The New Rail Connection to Moscow
A rail expansion project promises a 'magnificent boom' for the towns of Pullman and Moscow, fueled by land donations and rapid construction.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
During the week, Robert E. O'Brien, Chief Engineer of the Columbia and Palouse Railroad, visited Colfax and Moscow. At Pullman, Mr. O'Brien located the site of the depot, and E. H. Morrison located the site for the elevator to be built this year. At Moscow, Mr. O'Brien interviewed the citizens and accepted the donation of lands made by them to further the construction of the road. Donations of land were made by A. I. Fry, James Deacon, A. A. Lieuallen, H. Clark, C. and M. C. Moore, H. McGregor, W. D. Robbins, and the Park Improvement Company. The railroad company intends to complete the road to Moscow by the end of the present year, which will insure speedy rail connection with the Northern Pacific, giving that town the foundation for a magnificent boom.
“This action of the citizens of Moscow and Chief Engineer O'Brien insures speedy rail connection with the Northern Pacific, and gives that pretty town the foundation for a magnificent boom.”
Railroad expansion was the primary growth engine of the 1880s, functioning much like modern light-rail and transit-oriented development projects. The language of the 'magnificent boom' reflects the period's obsession with speculative growth and local boosterism that defined the development of the Pacific Northwest.
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