The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-11-05
COUNTY AND CITY OFFICIAL PRESS
Tuesday, November 8, 1878
EXTENSION OF AMERICAN COMMERCE.

A meeting OF manufacturers, mer-
chants and citizens was held at the
Grand Hotel in Chicago on the 10th
uit., to listen to an address by General
Cyrus Bussey, President Of the New
Orle ms Chamber of Commerce. upon
the subject Of promoting American
commerce. Other distinguished gen.
tlemen made remarks, and resolutions
we're adopted favoring such transconti-
mental. cheap rates OF railway transpor-
t.tion as will develop our trade with
China. India. Japan and Australia. 1t
was assumed that such cheap rates can
only be obtained by breaking down the
present railway monopoly TO the Psci-
fc C, ast, and the completion OF the
Northern and Texas Pacific roads.
The resolutions favored the holding OF
an international commercial convention
to consider the extension of our North
and South American trade. In this
connection, the Mayor of Seattle has
received circular from committee OF
seven appointed for that purpose, in.
viting him to appoint five delegates to
represent said city in an "Inter- State
and international Convention for the
Promotion Of American Commerce." to
be held in the city Of New Orleans on
the Sd day Of December next. From
which it will be seen that Seattle is rec
ognized by leading commercial men as
Q commercial point Of natural impor'
lance, and We exceedingly regret that
our municipality is not in condition
to employ the services of even one in
telligent delegate to press upon the
consideration of the convent n advan-
tages so manifest to all who have ever
given any study or consideration to the
subject. More than twenty years ago,
when Stevens survey was inaugurated
and when Gen. Tilton was sent to this
Territory empowered by capitalists in
Washington to make real estate invest
ments with reference to the probable
future commercial centre, Elliott Bay
was regarded by all as unrivaled in
the advantages sought. AS a harbor
it is unexcelled it is in the centre of
the great commercial belt around the
globe, ION line with Canton. Chicago.
New York and Liverpool; seven hun
dred miles nearer to China and nearer
to New York by land than San Fran
cisco, with greatly increased advantages
in distance over any proposed Southern
route, not only in the increased circuit
of the globc nearer the equator. but in
the divergence to the south off of the
direct line. The immense and unpar.
alleled advantages of Seattle are
as manifest now as they were twenty
years ago. aud have only been over
slaughed by capitalists. monopollsts
and spectators aided by politicians.
When Congress granted the subsidy
aud charter to the present Northern
Pacific railroad it was based upon the
line Of Stevens survey from Superior
Bay to Elliott Bay. No terminal
points were indicated because none
other were talked of or thought Of.
The arguments in its favor were all
predicted upon the line embraced be.
tween those two points, Is making the
shortest portage between the Atlantic
aud Pacific waters connecting with the
great thoroughfare Of the worlds COM
mercc. only 100 miles between the
navisatable waters Of the two great
oceans. Had the design. intent and
ostensiblo purpose OF the munificient
land grant been carried out in good
faith, there is no reasonable doub. that
the road would have been completed
aud in operation several years ago.
Had the 100000 orf5, 600. 600 ex.
pended upon this coast, without add
ing dollar to the commerce or matters
al prosperity of the county. or build
ing mile of road between the two
points originally designated, been sp-
piled to building road from Seattle
IN On eastern direction. Seattle would
to-day have . population of $4,000.
there would have been 80, 900 more in
habitants in Eastern Washington and
the Territory would have been in coz
dition to demand admission into the
Union without accepting ii as boon,
and the road built by this investment
would have been the best paving road
upon the continent. But the grant fell
into the handle of men intent only on
personal speculation; they procured q
charter from the State Of Maine and
organized themselves into the Lake
Srpcrior and Puget Sound Company"
aud IS Directors Of the railroad com.
pany bargainsd and sold to them Ives
or tho land company the profit. and
emoluments to accrue from town sites
and lands the value Of which depended
upon the location Of the road. To pro