The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-04-01
WENATCHEE
GOING AFTER
RIVER RAILWAY
Auto Excursion is Run From Up
River City to Kennewick
and PascO.
HARD TRIP THRU DESERT
North Central Growers Lose Millions
Through Lack of Transportation
Facilities.

Nearly half hundred of Wenat-
chee's leading fruit growers, business
and professional men yesterday brav-
ed the uncertainties of many miles of
auto travel across the desert which
the day before had been swept by one
Of the most terrific wind and sand
storms of recent years, that they
might come to Kennewick and Pasco
and deliver in person the message of
their districts need.
The Wenatchee country has reached
q crisis in its growth and development.
Fit continues to progress it must have
another railroad. And it is going to
have another road if its people have
to build it themselves. As the result
Of recent get-together meeting of
the Wenatchee business men and
farmers a campaign was launched, a
committe put to work and told to "get
the railroad"
In outlining the railroad program
to committee representing the Ken
newick commercial club, Ed. S. Rus
sell, chairman Of the railroad commit
tee said: "For years we have been
flirting with officials of transcontin-
entail roads and have importuned them
to extend their lines into our district
but all of our efforts have .availed US
nothing. Today we have but one road,
the Great Northern, and it is no long
er physically possible for this road
+ to get our enormous apple tonnage to
market. There are today awaiting
shipment in the Wenatchee district
fully 1000 carloads Of last years
crop. It is estimated that the losses
which our growers have sustained on
the 1919 crop because of inadequate
transportation facilities will total
four million dollars. Our orchards
have not yet reached maximum pro-
duction. Our tonnage will continue
to increase and unless we get relief,
ruin will come to hundreds Of our
growers who have spent years Of toll
and thousands of dollars in developing
their orchards. We are tired flirting
with the railroads and have started
out to build our own road to connect
with the transcontinental lines to the
south of us. Our plan is to build down
the Columbia from Wenatchee to Ken
newick and Pasco. This will give uo
connections with the Milwaukee at
Beverley and with the Northern Paci-
fic, the O-W and the S. p. & S. at
this point. These connections will
give US access to four transcontinent-
al lines and a direct route down the
Columbia to Portland. Our people
are in dead earnest and have pledged
one million dollars toward financing
the project. As yet our plans are
only tentative. It is estimated that
road down the river will cost be-
tween four and five. million dollars.
At the present time we are not pre-
pared to say just how we are going
to raise this money but the Wenatchee
Commercial club has never yet under
taken any project that they did not
carry through to successful conclu-
sion. We are assured of one thing
and that is that we can build line
to connect with the Milwaukee at
beverley which will afford us some
relief"
Wednesdays excursion was made
upon the invitation of the Pasco
Chamber. of Commerce and culminat-
Cd Wednesday evening at banquet
IN the Pasco hotel. Owing to the con-
oltlon of the road only six of the ten
cars which started from Wenatchee
arrived in Pasco. Some Of them
after striking the loose sand in the
Quincy country returned to Wenatchee
and others detoured over Vantage
Terry to Ellensburg but arrived there
700 late to reach Pasco by evening.
The Pathfinder car was Bill Meik-
ies Ford which left Wenatchee Tues
aay and arrived here about 8 p. m. on
wednesday,. With Mr.. Meikle were
Mr. Russell, chairman of the rail
road committee, Mr.. Shotwell, repres-
entlng the fruitgrowers, and Mr.. An
orews, engineer in charge of prelimin-
ary estimates and surveys. Upon
'nelr arrival here the trail blazers