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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1883)
April 1883 THE WEST SHORE. 77 Transportation. Work is progressing rapidly on the extension from Puyallup to Seattle. The engineers of the 0. S. L. still continue the survey down Snake river. Track was laid across the third crossing of the Pend d'Oreille, or Clarke's fork, the last week in March. The new time table on the Northern Pacific went into effect April 22d, from St. Paul to Boie man without change of cars. The road on the old Cascades portage has been reduced to a narrow gauge, allowing the company to utilize the rolling stock of that class it pos sesses. Local passenger traffic on Puget sound is be coming very extensive, while the arrivals by San Francisco steamers far exceed anything before experienced, A line of weekly stages has been put on the newly opened route from Jacksonville to Crescent City, where connection is made with a steamer to Son Francisco. Posters announcing the opening of the Oregon Short Line route to Wood river, and describing the mineral resources of that country, have been issued by the Union Pacific Co. A continuation of the O. R. k N. Co.'s line from Riparia (Texas Ferry), on Snake river, through the Palouse country to Spokane Falls or some ulhcr point on the Northern Pacific, Is de sired by the people of Walla Walla, because il will furnish a shorter eastern outlet, and will bring larger area ol country under contribution to that city. The Seattle and Walla Walla Wagon Road Co. has been Incorporated In Yakima City, with a capital stock of $100,000, to build and maintain a wagon route through Smxiualmle pais connect ing eastern and Western Washington. It Is an effort to open direct communication between those sections while awaiting the railroad that will In' evitably be constructed. The WUe Wist is now making the round trip between Portland and Astoria in one day, start ing from this city at 5 A. M., and leaving Astoria on the return trip at 1 A. M. It is but a decade ago that we had but two trips per week, and now we not only have the regular boats each way daily, but this fast boat making the round trip each day, It is but one instance of the growth of trade and travel throughout the great northwest. There, are to be twelve bridges of the I low truss pattern between Little lilac k foot and Mis soula. All are comosed of sixty-six loot spans the shortest being a single span at Gold creek, The railroad bridge toe built across the Wil- and the longest a four span at l-ennsn's, near lamette at Portland by the Northern Pacific Rail road Co., has been located to run from North Seventeenth and W streets to the wharf at Albina. Work has been commenced on the structure The trestle now being constructed at Marent's gulch in O Keefe canyon, Montana,-will be one of the most wonderful feats of railroad building ever accomplished. It will be 868 feet long, 84 feet wide at the base, and 226 feet high. The Ilaker City branch of the 0. R. k N. Co. has been opened for traffic to Cayuse station, twelve miles beyond Pendleton. Early in May the road will be operated as far as Meacham's, near the summit of the Blue mountains. Track-laying has becun on the "half-moon road" running from Palouse Junction on the Northern Pacific to Colfax, Palouse City, Farm ington and Moscow. It will be a great factor in developing: Whitman county and Northern Idaho. The celebration in Boreman of the completion of the Northern Pacific to that city on the twenty' first of March, was participated In by 6,000 peo ple. Speeches, banquet, procession and lllumln ations expressed the joy of the citizens at receiv ing direct rail connection with the east. The Shonkin bar on the upper Missouri river will be removed this summer by the government engineers. This has lone been a detriment to navigation of that important stream, and its re moval will be of great benefit to a vast region depending upon the Missouri for a commercial highway. The Northern Pacific has fixed $150 per car as the freight rate to Immigrants from St. Paul to Bozeman. A family can thus take their houshold goods to Montana at a small expense. The same liberal policy will be pursued when the road is completed. Such action as this helps wonder fsaly in building np a new country. Bear Mouth. Everything is ready for the pile driver and carpenters to commence the work of construction. With the exception of one at Ciold creek and one at Big Blackfool, all are crowlngi of the Hell Gate river, Livingston having been selected as the starling point of the branch running from the Northern Pacific to the National Park of the Yellow stone, surveying wu commenced at once, and now