A Railroad Asks Newport to Vacate Streets—and Promises to Give Them Back

At the close of the council meeting Tuesday evening Mr. J. C. H. Reynolds, right-of-way agent for the Idaho Washington Northern Railroad, addressed the council on the question of the street and alley vacations asked by that company. Mr. Reynolds, speaking with authority from the company, assured the council that in the event of the council granting the vacations asked, the company would enter into a written contract to open any of said streets at any time on thirty days’ notice from the town council. That whenever the growth of the town would be such as to render imperative the opening of such streets the company would do so, and that it would also open any streets to the south side at any time the Great Northern would do likewise.

Such written agreement on the part of the company should remove all objections on the part of our citizens against the vacations asked by the railroad. The company is asking only for what is necessary for the transaction of the business they expect to do here, and what they need to properly accommodate the public.

Safeguarded in this matter, it seems to us that the council should not hesitate to grant the privileges asked. Newport can never attain the growth it now looks forward to unless proper facilities for the transaction of freight business in and out of here are secured. The company plans an extensive system of yards in this city and will provide factory sites, lack of which have in the past kept Newport from securing needed industries.

The matter of street vacations will come before the council at the next meeting.