It occurs to few
men, as they glide smoothly across the Snake River in a
vestibule train, and watch the seething waters toss and
tumble below the substantial iron bridge, to think of
the problem the passage of this same stream afforded the
traveler of fifty years ago. In his "Ventures and
Adventures,"
Ezra Meeker tells of how he crossed the Snake in
1852. Mr. Meeker and his party had crossed the plains
from Iowa, on their way to Oregon, and by the time they
reached Idaho their funds were almost exhausted. Ferries
were scarce and where one was found, the price asked for
a passage was prohibitive to most of the immigrants.
'"Some immigrants," writes Mr. Meeker, "had caulked
three wagon beds and lashed them together, and were
crossing, but would not help others across for less than
from three to five dollars a wagon, the party swimming
their own stock. If others could cross in wagon beds,
why could not I do likewise? Without much ado, all the
old clothing that could possibly be spared was
marshaled, tar buckets ransacked, old chisels and broken
knives hunted up, and a veritable boat repairing and
caulking campaign inaugurated, and shortly the wagon-box
rode placidly, even if not gracefully on the turbid
waters of the formidable river.
"My first venture across the Snake river was with the
wagon gear run over the wagon box, the whole being
gradually worked out into deep water. The load was so
heavy that a very small margin was left to prevent the
water from breaking over the sides, and some actually
did, as light ripples on the surface struck the "Mary
Jane," as we had christened (without wine) the 'craft,'
as she was launched. However, I got over safely, but
after that took lighter loads and really enjoyed the
novelty of the work and the change from the intolerable
dust, and the atmosphere of the water."
The Utah & Northern was the first railroad to enter the
territory of Idaho. It was promoted by John W. Young, a
son of Brigham Young, whose name has been given to Young
street in Pocatello, but although a large sum of local
capital was invested, the enterprise received its chief
support from Joseph and Benjamin Richardson, two
contractors of New York City, whom Young interested in
the project.
In March 1873, congress granted a right of way to
Young's company running along the Bear river valley,
through Soda Springs, up the Snake river valley and
across Montana to a junction point with the Northern
Pacific. The act allowed ten years in which to complete
the work of construction. A second act, passed in June
1878, empowered "the Utah & Northern Railroad Company
and its assigns to build their road by way of Marsh
valley, Portneuf and Snake River instead of by way of
Soda Springs and Snake River valley."
By the spring of 1877 the road had been constructed as
far as the Snake River. In the following year a bond
issue of $4,991,000 was "floated and during 1880 the
rails were extended to Silver Bow, Montana, a distance
of 328 miles from the Utah line.
In July, 1882, congress officially ratified an agreement
made at Fort Hall between the Shoshone and Bannock
Indians and Joseph K. McCammon, whose name has been
given to the town of McCammon in this county, and
several railroad officers, by which the promoters
secured a right of way through the reservation.
The opening of the Utah & Northern railway gave the
first great impetus to settlement and development in
southeastern Idaho, making it possible to market produce
profitably and at the same time bringing the settler
into touch with the outside world.
The Portneuf canyon, through which this line was
constructed, is one thousand feet lower than any other
mountain pass within three hundred miles either north or
south, and constitutes a natural gateway through which a
very large portion of the produce of the great northwest
must pass on its way to an eastern market.
The Utah & Northern Railway Company was consolidated
with the Oregon Short Line Railway Company in August
1889, being known as the Oregon Short Line & Northern
Railway Company, and in 1897 the two were merged into
the present Oregon Short Line Railroad Company.
The Utah & Northern had constructed a narrow gauge line.
When the old Short Line Railway Company built its line
between Granger and Huntington it used the
transportation facilities afforded by the Utah &
Northern both to the east and west of Pocatello. During
the early part of 1882 the Short Line laid a narrow
gauge track between Pocatello and the Snake river
crossing, now American Falls, and from McCammon, at that
time called Harkness, to a point near the present
station of Pebble.
During the year 1882, the Utah & Northern track between
McCammon and Pocatello was rebuilt to standard gauge,
the narrow gauge equipment of that company being
provided for by laying a third rail. By the summer of
1SS7 the entire line between Pocatello and Silver Bow,
Montana, was operating on a standard gauge, while the
lines to the east and south had been similarly
reconstructed before 1890.
At the time the first railroad bridge across the Snake
River was built, American Falls was located on the
western side of the river. The population was made up of
the usual assortment of men, who make up the population
of frontier towns. The good, the bad and the indifferent
were there graders, stockmen. Chinamen, gamblers and
businessmen, with a few women all rough and ready: hardy
people of the plains and the mountains. Law and order
were administered in a ready manner and summary justice
was meted out to the evildoer by self-constituted judges
and juries.
Two of the worst characters in the neighborhood at that
time were cowboys, gamblers and probably murderers;
"Tex" and "Johnson," as they were known to the people of
American Falls.
