The Boom That Wasn't: 350 Workers Stranded in Newport

At the present time there are probably 350 men in Newport who have been shipped here from Spokane, and there is no work in sight for them. Mr. Jones, one of the principal aides of Grant Smith, says that the contractors have not started a camp yet, but expect to have several of them in operation this week. Some of the sub-contractors have established small camps down the river and are cutting right-of-way and burning brush.

It is expected that all of the work will be started next week, and that things will be booming all along the river within a short time.

A contractor named Johnson has established a camp near the Westfall place, opposite Indian Creek, and has quite a bunch of men working for him that have been employed by him for several years. Mr. Morrisey and Long & Connelly have also started camps down the river, but have the same bunch of men working for them that they have had at other places.

A commissary has been established in Old Town, and the firm of Grant Smith & Co. have received several carloads of flour, saws and other supplies within the past few days. The contractors will carry a large line of supplies needed by the men employed by them and this will, of course, cut off some of the profits of the local merchants.

Several cars of grading material were received by the contractors on Wednesday. The material came from Rosalia, Wash. The first car of dynamite also arrived the same day and things down the river will soon be lively.

Dr. Dutton, of Spokane, who is well known throughout the Northwest as a railroad surgeon, was in town Monday making arrangements for a hospital to be maintained at Newport during the construction of the Idaho & Washington Northern's extension. Dr. Dutton was unable to find a suitable building for his purpose, so has about decided to bring a portable hospital to this city and erect it on the Idaho side. A well equipped hospital is one of the needs of this city and one that should soon be supplied.

Engineer Daniel Taylor has opened his permanent offices in the office building formerly occupied by the Navigation Co. at the docks. He has control of most of the work in this locality.

The houseboat, formerly the New Volunteer, is now anchored at the Navigation Co.'s docks, and will be used by members of the engineering corps as a bunk house.

Tie Inspector Whitesel has posted notices asking for ties all of the way from Newport to Ione and expects to be busy in the near future taking up the ties offered by the ranchers. The price of ties is not quite as high as last season, but the Blackwell people are offering the best price obtainable in this locality.

A carload of machinery and former residents of Missouri arrived on Tuesday from Vollmer, Idaho. The outfit belonged to Agar Douglas, who has a sub-contract on the line. There were more mules in the outfit than have been seen in Newport for a long time.

James H. Dougherty, proprietor of the old Brink saloon, has been furnishing the bunch of men with one big meal every day, and will continue to do so until the work starts up. Mr. Dougherty is also allowing about two hundred of the idle men to sleep on the floor of the saloon during the night. Some of the other saloons are also keeping open all night for the benefit of the laborers, only a portion of whom are supplied with blankets.

The action of the Spokane employment agencies in shipping men to places that they have no orders for will probably be tested in the Spokane courts in the near future.