
railroad will be in operation. While
the local men who are at the head of
the enterprise are not doing any talk
s ing for publication, they have said
enough to justify the above statement
and more They have not only secur-
ed the right of way, but they have
secured verbal agreements with the
large shippers of Pine creek which in
sures profitable revenue to the enter
prise as well as greatly reducing the
cost to the shippers. w. H. Herrick,
county assessor and a mining man of
many years experience in the Occur
d'Alenes, has been active in getting
the enterprise in tangible shape and
has been successful in every particu-
lar. Other local men associated with
him are Herman ]. Rossi of this city
and w. W. Papesh of Kellogg. 1t is
understood that outside capital has
been secured to carry the project to
completion.
Big Tonnage in Sight.
In speaking of the tonnage to be ex-
pected for the proposed railroad, one
of the promoters referred to the tre-
mendous timber resources which will
be available to a railroad in addition
to that in connection with mining.
The mines alone justify the construc-
tion of the road now, to say nothing
of the possibilities of the future. But
in addition. to this, the amount of tim
ber that will eventually come out of
Pine creek and be handled by rail-
road is enormous, particularly on the
west fork, where it is estimated that
branch three miles long will make ac
cessible half a billion feet of COM
mercial timber. There is never
enough water to drive logs on the
west fork, and it is only under the
most favorable conditions that it can
be done on the main stream. Under
these circumstances handling Pine
creek timber must be regarded as an
important factor in the business of a
railroad.
Who Is Back of the Enterprise.
Whether the Pine creek railroad has
back of it one of the transcontinental
lines which will in time absorb it, is
a matter of conjecture, as nothing has
developed to throw any light on that
phase of the subject 1t is possible that
such is the case, as it is a common
practice for large railroad companies
to secure entrance to new territory
through local company. If there is
a big company back of the Pine creek
enterprise, good guess would be that
it is the Milwaukee There is unmis-
taxable evidence that the Milwaukee is
soon to be extended from Coeur
d'Alene to this district, and branch
up Pine creek would prove most pro-
fitable feeder as we'll as possibly form
ing link in connecting with the main
line on the ST. Joe.