Show means much railroad building in the northwest vancouver wash sept H tu couver Is the center of more railroad activity than any other locality in the northwest for it happens to be the strategic vantage ground from which the field can bo most advantageously directed in the determination of tho hill railroads to find a water grada into portland and at the same terao afford an outlet on easy grades tor the trans pacina freight entered through the ports of puget soend in tho judgment of the best informed the activity ahat has revealed to the public the advanced condition of affairs in plans for building tha road and bringing two great waterways does not mean that grading of the entire line is to be prosecuted with the rapidity suggested by this preliminary movement right of way has been secured practically all 0 the way from white salmon to vancouver in the of the portland seattle railroad company the right of way work having been done by A II 11 formerly of the northern pacific papers of incorporation have not yet been filed although it is understood all is in readiness to do so air upright ai rived at vancouver monday and ia now working in tho territory between the right of way already ai that point and Vasho goul A G avery formerly ot seattle who has been generally understood to be u northern pacific attorney is general counsel and W V bethel also a former northern pacific e is chief engineer 0 the portland seattle company iho officials directly identified with the work in progress ire extremely reticent concerning their labors or the plans avery and bethel havoc concluded the lease at of tho entire second floor of the new packard building which js being hurried to completion by a large forced of carpenters and subdivided to meet requirements of tho engineers and legal department part ment as headquarters in all these developments what stands out most prominently is that the portland seattle railroad company proposes to have a railroad lino down tho north bank of the columbia as soon as it can be built but the grade will not be thrown up this winter for a considerable portion of the mileage where the right of way has already been obtained and there Is no possibility of a rival conflicting in acquiring the only available strip on which the roadway caa it Is known that ih for the track to follow iown the str eam all the way from to vancouver it is said that two points will be the battle ground of the two great systems of hill and harriman in this new construction one will be the old portage railroad on the washington aide at cascade which has been receiving attention within a few months past tor the first time in years from the oregon railroad navigation company and which it is reported is being operated as a means of holding the right ot way the other will be on the peninsula between portland and vancouver construction equipment that has gone to the new line up to this time la all that ot the northern pacific company according to tholo who have observed its transfer george R young of st paul is engaged in a supervising capacity over the other engineers engaged in the active field work thus relieving W W bethel of thai feature of tho work and leaving him free to work on mapping out the engineering problems that must be solved yesterday information was receiver in vancouver that the first gang of workmen to besan on the columbia river bridge will arrive in vancouver the latter part of tho present week this could not bo confirmed A beamer division superintendent of tho northern pacific at spokane and who bears the reputation of being one of the strong men of the operating department of that company with experience peri ence in construction affairs was among the officials who visited vancouver yesterday |