Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-02-12
LONG VALLEY IS
IN arms AGAINST
THE SHORT LINE
Delegation of Citizens From
Cascade Comes to Protest
Against Delay in Clearing
of Railroad.

o. ihCio VI thC 1<Ollb valley country
are suffering heavy losses because of
their inability to ship cream and farm
produce and merchants in the valley
are suffering losses because they are
unable to get in supplies for their
stores. As a consequence of these con-
ditions committee of citizens from
! Cascade composed Of F. NJ. Kirby, L.
! M. Gorton and Ernest Hite, arrived in
Boise last night after strenuous trip
of 26 miles on skis from Cascade to
Banks. They are here to appear be-
fore the public utilities commission
to insist that the oregon Short Line
clear its track and run trains over the
line, which they state is not blocked
to any great extent.
Mr.. Kirby, who is a we'll known
banker of the Long valley country,
was seen this morning at the Grand
! hotel. He stated that their trip out
was hard as the snow was soft and
they Travelled most of the way in the
rain. There were five in the party the
three above mentioned, who are here
as a committee for the Long valley
residents and L. r. Dukes. county audi
tor of Boise county. who went into
Cascade on the last train and has been
!
train out The other member of the
party was Rufus Warner of Thunder
City, who has been waiting at Cas-
cade for some time for a train.
Asked concerning the snow, Mr..
Kirby states there was about four feet
at Cascade and that it got less on
the way down the valley. Slides on
the track, he stated, were not numer-
| and nnlV rnnOad IN danfb n
to ~ feet and it was soft snow that
a rotary pillow could easily go through.
There was but one slide of any depth,
he stated. and that was, perhaps, 20
feet deep, also soft snow, and with
such conditions he maintains trains can
be run over the line if a little effort
is put forth. There has been no mail
or freight into Long valley since Jan.
20, he states.
The committee brought with them
two letters, which they will place be-
fore the public utilities commission,
one from Joel L. Priest, general agent
and a reply to it, written by Mr.. Kirby
The letters follow:
Letter to Agents.
4 "All Agents Idaho Northern.
Complaints are being received from
various places on Idaho Northern in
dicating that residents on branch lines
think Oregon Short Line not doing
everything in their power to open up
blockade.
Make special effort to inform resi-
dents in your respective localities that
the whole northwest is in the grip of
a storm which is battling all efforts
of railroad companies to keep their
lines open.
"All snow fighting equipment and all
available men are at work endeavoring
to open up main line and branches
wherever possible.
Great difficulty has been expert
enced in operating trains over main
line. No through service between
o. S. L. and Portland now for sew
eral days and is not expected to open
up for another day or two.
"Ketchum. Hill City, Victor, Mackay
and several other branches COM
pletely tied up.
Great difficulty has been expert
enced also in operating line between
Pocatello and Butte.
Every effort will be made to open
Idaho Northern as soon as equipment
can be spared from main line.
See that this information is given
all publicity possible. M-290.
~. L. PRIEST. $40 P. M"
Reply to Priests Letter.
"Mr. ]. L. Priest,
Boise, Idaho.
Dear Strive have noted carefully
your letter to the agents of the Idaho
Northern branch of the oregon Short
Line Railroad company, directing them
to inform the public that the whole
northwest is in the grip of a storm
which is battling all Efforts OF the rail-
road companies to keep their lines
open. You say every effort will be
made to open the Idaho Northern as
soon as equipment can be spared from
the main line. You state that COM
plants have come in indicating that
residents think that the Oregon Short
J Line are not doing everything in their
. power to open up the blockade.
Your letter sounds very fair and II
the people believed that the railway
, company was acting in good faith,
there would be no complaints. The
people understand conditions too we'll
to believe that the railway company
is acting in good faith.
"The people remember the hard
, fight they put up last year before the
public utilities commission to keep the
Idaho Northern from being closed.
They remember that the railway off,
Gals stated to the commission, when
they wanted permission to close the
road, that it was not question of ex-
pense butt that it was solely question
of safety to the passengers and EN-
ployes that prompted them to take such
acton. The people knew that the main
, reason was the question of expense.
The testimony of the railway company
was that the canyon was very danger
Gus and hazardous. The commission
told the railway company that they
) must make a reasonable effort to keep
. the track clear and must run trains on
both ends of the line II the canyon be-
I came blocked. After the commissions