A Railroad Wins the Right to Run—and a Neighbor Says It Cost Him 60%
A judge suspended an injunction against the Idaho Washington Northern Railway, clearing freight service into Newport as a property owner blamed the new tracks for wiping out most of his land's value.
The suit of H. M. Lund vs. the new railway, held at Colville, terminated Wednesday morning. Judge Chapman of Tacoma exchanged benches with Judge Carey of this county and heard the case. Numerous witnesses were present from this city, and the city clerk was called upon to bring the records of the city covering the granting of the franchise. At the hearing local real estate men testified that Mr. Lund's property was formerly worth $15,000, but had depreciated in value 60 per cent on account of the nearness of the new railroad's tracks. Judge Chapman rendered a decision sustaining the granting of the injunction, but suspended the injunction pending an appeal to the supreme court of the state.
As reported in The Miner last week the Idaho Washington Northern Railway will accept freight for Newport beginning Saturday, the 23rd, and will handle freight out of Newport beginning Nov. 25th. Agent Gibbs has the freight tariffs on file at the depot, where the same may be inspected by shippers.
The old Phillips barber shop has been fixed up for a depot, and a platform will be built on the south side of it. It will doubtless be the only depot to be built at Newport until spring, when the handsome new depot which is promised our city will be erected.
During the past week the steam shovel has been digging a deep cut to bring the tracks down to grade. The shovel is about to start on a second trip through the cut to lower the grade still further, and at the west end of the cut will go ten feet deeper. A side track has been built across Block 16 and Washington Avenue.
“Mr. Lund's property was formerly worth $15,000, but had depreciated in value 60 per cent on account of the nearness of the new railroad's tracks.”
New rail service was 1907 Newport's version of a major infrastructure launch, with all the excitement and property disputes that follow. The Lund case shows that even a project sold as progress can look like a taking to the person whose land sits beside the tracks.
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