Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-08-02
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS On RAILROAD
MATTERS

a correspondent of the Portland
Bulletin, in abiding to the location
of the "terminus" at Tacoma, rerti-
nently inquiries:
AS the surrounding country has
no agricultural interests nor is it capa-
bic of having them, the question con-
stantly rccurs, without receiving IN
answer: Where it the population of
the city Of Tacoma to come from, and
what is to support it? What good rca-
son is there to expect that when tho
road is built and the cars arc running
between the Columbia River aud Puget
Sound. Tacoma will he anything differ
ent from what Kalama has rrovcd--a
mere hamlet with Il population of labor
ers, mechanics, hotel-keepcrs, and pro-
fessional men, in exact proportion to
the business of running the railroad,
it's Offices and shops, and accommodate
ing the travel 2"
ANOTHER CH>NGE.--We learn from
Tacoma that the Locating Commission
ers, under the stress of circumstances
heretofore mentioned, located the ter
minus ut Tacoma before nsccrtaining
the practicability of railroad line to
that place. The consequence is, that
several miles Of the road already cleared
and graded at an expense of nearly ono
hundred thousand dollars. was tempo
rarily abandoned, and the Engineer or
dercd back with the view of ascertain
ing more direct and practicable route!
The experiment was tried and given up,
and work was resumed on the former
route, strikes the Payallup river about
eight miles southeast of Tacoma, and
from thence up the bottom to Tacoma,
OH an acute angle which will probably
necessitate turn-table ut the point of
intersection and pontoon bridges up
the bottom, which has literally no bot
tom within sounding distance. 1t is
the opinion of competent engineers
that Tacoma will have to be abandoned
as practicable point to be reached by
Acknowledgment.
SEATTLE AND THE TERMINUS Now
comes the New York Times and shows
how the Terminus" question is viewed
in that city, thus:
1t is difficult to recall, in the present
temper of the West toward railroads,
how eagerly they were courted few
years ago. Something of the former
feeling can be traced in the offer of the
citizens of Seattle, Washington Terri
tory, to the Northern Pacific Railroad
to induce it to fix it's terminus at that
point. Seattle is lively town on the
shores of Puget Sound, and in 1865
had $50 inhabitants. Now its people
propose to give the railroad company
5000 acres of land, lots "worth" $492,-
600, and 22,5OO in coin. And if the
company accept the offer, Seattle will
probably make money by the operation.
But it will probably not be ten years
before the people OF Washington Ter
ritory will be savage on the monopo-
lists" they are now tempting to come
and rule over them.
Who knows? Judging from obser-
walton and actual knowledge, we should
say the prediction is quite certain to DO
verified. -Pacifc Tribune.
GONG AHEAD!-For the past two days
the Trustees of the " Seattle and Wall"
Walla Railroad and Transportation
Co." have been in session through each
day, and the entire clerical force ut
their command has been constantly EN-,
ployed in receiving subscriptions anu
issuing certificates of stock, without
being able to meet the demand.
At public meeting on Monday even
ing, the President announced that the
Board had already received sufficient
guarantees to determine them to put q
corps of engineers on the field. and rs
soon as practical thereafter contract for
the building of ten miles Of the road by
the first of January next.
This is n good beginning. Let the
people keep up their lick, and the sue
cess of the project is assured III the