The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-10-16
THE SEATTLE 4 wALLA wALLA
RAILROAD.

After the location Of the terminus OF
the Northern Pacific Railroad Of Ia
coma. the people Of Seattle sav that in
order 10 have connection With the
Eastern portion Of the Territory, and
TO shsre 10 the benefits - be derived
from the interchange Of commodities,
they mast 60 10 work 10 bald . road
{ nselves. and ut once set 10 work
agitsting the question; bot no active
steps were taken till sn entsrprising at.
torney Of tbis city commenced building
the road on his own account. and drove
that portion OF the trsstls nov outside
Of Hall l. Paulsoa's mill. causing grea,
excitemeot st the time, and giving 40
impetus % business. that Dsrved the
people up TO the great vork before
them. and insfillsd confidence in every
mind.
The Seattle q walla waila Railroad
Company vas organized and incorpo-
rated on the 18th Of July. 1873. With
subscribed sod paid up .tock to the
amount Of $4,000. chiefly paid in
lands At appraised values.
lo the spring Of 1874 the idea oi
voluntary labor wss acted on. snd eiti-
zsns turned out ihdiscrimipatsly. judges,
doctors. preachers. lawyers, merchants.
printers and laborers. and eli who felt
an interest in the town. By this
means three miles II the road vere
slashsd and graded from the head Of
the bay TO the race track.
This movsnent Inspired confidence
in the people. and by their united saort
work vas oommenced 10 earnest.
The Talbot and Rentou mines. l3
miles from Seattle. on the line Of the
road. were thsn producing sboat 100
tous OF GOAL daily. and detsrmiped
effort wss nadcts put the road through
to those mines. The work progressed
iaverably. and the mines we're reached
In the fall Of 1875. This furnished the
read Something TO do. and msde quite
. snsg little Income for the new enter.
priss. eg
Tbs Newcastle Coal Company
means Of transportation ct this time
vss by way Of Lake Washington,
across the portage. and thsn aeross Lake
Union TO this city, and about 400 tons
OF coal daily vas thus sent to market.
The cost OF transportation over this cir
cuitous route was S7H csnts pss ton.
The Seattle q Walls wslIs Railrnsd
Company made . proposition 70 them
TO carry their coal from the minss. ana
deliver il into the hold of their ships IT
81 cents per ton for 400 tons per day.
and lsss figures for gr.a'.r quantities.
provided the Newcastle Company
would assist It 10 chs constr uctiou OF
ths road from Renton to Newcastle.
The construction Of this piece Of road
passing through On extremely rough
sad mountainous piece Of country. vas
N awful undertaking and required the
outlsy OF vast Gums Of money. Cuts
100 feet deep were 70 be made, and
vide gulches. ranging from 10 to 128
feet deep aud iron 20t, 800 feet long.
we're TO be bridged with substantial
trsstls work. The grade Was nscsssa-
rily very steep. - the mine 10 situated
over 600 feet above the level Of the sea.
This line. however. was completed in
April, 1877, aud the coal production
OF the mine run up from 400 tons per
day to 75O tons per day. Cheap
freights placed the coal company in .
position 10 control the San Francisco
markets. aud gave IN impetus 10 bust.
ness generally.
The company have frequently con.
tsnplAted On extension Of third line
70 what 10 known - the Cedar river
coal mines. on direct line Of the pro-
posed rod across the mountains. bat
did not get around 10 II. sill parties
with unlimited resources commenced ne.
gotiating for the purchase Of the read !.
10 has % last been sold 10 an eutefpris-
ing msn and . great railroad buhd1r--
Henry Willard. Of New York. Who be-
lisvss In first bsing right. and tAsn
going shead. He hos peeentagsnts
here. Who will pat bin fully upon the
great results to b derived from ex-
tending the road across the mountaius,
through the rich valleys Of the Kitti-
tas. Yskima. Klickitat and Wslla
WsllA, sffordine The people Of that vast
agricultural region safs aud speedy
outlet for their Unlimited products.
In taking these facts. and others
which We cannot here meotion. Ne feel
assured that work on the line toward
the Snoqualmis Pass win be COM
aeneed early in the spring. and
pushed rapidly ahead I'LL he great d.
sire Of our people 10 ersti6sd. end ~
grasshoppers Of the r ut can coms over
the mountains BY rsil TO sing tAsir
1~l1.h~ a., Nka rl~ o,.f po~~h 0rro1