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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 1890)
WEST SHORE. 1001 PROGRESS AT CHEHAL1S. Times are pretty lively at Chehalis, Wash., the county Beat of Chebalis county. Work has actually been commenced on tbe branch of the Northern Pacific from that point to South Bend, on Willapa harbor. The contract for the grading work amounts to $400,000, and Chebalis is the headquarters for the construction work. The road will strike directly southwest and enter the Willapa valley, following down that stream to deep water at South Bend. Work w ill be pushed with the ut most vigor, so the road may be opened to traffic at the earliest possible moment. Ab a direct conFequence of this work, business in Chebalis must be very much increased, to be followed by a still greater increape as soon as the road is ready for operation. But this is not the only railroad enterprise that will lend its aid to the building up of Chebalis. The Pacific, Chebalis A Eastern is another corporation formed to build a line from Shoulwater bay to Chebalis and eastward acroBB the mountains, work upon which may begin at any time. Two great transcontinental roads will also pass through the city on their route between Portland and Puget sound. The Union Pacific, which Is building an extension north ward from Portland to Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle, hai sur veyed its line through Chebalis and has asked the citizens for right of way through the city and depot grounds 200x2,000 feet. This will be donated, though the cost will approximate $25,01)0. Work on this road, known & the Portland & Puget Sound, is progressing at both ends, and the line will be expeditiously built. Also the Great Northern will build from Seattle to Portland, and is already s curing the right of way. This com pany has asked the city for right of way and depot grounds 150x1,500 feet, and the concession will be granted. These roads will place Chehalis on the line of three great trunk sys tems, the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern and Union Pa cific. Besides these, the Southern Pacific, the Port Townsend & Southern, now under construction by the Oregon Improve ment Co., and the Hunt road, that will undoubtedly be built to connect his Gray's harbor line with his main system at Port land, will Eome, or all, of them pass through Chehalis. The fact is that Chebalis lies in the only natural railroad route between the Columbia river and Paget sound, and roads have the double incentive of cheapness of construction and the bus iness of a large town to cause them to pass through Chebalis. Responsive to the activity in railroad matters the city is making progress in all directions. Real estate transactions are very large, and many outsiders are making investments in choice property. Fine tracts adjoining the business portion of the town are being laid off into additions, and will become some of the mo9t desirable residence portions of the city. New business blocks are in course of erection and many new resi dences are going up. Plans have been adopted for the build ings of the state n-form school located there by the last legisla ture, and work on them will soon be commenced. Chehalis has fairly entered upon a season of growth and prosperity, the end of which can not be discerned. Immense stock yards and packing bouses are to be estab lished in Baden, San Mateo county, Cftl., near San Francisco, by some of the most notd (took and packing men in the country. The personnel of the company comists of Nelson Morris, George F. Swift, Phil. Armour, of Chicago, George W. Simpson, president of the George II. Hammond Packing Com pany, of Chicago and South Omaha, Cudahy, the partner of Armour, and 8. W. Allerton A Co., all of whom have large interests in Chicago, Omaha and Kansas City, and Herman Kountze, of Kountze Bros., New York, Omaha and Denver bankers; also John A. Creighton, capitalist, who has large stock yards in South Omaha, and N. Merrlman, the Nebraska elevator man. San Francisco is represented by Miller A Lux, J. G. James A Co., Merry, Faull A Co., K. Bessingor, E. P. Lilienthal, II. J. Crocker, Livingstone A Co., O. W. Craig, James McCullough A Co., Horn A Chapman, California Sheep Casing Company, Kuliman, Saltz A Co., and a number of other prominent merchanti, and also quite a number of eastern people whose names for the present are not mentioned. The company has about 3,500 acres of land in one body and expects to make very extensive improvements, possibly at an expenditure of $2,000,000. The yards will receive stock of all kinds. The Ben Wilson gold mine, with all its franchises In the Tioneer district, Boise baHln, Idaho, has been sold to a New York syndicate the consideration bt ing $200,000. This is one of the largest mining properties in the went, consisting of 4,000 acres of gold placers, worked by 100 miles of flumes and ditch es, controlling all the waters of Grimes croek ; eight extensive gold quartz ledgeB, with three extensions, having about ft mile of tunneling; a quarts mill, two taw mills, three valuable ranches, 500 head of blooded stock, water privileges of great value, and control of an immense body of pine and fir timber, aggregating many millions of feet. It is said the new manage ment will continue and increase the present developments. A drive through the country will convince even the ordin ary observer that there promises to bo an immense spple crop this year. All trees are loaded down with the greon fruit, and propping of limbs is generally resorlod to to koop them from breaking under the heavy weight. Apples are among the most useful of fruits that can be raised in any country, and the fact that they grow so politically in Western Washington, ought to be an inducement to every man who owns ft piece of real estate to set out apple trees. Of course it Is best to have a variety of fruits, but lie sure and Include apple trees In yonr order to the nurserymen. Slaughter Sun, The Oregonian railway has passod into the hinds of the Southern Pacific company, which will put the track In first class condition and provide bettor dejot facilities. The east side will be made into ft standard gauge, ftnd will receive new rolling stock and engines, and ft this Is done the narrow gauge stock will be transferred to the west side ftnd thus gen eral improvement of the system will proceed. The South ern Pacific has recently received a quantity of steel rails for this improvement, and while the same cannot be entirely com pleted in time to handle the fall harvett, an effort will be made in that direction. The Seattle Electric Light Company has transferred its real estate and franchises to tbe Seattlo Uenoral Electric Power Company, the consideration being $(100,000. A new steel cruiser for the marine and fUlierles department has Wen ordered built t the Canadian navy yard t Owen sound for British Columbia. She will carry two guns. . The Northern Pacific has lately built a new steamer, the City of Paico, to run on Snake river from Pasco to Lewtnton. At Oroville, California, Springer' saw mill was burned last week causing ft loss of $100,000 worth oi projany.