The Railroad Wants the County Road — and Newport's Businessmen Sign On

County Commissioners G. W. Sutherland, W. W. Bryant and S. S. Beggs, in company with County Engineer Manning and J. H. C. Reynolds and W. C. Smith, chief engineer, the latter representing the Idaho & Washington Northern Railroad Co., made a trip by team from Newport to Ione this week, inspecting the county roads and checking up the new roads furnished by the railroad company in lieu of the old county road taken for the railroad grade.

The commissioners were generally satisfied with the new road as provided by the railroad company, and where the same did not meet their approval suggestions were made to the representatives of the company as to the nature of requirements imposed before the roads would be accepted by the commissioners. These requirements will be complied with by the railroad company as soon as possible.

On returning to Newport the commissioners and Engineer Manning were taken west of town Wednesday afternoon to inspect the right-of-way desired by the Panhandle Lumber Co. for their proposed logging railroad, to be built west from the wye, and intended to take off the timber holdings of the company in this township. I. & W. N. engineers have been working all spring trying to get a satisfactory grade onto the bench west of town, and after trying every route that seemed at all feasible the road has decided on the gulch leading west from a point near the cemetery on the Diamond Lake road. To get up this gulch a climb of 315 feet is necessary in about three-quarters of a mile, making a grade of a little better than 5 per cent, and in order to get this grade the county road must be appropriated for about two-thirds of the distance up the gulch.

A petition was presented to the commissioners, signed by practically all of the business men of Newport, to grant the vacation of the county road to the Panhandle, and the understanding is that practically all of the ranchers that use the road are in favor of the proposition. If the road is vacated, the road cutting across from the Diamond Lake road to the Calispel road could be used, making the distance to Newport a little more than half a mile greater, which would not seriously inconvenience any one, as there are no residents along the road proposed to vacate. The commissioners may decide to vacate the road or may require the Panhandle to build a new road on the south side of the gulch.

The proposed logging road will be of great benefit not only to the business men of Newport, but to all the residents of the country west of town. It will mean the employment of several hundred men for three or four years, as it will require at least that length of time to strip the township of timber. It will provide ranchers who have not sold their timber with a market for the same, and will enable them to get cordwood to the market without a long haul, and will serve them as a general purpose railroad to haul out their produce.

At the expiration of the road's usefulness as a logging railway there is a possibility that the railroad may be made a permanent one if the country develops fast enough to warrant same, and be extended to Diamond and Sacheen lakes, tapping a rich timber and agricultural country. If this is done a better grade up the gulch must be built and then the old county road would be restored. If the logging road is finally pulled up the Panhandle agrees to dedicate its right of way all over the township to the county as public highways, a big inducement in itself.

The determination of the Panhandle to log this particular country at this time will hasten its development and place it several years ahead of other parts of the valley to the great benefit of Newport. With the introduction of dry farming methods practiced with success elsewhere in the states of Montana, Washington and Idaho, the lands in this township can be made to produce good yields of wheat and other grains that will make clearing them a profitable investment.