Lewiston Teller

SPOKANE'S PET RAILROAD.
The Work of Grading the Seattle,
Lake Shore & Eastern Progressing
Very Favorably.

The importance to this community of
direct railway communication with Seat-
tle comes home with redoubled force to
the thinking residents as they listen to
the thundering echo of the blasting on
the line of the Seattle, Lake Shore &
Eastern and watch the clouds of smoke
ascend from the scene of the explosion.
Work is progressing very favorably.
Several hundred men are engaged on
the grade at various points, within the
limits of the city and a short distance
beyond the boundary line. Though
much difficulty is experienced in the
rock cuts along the mountain sides the
advanced science of railroad construction,
characteristic of the enlightened age in
which we live, speedily becomes master
of the situation. The road in places
climbs the rugged mountain sides and
passes over its crest. It meets the swift-
ly running Spokane at a point near
Hangman and crosses it. The ap-
proaches to the bridge are now being
graded. Over a hundred men are at
work in the vicinity where the waters
of the Hangman and Spokane meet. It
is there that the explosion of giant
powder causes great beds of solid rock to
vomit forth in fragments. Though
somewhat slow and tedious, the procedure
is extremely effective. It will not be
many months, however, before the road
is in operation from Spokane to Grand
Coulee. The latter place is the terminus
of Burns & Chapman's contract, and is
distant about forty-five miles from the
great city by the falls. When twenty
miles of the line are completed ten per
cent. of the stock subscribed by Spokane
($175,000) will be payable in addition
to the amount already paid. A large
gang of men are at work on the north
side between the Howard street bridge
and the depot site, which is a few blocks
up the river. Spokane derives all the
benefit which arises from this source and
its value is not to be sneezed at.-
Spokane Review.