Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-08

company did not show signs of u.s.
ing SO much of its charter and ac-
ouiring that part of its grant; and
The Territory would be right in so
doing. The lands are all withdrawn
nm the line. No title can he per-
fected for the railroad lands because
the company does not construct its
road; and the price Of the alternate
sections of the Government is
doubled because within the limits of
the grant. The people would say
Justly, if the Northern Pacific Com
many is no. going to do anything it
must be put out of the way. And
Congress would certainly put it out
of the way and give the chance to
to some other company, and the
Northern Pacific could have nothing
TO say against such action.
And when | think that if this Cas-
"a lie or BIZ nch line, about 235 miles
long, the road already built to the
coal fields ut Wilkeson, 81 miles
from Tacoma, is completed, and that
for coal and iron purposes should be
extended some distance from Wilke-
son right in the line of going over
the Cascade range, and that on the
east side of the range a road should
anyway oe built up the Yakima eal-
lev for local purposes for % to 100
miles right in the line of going over
the range, the question comes down
to this: Should the Northern Pacific
give up the purpose of building the
100 miles between the point to be
built to, for local business of the
Yakima valley on the east side of the
mountains, and the point on the west
side of the mountains to be built TO
for local business, provided a prac-
ticable route is found? And in solv
ing this question it should lie men
toned that this branch line would be
about $50 miles shorter to the Sound
than by the Columbia river, and that
on its line are the coal and timber
which will be required all through
Eastern Oregon and Washington
Territory. The haul of coal would
be more than double the distance by
the Columbia river route than on
that by the Cascade range route.
Another matter. TIE Northern
Pacific is chartered to go to Puget
Sound both by the Columbia river
and by the Cascade range. Certain
" by at least one route or the other
it should 60 there. 1t will not be q
complete transcontinenta( line from
the great lakes to the Pacific ocean,
unless it does so. On the Sound l
believe commerce in time will do its
chief work, instead of on the Column
bia river. The dangers and difficult
ties of the entering of the river and
its navigation will tell against it as
soon as the Sound is easily accessible
from the interior.
Now, from all this YOU see how the
thing lies in my mind. You have a
road down the river. If the n. l..
does not build there, and there IS n
practicable route over the Cascade
range, it should certainly construct
that branch. Not for the purpose
of hurting you, but because the
Northern Pacific, chartered to go to
the Sound by two routes, should
have a through line by at least one
and because the Cascade range
route is the shorter one, will be a
necessity Tor half its length or more p,
for local purposes, and lies through
coal, iron and timber fields, fuln'
ishing always freight back to the in
terror.
Interested as largely as you are i'll
the development of Eastern Oregon
and Washington Territory, and as
you are now in the n. Z. Co., L
think you ought to take the view
that the company should do nothing
that will put its route over the Cas-
cade range in danger of being taken
away. 1t may be best not to hurry
in it's construction. 1t may be that
when constructed there should be
some pooling arrangement with the
river line. Such points are fair mat
ters for consideration. But that we
ought to go to work, and continue
at work att certain rate seems to be
clear The Government Auditor, Nlr.
French, you know, insists that we
shall go on, both down the river and
over tie range also. He Will watch
us, and SO will all Washington Ter
ritory, which is aieady stirred up.
The legislature of Oregon, You are
aware, has already passed resolutions
urging congress to take away the
land grant on the river line, because
we are not building there. The Ore
gun Senators did not press the mat
ter in Washington this Winter be-
cause | assured them that the n. T..
Co. did not propose TO give up any
part of the road it was chartered to
build.
And if we are attacked in Congress
on any point, it is made the occasion
to give us all sorts of trouble.
Excuse my long letter, | had no
notion of any such length; but l
want you to get hold of my views OF