, 1878-11-21
the RAILROAD NECESSITY,

wood from 81 to $40. with the IN
crease of population, the supply Of
wood is rapidly diminishing and the
prices increasing accordingly. With
out some other source of supply than
the present, that country, with ITS
marvellous agricultural capabilities,
will be nearly destitute of fuel, fenc'
ing and building material in few
years. The opening of the Co'um-
bia river to free navigation will not
reduce the cost of fuel, or materially
diminish the price of lumber, which
is now from S35 to $40 per NJ. in
WaIla Walla, and coal cannot be
procured there for less than S25 per
ton. A railroad to Portland would
tap no base Of supplies of either
coal or lumber. The only hope for,
and the imperative necessity to that
section, is a railroad connection with
Puget Sound. On the completion
of the Seattle and Walla Walla rail
road, coal can be laid down in Walla
Walia at a cost not exceeding IS per
ton, and one ton of Seattle coal is
equal to three cords of average wood
in generating heat. The average
consumption of wood by each domi
Gil is not less than cord month;
twelve cords year, at a cost of at
least Sl0S at present rates. -Four
tons of coal, costing 1872, would pro
duce an equal amount Of heat at a
saving Of $40 to each family and
business house. Estimating the pop
ulation of that section at 10000
which would soon exhaust their pres
ent supplies-with 6,000 domicils to
be supplied with fuel at the present
average rate of SO per cord, the
aggregate cost would be s64S,000;
coal to supply the same demand at
IS per ton, would cost S192,000, a
saving of $456,000, not less than ten
per cent. upon the taxable property
Of the county, which lost. must in
poverish OF materially mi air ;he pros
pelity of auy country. lue saving
ON lumber by the railroad would
average $50 per NJ. For the past
three years over 100000 has been
annually used in and about Seattle,
by population which at the com
mencement of that time did not ex-
ceed 5000, and has since increased
TO about 1900. Before the railroad
ton possibly be completed, the popu.
ca ion Of Eastern Washington will
lat at least 10000, ard its increase
b tncelorward will surpass that Of
D cattle and King County heretofore;
and at the same rate of demand for
aumber, it will require 10000 feet 3
wear TO supply the demand. A saw
ing of $50 per M. on that amount
would aggregate 100000; and on
cIal and lumber the aggregate saw
ing to population of 5000 would
be 81 100000; over 20 per cent. OF
their taxable property; over $50 t.
each inhabitant, and about $40 t,
each tax payer. All this is the ad-
vantage over the Columbia river
route, or any other proposed route,
which cannot furnish these essential
supplies, and only includes the say
ings on freight one way, and would
give to railroad the transportation
of 72,000 tons of coal for domestic
purposes only, 30,000,o00 feet OF
lumber, at an aggregate freightage
Of over 100000, in addition to the
amount which would be transported
by the Columbia river route, whether
by river or rail. The present cost OF
shipping wheat from any point in
Eastern Washington to San Fran
cisco, is not less than 60 cents
bushel. The cost by railroad to
Puget Sound and from there by YES
sci TO San Francisco would not
exceed Is cents bushel, which
would make difference of $l,26O,
coo on 100000 bushels. In FIVE
years after the completion of the
railroad to Puget Sound, the surplus
product Of wheat in that section
would not be less than 100000
annually, the savings on which, at
As cents a bushel, would amount to
$6,150,000, two thirds of which would
build and equip narrow gauge rail.
road. On the basis of 10000 inhab.
tants and 100000 bushels of wheat,
the aggregate annual saving to the
people of Eastern Washington by
this railroad would be $l56,O0O on
wood, 100000 on lumber, and ST..
100000 on transportation of wheat.
T ,taI &O Q1n DD0 I'll, z...;.. -