One night some Chinamen were murdered and the more
law-abiding citizens decided that if the culprits were
found they should suffer for the crime. The two cowboys
"Tex" and Johnson were suspected of the murder, but as
no certain proof was obtainable, they were not punished,
but ordered to leave town. This they did, going to the
east side of the river and spending the night in a house
occupied by Buck Houston. The next day they returned to
the west side. The law and order element immediately
organized a necktie party, with "Tex" and Johnson as the
chief guests. With a grim brevity the two were taken to
the river, ropes thrown over an iron span, and with a
short wait for the usual last words they were hurried
into eternity. Their bodies swung back and forth,
suspended from the bridge, the falls roaring and
splashing beneath them, and the spray shooting up into
the air, wetting their high boots and leather chaps.
Afterwards the two bodies were cut down and taken to the
top of the bluff, overlooking the river, and there they
were buried. Two rough slabs, with "Tex" carved on one,
and "Johnson" on the other, were placed at their heads.
The mounds where these men were buried are still
discernable.
In most newly-settled communities, justice is
administered quickly and wit hunt the formality of legal
proceedings. This was especially true of the early days
in the west. Time was when the regular method of
collecting overdue bills in Bannock County was at the
mouth of a gun, and this within the memory of living
men. Horse theft was punishable with death throughout
the far west, the penalty being no more than
proportionate to the crime. For the west in those days
was a desert country, and the loss of a man's horse
often meant a horrible death by thirst because the next
watering place was further away than a man could walk.
So it happened that while a cowboy sometimes paid a
hundred dollars for his saddle and only twenty-five
dollars for his pony, he would forgive the man who stole
the former, but without scruple hang the man who stole
the horse.
The terminal facilities of the Oregon Short Line at
Pocatello have been steadily increased and the roadbed
improved because of the immense traffic caused by the
development of the tributary territory. In 1904 the
"Michaud Cutoff" was made in order to straighten the
track a few miles west of Pocatello. Since 1910 the road
has been double-tracked between Lava Hot Spring's and
Michaud, and in that year the system of mechanical block
signals was completed from the eastern to the western
boundary of the county. A branch line, connecting
Alexander and Grace, a distance of about six miles, was
opened in 1913. Among other noteworthy recent
improvements are the Batise Springs water plant, the
Center street viaduct and Halliday street subway in
Pocatello, the new shop buildings and depot, now being
built in the same city, and the new depot and water
plant at McCammon.
The Oregon Short Line is the artery through which pulses
the very life blood of Bannock county. In the Pocatello
shops over eleven hundred men are employed, and those
who find work on the Montana and Idaho divisions bring
the number to about 4000. It is, therefore, a very
fortunate thing for the community at large that the
Oregon Short Line Railroad Company is one of the
apparently few large corporations in this country today
that realizes a moral responsibility toward the general
public. A comparison of the Safety First movement as
conducted by this company with the conditions that are
not only tolerated but apparently encouraged by the
owners of the Colorado mines shows what a great blessing
or curse the attitude of big corporations toward the
public welfare may be.
Some years ago, Mr. Harriman, while talking with the
claims attorney of one of the roads in which he was
interested, about the policy to be adopted in dealing
with injured employees in the matter settlements, and
particularly of providing them with some kind of work
when they had been so seriously injured that they could
not fill their former positions, said that he wanted
"all injured men to be dealt with along the lines of
practical Christianity." That this idea is still
followed by the company is shown by the fact that in
June 1914, only one injured employee had a suit pending
against the company for injuries received in its
service; the rest being satisfied with the terms of
settlement accorded them by the company.
The Safety First movement, by which the Oregon Short
Line seeks to guard the safety of its employees and of
the public alike, is an educational measure inaugurated
about two years ago and intended to interest all people.
The work is carried on by means of committees. At each
division point is what is known as a "subcommittee,"
composed of men from all branches of the service, who
suggest changes in the road's equipment or in existing
conditions, that will make the work of railroading
safer. If the suggestions made cannot be acted upon
locally, they are referred to the "division committee,"
which in turn accepts or rejects them, and if unable to
enforce them by its own vote, recommends them to the
"central committee." This body is composed of officials
of the road and their decision is final. In this way the
entire Short Line force, from the newest and lowest paid
employee to the highest officer, is interested in the
common safety, and is in a position to suggest measures
for the general good. That the system is successful is
shown by the fact that during the year ending June 1913,
there were 2829 people injured on the Oregon Short Line.
During that ending June 1914, the total was reduced to
3711, or 39.5 per cent. During the first six months of
this year there were only 606 accidents, as against 955
for the same months of 1913 a reduction of over 61 per
cent.
The company is also conducting a campaign to eliminate
the accidents caused by trespassing. In 1913, 5434
trespassers wore killed on the railroads in the United
States. Of these, 10 per cent were tramps, 70 per cent
young men or heads of families, and 20 per cent were
children under 14 years of age. By trying to educate
school children, their teachers and the general public
in precautionary measures, and by attempting to secure
proper legislation on the subject, the Oregon Short Line
Railroad company is trying to still further enhance its
value to the people at large and to reduce to a minimum
the accidents connected with all great railroad
corporations
The History of Bannock County
Idaho, By Arthur C. Saunders, Pocatello, Idaho. U. S.
A., The Tribune Company. Limited, 1915
History of
Bannock County, Idaho
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