large force Is at work on the grade. It Is the intention to have the road completed in lulv. so that tourists to the Park can be accommodated this season. It will become very fashionable for overland travelers to switch off at Livingston for a few days' visit to that great home of nature's wonders. The work of building steamers to ply on the rivers and bays and between our coast hsrhors has leen very active this spring, showing a great increue In coast and Inland commerce. Pie W. K. Aftrwin has Just been completed at Seattle, a cost of Si. 000. to ply on the Skagit river trade. The A. B. Put J wu launched In A toria in March, and has entered upon the route between that port and Tillamook. The AnnU Faxon and D, S. liixktr were launched at Cclilo recently, and will ply on the Upper ColumWa and Snake rivers. At Victoria the K. Vunimmr and Unrbart HtKturil, the latter a steam schooner, were recently completed. A new steamer to navigate the waters of Cray's harta and Chehalis river is being constructed. The iron bridge across Kraser river, to U built by the Canadian Pacific, has been located sisty miles above the head of navigation. Owing to the narrow channel and the great increase m volume of water and strength of current in the iDiine. it was found impossible to erect a pier 1m aaul 4lafifUL and therefore a central span of i feet will be throws acrma the stream, resting on piers on either cad, while two end spans of 105 feet each will cairy the bridge to the rocky lea of the valley. The bridge will be 1 15 feet Ihiw the oHlnsry itct !., which raises sixty feet during the annual freshets. The bridge Is now on its way around the Hum, being shipped small pieces ready fur putting together. The extension of the O. & C. road to the Cali fornia line la king vigorously pushed. AIhiuI the first of May trains will be running to Julia, on Cow creek, which will lie the operating terminus till after the Cow creek tunnel is completed. This will be done In July and the road, which will be graded many miles beyond, will be extended to Rogue river valley so as to reach it some time this fall. The great tunnel through KUklyou moun tain has tan definitely located, and work will I once commenced and pushed to a completion at the earliest possible moment probably in the fall of 1MM4. On the California Ide, grading Is now bring done on the first fifteen miles north of Redding, while the bridge work fur a long distance beyond that point Is In an ad vanced stage. The road will have penetrated far into the mountains licfore the season closes, lie- ween 3,000 and 4,000 men are at work above Redding. In answer to a letter of Inquiry, addressed by Hon. P. II. Johnson of Walla Walla to Henry Villaid, Esq., the latter gentleman uses the fob lowing language 1 "I would say in geneial terms that the policy of our couiantcs will not he like that pursued by the Central Pacific railroad company in refer ence to interior points. The Northern Pacific and 0. R. k N. companies do not propose to charge local rates that will prevent the develop. ment 01 distributing points In the Interior. In other words, to use your example, Il is mil the purpose of the management to charge ralea to and from Walla Weiia eual to the rales between St. Paul and Portland, plus the tales from Port. land to Walla Walla. I cannot at this time, In advance of the completion of the Northern Pa cific railroad, say precisely what the rates will be, but have no hesitation in saying thai they will be so adjusted that Walla Wall will retain the cu torn of the country naturally tributary to lite place." The following from a Chicago journal shows what tliey think of our country In that great rail road center 1 "One of the most noteworthy essmplrs of cur rent progress Is the opening up of Idaho, M.. tana, Oregon and Washington by railroad con it ruction. 11m remote regions of the Kucky mountains In Idsho and Montana, as well as Eastern Oregon and Washington, hitherto an. accessible save fy means of the slow-plodding mule and the long-suffering horse, will soon ra, verlwrale with the shrill locomotive whistle and tlx thundering train. The vast regions thite opening to traffic ait mostly wllhoat ailequala timber resources, and as their mining and stuck gracing interest are developing, and towns and cities spring ap, a field fur lumber distribution aa large as thai tributary to Chicago will ba added to that which is calling on the supply. All are familiar with the building of ihe Northern Pacific, whu.lt now lacks only ton miles of completion, and will sweep across Ihe northern part of lha moanlaia region. TUe Union faclbe company is palling out to reach Oregon aad Washington abreast us MS great aunaera nvat. 11 la