A Hundred Ranchers Tried to Steer the Railroad Down Their Side of the River
Property owners from the Calispel valley packed a Cusick meeting to lobby the Idaho Washington Northern for a west-side route—offering cheap right-of-way and a pile of guaranteed tonnage.
An enthusiastic meeting of ranchers from all portions of the Calispel valley was held at Cusick on Tuesday evening. About 100 property owners participated in the meeting, which was called to devise means to induce the builders of the Idaho Washington Northern Railroad to construct their line down the west side of the Pend d'Oreille river, instead of the east side, as now planned.
The ranchers asserted that they can furnish a larger tonnage from the Calispel valley than can be obtained from all of the ranchers in the Pend d'Oreille valley on the other side of the stream. They also think that they have the only natural route for the road, and assert that it can be constructed much cheaper there than on the other side.
A committee consisting of Messrs. Cusick, Wooding, Metcalf, Kennedy, Challender and Atherton was appointed to gather data showing the amount of tonnage that can be guaranteed, the cost of the right-of-way and other information necessary. This committee will confer with the Messrs. Blackwell as soon as they secure the desired information, which will probably be within two weeks.
The ranchers in attendance expressed themselves as willing to furnish the right-of-way through their ranches at a very moderate figure, and that many of those unable to attend had expressed themselves similarly.
The committee is composed of a bunch of hustlers, and the east side people will have to hurry if they desire to retain their advantage.
“The committee is composed of a bunch of hustlers, and the east side people will have to hurry if they desire to retain their advantage.”
Rail siting was the original economic development showdown: communities offered land, data, and hustle to pull infrastructure their way. Today's fights over highway interchanges, broadband, or plant siting follow the same playbook—who can promise the most traffic and the cheapest right-of-way.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.