The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-03-16
A CLEAR STATEMENT OF
FACTS.

The following extract from q letter
written from Seattle under date o,
Feb. 26th To the Walla Walla Watct.
man by Philip Ritz, Esq, will rece -
the endorsement Of all who are cog
Ant of the facts cited Mr.. Ritz sass
while stopping here day or SO, ]
have looked around over the place and
took good look at the Seattle 4 Wal,a
Wslla Railroad. This road il now
mines, distance of fifteen miles, with
ono twenty-five ton locomotive. bull:
at Taunton. Massachusetts, and is Il
first-class engine for any country, with
10 first-class 4 ton coal cars completed,
and 10 moro nearly done Also II fat
cars, and one first-class passenger, bag
gage and mail car combined, which
will scat 80 persons nicely. besides )
or 10 can be accommodated comfortably
in the baggage or smoking car depart
ment The company have also one
light 8 ton locomotive for work on the
upper part OF their road. The road
will be formally opened on the 81 of
March, with free ride aud excursion
TO the citizens. | am sorry cam Il
remain audi accept very kind invite
ton to participate with them. We of
Walla Walla have been looking upon
the building of this road as an imagin-
AIRY vision. but mark my word. if James
NJ. Colman lives. he will build this
road over tho mountains alone, unless
some capitalists come forward and take
II OIL his hands in order TO build il
faster. He is one of the most remark
able men of this coast. A man of
very active brain aud q splendid me-
chanic no is always equal To any
emergency. He has made everything
that has been required for the road on
the ground, excepting the locomotives
aud railroad iron All the car wheels
and castings for his passenger car have
been made here. About o year ago.
when i; seemed rs If the whole thing
would die. Mr.. Coiman came forward
and proposed 10 the company that if
they would furnish $4,000 he
woald put up 100000 aud take
hold Of the read aud build it.
lie has done all that he proposed -
do. and has now road we'll built of 81
pound iron. fully equipped. with fine
wharyes built for the cars Ia run on.
discharge the coal at either low or high
tide into the largest z. NJ 5. :. Cos
stcamers-that draw % feet Of water
as . cost not TO exceed $4,000 To
give you an idea of the probable earn
ings of the road, l took pains To get all
the figures in detail from Mr.. Colmau.
He says that. in a short time. he will
have his arrangements So completed.
that he can bring down 200 tons of
coal per day, bu; al present the mines
do not furnish more than 400 tons.
Next Summer tho Seattle Coal i
Transportation Co. will change their
present route So as 20 seud their coal
over this road. They will probably
furnish 500 tons per day. 50 there will
be no lack Of freight Ger the road, Mr..
C.. estimates that ne can pat essal aboard
vessels for Sa..5 per ton. This will !,
regular business every day IN II
year. and at so cents per ton, must re
alsse very large profit, Mr., Coicsan
Will locate Is miles more Just as sooa a.
this is in complete working order and
as there will be bnt little mere rolling
stock required and no wharye> ~ build.
he thinks lac can buii u for ~ .oO0 per
mile. This will take them IN the vitiu-
ity of very extensive ard valuable iron
mines, which will add very largely IL
the profits Of the roasi. lie is fully
determined IL pat ali the earnings q
his mill and every dollar that the road
earns into the work until be gets i
over the mountains. and believe he
will make il. Ii the report should
prove true tia. the Cnloa Pacific Will
build 100 miles of the Utah Northern
narrow gauge rad toward Walls Wat
la this season. II will help this eater
prise very much and would look IS il
We would not have - Wal. much longer
Cor an ou.iei both cas- and west"