1888-10-07-sfr-p2-northern-pacific-survey-cheney-to-davenport
October 07, 1888 Spokane Falls Review Page 2:
SEE HER BOOM.
The Survey of the Northern Pacific Between Davenport and Cheney.
On Wednesday we had quite a talk with Mr. A, Brown, the well known stable man of Cheney, who has just passed over the survey of the Northern Pacific from his town to Davenport, in company with officials on an inspecting tour,
Brown informed us that between 400 and 450 men were now scattered in the various grading camps between Medical Lake and Davenport, and men and teams will be put on as fast as can be hired. From Cheney to Medical Lake the grade has been completed. Hunt has two camps in the field under riding boss McCloud, Besides this there are six sub-contracting camps. On last Friday the last two and a half miles of grade was let, bringing the road right into Davenport, the contractor now having bis camp established at Mr. Woodin's two miles east of town. One contractor, who has up to last Saturday night been in the employ of the Seattle and Lake Shore Road, has taken sixteen miles west from the old town of Fairweather, near Capp's post office, and moved his entire outfit there to commence work.
At Cheney everything is life and activity. Track-layers are pulling in all the necessary switches and side-tracks, running from a point at the west end of the town and passing down the street between where the old Oakes House stood and the present depot to the point where the main line starts out for Davenport and the Big Bend. Business there has taken a wonderful impetus and it is almost impossible to secure a vacant house, Material for the new road is constantly arriving and the iron is already unloaded for the line from Cheney to Medical Lake.
Prominent officials informs us that the question of right of way into Davenport has been settled and that inside of sixty days the N. P. iron horse will ramble into our town, from the east, down the flat past Woodin's thence around in front of the school house, passing to the depot grounds about two blocks south-west of the City hotel.
It is unnecessary so state that the great activity in railroad building into the Big Bend, by both the Northern Pacific and Lake Shore has greatly encouraged the entire farming community. Not only that but the town of Davenport is taking a jump that knocks breath out of the oldest inhabitant.
The failure of the Lake Shore road to secure the desired property at Strout's place south of town, where it was to make a temporary terminus and call it Wheatland; has once more put the Lake Shore folks in the brown study for a winter's stopping place at this end, and it is dollars to doughnuts that they hold up in Davenport. In fact that is about the only alternative now. In the meantime the farmers will not necessarily have to team their grain to market this fail. Just haul it into Davenport and ship it direct to Tacoma, Portland or St. Paul, which fact makes the hardy Big Bend granger smile a smile of great satisfaction.—|Lincoln County Times.
