Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-07-26
eLYIPlA, SATURDAY IORylNC. JULY &c, ISL;
RAILROAD PROJECTS.


It appears that the location of the
terminus at Tacoma has awakened quite
a feeling of enterprise among our Sc
attic neighbors. A large and enthusi-
astic meeting has been held, a company
incorporated, Trustees elected - con-
sisting of the leading men in the COM
munity-and the purpose announced
of building a railroad from that city to
connect with the Wallula and Walla
Walla road at the former place and ul-
timately with the Union Pacific, and
thus form direct route to the East.
The capital stock of the company has
been fixed at $4,000, 900, in 100000
shares of 500 each. The property
already rendered by donation to the
Northern Pacific Railroad, amounting
to IL 900, in cash values, is taken rs
the basis of the new company
The distance to Wallula is estimated
at 200 miles, the western portion of
which passes through rich coal fields,
deposits of iron and other minerals, and
fine agricultural country, while the
eastern end penetrates the garden spot
of the northern coast. 1t is argued
with much apparent reason that the
project is feasible, and from the start
will pay large dividends upon the invest
ment. The Dispatch figures as follows:
quired, can be laid upon the wharvcs at Seat
tie for three dollars a ton covering all ex-
penscs of transportation: at the usual rates
2is cents a mile per ton, the transportation
from Seattle to the Columbia river would
he So a ton thus making So a ton pay the en-
tire cost of transportation from San FRANCISCO
to Wallula. Now the cost is So a ton to Port
land and So a ton from Portland to Wallula.
and return freights at the same rate, making
S43a ton between San Francisco and Wallula.
Wheat at Walla Walla now sells at 40 cents
bushel; at Seattle it retails at 81 80, and beef,
mutton, butter, eggs and all other farm pro-
ducts, bear the same comparative prices be-
tw,ea the two places. The principal part
of the beef and mutton consumed on Puget
Sound and in British Columbia is now
brought from the section east of the Cascades,
shipped down the Columbia river, crossing
two railroad portages, is landed at Kalama,
taken by rail to Tcnino, driven from thence
various places of consumption. When. it
reaches Seattle it has had a transportation
of about 500 miles by various expensive
means, to reach destination which will be
accomplished by 100 miles over this pro-
jected railroad, at onefiflh of the present
cost. This railroad will have abundant
vantage of both ends of the route 1t would
open large market for our lumber and coal
in an extensive prairie country and give
them a good market for their surplus agri-
cultural products.
The feasibility of the project is argued
at considerable length, and it appears
altogether probable that the scheme
may be crowned with success.
But the project in which the people
Of this place are most directly inter-
ested, is the recent incorporation formed
in San Francisco, under the name of
the Washington Mining and Transpor-
tation Company, to open and develop
the coal fields near the Skookum Chuck,
build line of railroad from that point
to this place, and do general trans
portation business on the Coast. The
Directors, according to the Alta, are
John B. FELTON,, Theodore LIE Roy,
Henry Barroilhet, John N. Gordivan,
Anderson Goldsmith, J. M. johnson
and Edward S. Solomon. The capital
stock is fixed at 81 600, 900 in shares of
500. Half of the stock is already SUBJ
scribed and ten per cent. paid up.
This road will place us in possession
of all the advantages and benefits we
expected to derive from the Northern
Pacific, tapping as it will that road
near Tenino. 1t only remains for our
citizens to extend reasonable aid to the
incorporators to insure the early COM
pletion of the work.
Much credit is due to Gov. Solomon
for enlisting the attention of capital
lists to this enterprise.
How IT WAS BROUGHT ABOUT. The
Seattle Dispatch gives in detail some in
teresting particulars relating to the ter
minus location, obtained as it afirms