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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1887)
THE SWITCHBACK AND TUNNEL mouth of Ibo tunnel, others wielding trcraely expennivo, route aenmsthesum. picka inthe breast, and still others tim- rait will bo ahandonrxl It it not proba bcring tho completed portion. To mo it bio that tho switchback will to taken up, was a norel, and almost weird, experi. as it is likely to lo ww at any time enco, to suddenly emerge from tho dark by an unexpected blockade of tho tun. passage upon such a scono of brillianco net It coat tho company much delay and activity in the very heart of tho and money to rely tho rails ou tho M over mountain, and I felt, probably, much aa head" lino when tho Mullen tunnel was Kip Van Winklo did, when, in tho rocky blockaded last spring, and it not prubn faatneaaca of tho Catakilla, he encoun- bio that this experience will bo repatM tered tho spirits of old Hcndrick Hud in tho Cascades. On tho contrary, tho eon and his crow, or tlx wo wanderers switchlwick will proUUr co&tinuo for who, aa German legends tell ua, wero years to 1k tho wonder and delight of captured by gnomes and goblins who in. tonrista, who will no doubt prefer this habit tho wilds of tho famous HarU novel method of croaaing tho mountains, mountains. with tho grand scenery it open to their It is estimated that tho tunnel will bo view, to tho moro sjxsnly ono of gliding completed in Juno, 18-SH, and wh'jn this in pitchy darknea through tho bowcli is done, tho picturesque, though ex- of tho earth. H. L WtUA Till: PRESENT AND FUTUIIK OF HPUAGUK. WHEN tho Northern Pacific waa unknown. Tho developments of tho built across that portion of East- pant threo or four years have shown ern Washington lying north of Hpraguo to um'u one of tho U i hca Snako river, tho managers decide!- to tiona for an interior cotntnercUl city in erect car and repair shoj at tho littlo Eaatern Washington, both in lU near, town of Spraguo, which had been per- nens to a largo area of arabl and gra. manently locatM and named in honor of ing land, its 'itioii in the rut of Gen. J. W. Hpraguo, ono of tho nam other railroads and iU probable lec which stand prominent in tho hitory tion aa tho oint froia which to build of tho construction of tho road. Tho branch line ii.tr tho farming and tain, gentlemen who selectod this location did ing districU of tho Northwmt so becauao it waa about the cnt r of tho Hpraguo is tho at of jutico of Lin division, and therefore a very desirable coin county, which wa cut off from 8pw IoinL They knew littlo of tho reaourc- kano in 1S I. It is tho chief bmlcrM cs of tho surrounding country and that and railrovl joint In the county, and la great agricultural region, tho Uig D nd the g'-neral shipping 4nt, though U country, which has since Un to rapid- catM near the a mtheuiru extremity, ly developed and rendered largely triba- With a isolation of llu-m hundred, tary to that city, waa practically unex. and a buine reaching fr out inti the plored, and its agricultural value wholly surrounding country, with buii.ea men