The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-07-31

Official Press Of King County.
Wednesday, July 81, 1878.
The roposed Seattle. Whatcom
and New Westminster Mar
row Gauge Railroad.

Elsewhere, under the above head,
the NAL Of the 9th. says. will he
found an excellent editorial from the
Seattle ISTELLIGENCER on a topic OF
much importance, viz: the construc-
ton Of Narrow Gauge Railroad con
Meeting the rich agricultural lands OF
the Fraser River with the sea port Of
Bellingham Bay. We heartily second
the project. though We may be properly
considered the pioneer In the sugges-
ton. We have always had In coutcm-
plation .branch line Of railroad con
Meeting the termini Of the Northern
Pacific and Canadian Pacific Railroads
at Tacoma aud Burrard Inlet. We
saw in the not distant future an i'm
mense local traffic on the line Of this
road. But now since the Seattle IL
TELLIGENCER has mentioned the mat
ter and the Government Of British
Columbia has set about reclaimIng
seventy or eighty thousand acres of the
rich marsh lands of the Lower Fraser,
we cannot see any necessity Of waiting
for the construction OF either tie
Northern or Canadian Pacific Rail
roads. 1. will be Mt least ten years ere
these great continental thOroughfares
can be completed. In the meantime,
the people Of Puget Sound and Fraser
River should not hesitate TO put this
important local enterprise under way
in order TO receive and accommodate
the continental lines referred TO.
There can be no doubt of the feasibili-
ty and profit of a cheap Narrow Gauge
Railroad between Seattle and New
Westminster, distance of 80 miles,
traversing, "a it will, the reclaimed
agricultural lands of the Snohomish,
Skagit. Swinomish Samish, Belling-
ham Bay. Nootsack in Snohomish
and Whatcom Counties, and the
extensive Sumass and Chilliwhack
marsh prairics Of the Fraser River Val
ley. There will not be less than one
hundred thousand acres Of these lands
under cultivation within the next five
years time, when this local railroad
might be III operation TO move the
products of this vast region to the deep
sea ports of Bellingham Bay or Seattle.
Eighty or hundred miles Of the
route (from Seattle to Whatcom) keep
three or four steamers constantly en-
ployed; and all experience has shown
that railroads operated in conjunction
or parallel with steamboat lines do not
diminish the trade OF either but rather
promote the prosperity of both enter
priscs. The construction of this road
would depend chiefly on the capitalists
of Seattle and New Westminster. They
would, however, receive considerab bio
AID and encouragement from every
landowner along the route. Indeed,
we have no doubt that citizens of Sno.
homish, Skagit, La Conner, Samish, Sc.
home, Whatcom and Nooksack would
readily take stock in such an enter.
prise Owing to this hearty co-opera-
ton CT the citizens along the line of the
road its construction would be of com
paratively little expense. Most of tho
track might be laid on the present
wagon-road between Whatcom, on Bel
bingham Bay, and Sumas Prairie, Il. c..
over an easy grade. n distance Of thirty
miles If we understand the INTELII-
GENCER, the construction of this piece
OF road between Whatcom and Sumas
is the primary intention of the project
ors, leaving steamboats, to maintain the
connection between this place and Seat
tie. But We should advise the continu-
ance of the road at lcest To La Conner
and the Skagit river, and in due time,
over the Skagit to Seattle, crossing this
river by terrying the cars instead OF
bridging.
We shall anxiously look for the init
iatory steps in this enterprise. Who
will take the lead9