Newport Gets a Direct Express Line — and Three Trains a Day to Spokane

Express service over the Idaho Washington Northern Railroad was inaugurated Monday, Jan. 6, arrangements having been completed with the Western Express Company. The service was started under the supervision of F. H. Smith, route agent of the Western Company, with headquarters at Nelson, B.C. Mr. Smith was a Newport visitor Tuesday, arranging with Agent Gibbs for the work at this station.

Offices have been opened at Newport, Kootenai and Spirit Lake, and as business develops the other stations along the line will be given service. The station agents of the railroad company will conduct the business for the express company, and are now prepared to handle all kinds of business along that line, including the issuing of money orders.

The Western Express Company operates over the lines of the Spokane International, the Canadian Pacific and the Soo Line. It does an extensive business, and its introduction here gives Newport and the other towns along the line the benefit of a competing transcontinental express.

The two big freight engines for the I.W.N. arrived last week, and having been duly tried out, have been accepted by the company and put to work. They have eight drive wheels and are handsome, powerful machines, representing the very latest in locomotive construction. Their weight is 119 tons; with the tender, 200 tons; and they are capable of handling immense loads.

Work on the construction of the railroad yards at Spirit Lake continues, a large force of men being kept at work there. The steam shovel is still working at the east end of the Newport trestle and is making a big cut along the right of way.

The new coaches were started out of Pullman, Ill., and should reach here the first of next week. The coaches are said to be the finest ever turned out of the Pullman shops and cost $17,000 each. Four new freight cabooses are also on the way. With the arrival of the new equipment there will be three trains a day to Spokane, the trains running through without change.

C. A. Hunt, a Great Northern engineer, with a force of men, is in the city engaged in surveying for a transfer track connecting with the Idaho Washington Northern Railroad. Mr. Hunt recently made a survey for a 500-foot extension of the Great Northern mill spur.

Traffic officials of the Great Northern are now working with the Idaho Washington Northern officials on the compilation of a tariff which will give joint rates on all kinds of freight from all points on one road to all points on the other and vice versa. The exact date at which the tariff will go into effect has not yet been announced, but it will likely be within a few weeks.

There has been considerable rivalry between the roads to get joint rates with the new road, the traffic value of its territory being great. Heretofore the Canadian Pacific, through the Spokane International, has been the only road to enjoy a joint tariff with the Blackwell road.

The new railroad is giving Newport some mighty fast freight service from the east over its connecting lines, the Canadian Pacific and Spokane International. D. Caldwell Co. this week received a shipment from St. Paul that had been only six days on the road. This is mighty near an express service.

Roadmaster J. M. Sachs, of the Great Northern, was in Newport Monday, looking after the arrangements for the work of making the big fill on the trestle between here and Albeni Falls. The steam shovels are expected to arrive in a few days. It is estimated that there is nearly a year and a half of work to be done in making the fill. The trestle is at some points nearly 70 feet high and a twenty-foot road bed will require as high as 180 feet of base.

The Spokane International discontinued its through passenger train service to St. Paul last Saturday, the Soo-Spokane trains making their last trip on that date. It is reported from the Spokane offices of the railroad that this through service will be reinstated again with the opening up of traffic in the spring, but for the present the passenger service over the new line will be handled by means of the local trains between Spokane and Eastport. There has been no change in the running time of these local trains.