Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-02-04
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING, FEB. 4, 1871.
Another Word for tho Railroad.


We find in personal intercourse with
citizens Of large interest and influence in
this community, views entertained that are
absolutely certain to defeat the project of
a railroad connection at this place if they
prevail. We may illustrate this fact by
example: Soon after the publication Of
Governor Stevens report of his survey Of
railroad route from Lake Superior to
Puget Sound, a company of spectators
was organized at Washington with the
view Of securing to themselves the benefits
to result from the terminus of the road at
either end. This company, consisting of
Corcoran, Bright, Breckenridge, Douglas,
and several other distinguished politicians
and capitalists, who were believed to pos
sess sufficient influence to control legisla.
ton and direct the route and points of
the contemplated railroad, employed a
competent engineer and surveyors to pro.
coed to the Fond du Lac of Lake Superior
to select the most eligible site for harbor
and town for the future terminus. The
Government aided the enterprise by hav.
ing the lands selected for this company
surveyed aud land Office established at that
point. The company entered all the lands
required and Superior City was founded ;
large amount was expended in improve.
Ments, and fortunes were made and lost in
speculations in town property, the value
of which was predicatcd entirely upon the
construction of the railroad to that point.
1t was, beyond any dispute, the very best
location for the purpose intended which
could be found around the head of Lake
Superior, aud the proprietors therefore
believed that they held the key to the sit
nation and could dictate their own terms.
When the Commissioners of the present
N. P. r. Company visited Superior City
for the purpose of selecting terminus,
they found it impossible to make terms
with the proper-holders which they deem
cd equitable in consideration of the benefits
conferred. The consequence was that a
terminal point was selected few miles
above, where an expenditure Of over a
million Of dollars was required to make a
harbor equal to the natural harbor at Su-
perior City, and financially the Company
pro6ted by the change; it had the entire
benefit Of the enhancement of values by
the location, which more than equalled
the extra expenditures added to the pros
pective value of the land donations asked
from Superior City, while the entire plat
Of the pretcntious city Of Superior would
not purchase one block in the new town of
Duluth.
A similar case Of short-sighted greed
resulted in like discontinue in the loca.
ton of the railroad town on the Columbia: :
A land proprietor was offered by the Com.
pany bonus of ten thousand dollars above
the value of his land, and by asking more
he got nothing. .
Another notable case of similar char
acter occurred in the building of San
Franci co. After the great FIRE of 1852,
which swept over the entire business por-
ton Of the town, the merchants and ship
pers Of San Francisco nearly unanimously
resolved to take that occasion to change
their quarters to Benicia. as much better
location for commercial metropolis. DR..
Senple. the proprietor of Benicia town
plat, learning Of this intention, and believ-
Jog he had the power to command his own
terms, demanded such cxorbitant prices
for his tosa lots that the San Franciscans
turned back u Disgust, and rebuilt their
business houses on the old sites where the
ground cost them comparatively nothing.
A few years later the greedy proprietor Of
Benieia died bankrupt, when, if he had
given away threc-fosrths Of his possessions