Valdez daily prospector., 1916-12-28
PORTLAND WANTS
 ALASKA TRADE
ROAD FROM ELMA TO PADDOCK
Believed that Milwaukee or Friendly Interests Will Make Thriving Port
 Terminal for Northern Shipments
 Olympic Peninsula Key to North.

PORTLAND, Dec. 2S.-Alaska will soon be in touch with Portland and northern shipping in transcontinental lines may soon be routed through this city, according to railroad rumors coming from Elma, Washington, to the Tacoma Ledger. The dispatch is as follows:
 Tt is probable that this spring a line of railroad will be built from Elma into the Olympic peninsula. The Milwaukee system owns short line from Port Townsend Bay to Port Angeles, and Earles has under lease the Port Townsend and Puget Sound from Port Townsend to Quilcene. The Milwaukee has long had under con- sideration the plan of building from it's Grays Harbor branch to Quilccne through Shelton. The recent car shortage has induced lumbermen in the vicinity of Elma to promise mu:h business to the Milwaukee if the line is built and 1t is said the Milwaukee people have already gotten busy.
 Last week deed to the old rail- road bed from Shelton to Bucks Prairie in Mason County was filed and four years back taxes paid on the property. This would be the route of the road from Cloquallam creek to Shelton, and it is taken here as an indication that real work on this road will now be started. It is evident that soon after the first of the new year railroad developments will be under way of great interest to Jeffer- son County"
 Last year the Milwaukee railroa5 built nearly one hundred miles of new line on the Olympic Peninsula anl are now operating daily passenger and freight trairs through the territory. having affiliated Northern Pacific R. R. interests under a 15-vear lease. Undoubtedly the new proposal is in accordance to an understanding of these two interests. The Milwaukee system had a big purpose in mind when establishing foothold on the Olympic peninsula and no doubt hut the possible one per cent grade south to Portland appealed to their n0n- structive engineers.
 Under date of December 12th the Seattle P. I. throws additional light upon the situation and the idea of a Milwaukee water terminal comes to mind. The P. I. states the following.
 "The clearing of the debris from the site at Hadlock where the Wash ington Mill Company's big mill Was burned three years ago gives rise to the rumors that both shipyard and sawmill are to be constructed. The site was inspected by men from the East several weeks ago and the re- moval of the debris indicates that tine property has changed hands and new enterprises are to be started"
 It has been stated that positive knowledge exists that the Milwaukee Railroad or interests which are friendly are back of the transfer. Hadlock is situated at the head of Port Townsend bay-one of the fin- est harbors in the world. The north crn shipping interests of Portland will be ideally served through this terminal point.
 It is known that the Portland Commercial Club and business inter ests are ready to support any railroad move that will allow them better connection with Alaska. The Mill waukee Railroad from Elma north to Hadlock terminals will supply a route and from present indications we are soon to see Portland vs. Seattle in the game for Alaskan trade.