The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-09-04
Official Press of King County
Wednesday, Sept. 4, 1878
RAILROADS AND BUSINESS.

Build the railroad into all uubroken
wilderness" replied a well known rail-
road msgnste of the West during
discussion OF a scheme for the extension
Of u certain road in particular direc
ton, few years ago. Impossible :!
point your finger out in any direction
and let it be known that you are going
to build a railroad that way and you
will find the people there before you"
so it has been in the history of all
railroads in this country. How often
has capital pointed out the way for
railroad through mountain passes
almost impossible; through unbroken
forests across deserted plains, which,
in the great economy of nature had pre-
viously served only the purpose of
buffalo ranges and grazing grounds for
herds of wild antelope and deer. Yet
in every instance she has found the
people there before her.
Trade and all sorts Of undert akings
gravitate as naturally towards the rail-
road as do mountain streams toward
the ocean, improvements of all kinds
and enterprises of ali descriptions
spring up along its course as naturally
as do the fringes of green mark the
courses OF the rivers of the plains A
whole town will gravitate as readily
toward it's railroad centre as do the
ivys to the stalwart oak. The railroad
may at first only skirt its suburbs but
presently the whole business portion Of
the city will be found gradually NOV
ing In that direction. A more striking
illustration of this fact was never given
than in the case of Stockton, Califor-
mia. The right OF way through that
city was stubbornly denied the Central
Pacific Company. A few citizens,
large property holders along the water
front. pooled their inter ests to exact
from the company an extortionate sum
for this privilege The road, however,
was built through the extreme sur
burbs. and ever since the city has
grown in that direction, while the
centre of trade ia far removed from
where it formerly was. This is is an
argument for railroads; for pushing
them out in every direction.
1t is equally true. as we indicated in
the outset. that railroad cannot be
built into an unsettled wilderness; for
once let it be known that the road is
gong to be built and the settler, with
his clearing, his dwelling. and his
numerous improvements will be there
before it. Long before our railroad
can reach the pass toward which
it is now heading, although the
work of constructing it were to
he pushed ahead ever SO expeditiously.
hundreds of settlers will have opened
up new homes in the fertile though
comparatively unbroken strip of coun-
try whick stretches away to the east
this side of the summit. creating u local
traffic for the road that will he remun-
erative to a degree hardly yet antici.
pated. Only let the assurance from
headquarters once be given that the
road Is positively going on and a per-
feet stream of immigration will set in
in that direction. Several gentlemen
who were in town recently, and who
have lately located along the line of the
proposed ten-mile extension up Cedar
River, inform us that settlers are rush.
ing into that valley now at rate that
has never before been deampt of. One
gentleman put tho average at from
three to four "A day of actual settlers.
For many miles above Renion every
vacant claim has been taken already,
scores of which were without claimants
few months since.