Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-05-24
PROFESSIONAL.

CHAS. y. SENTER,
Attorney 1t law.
VIEW TACOMA, W.T..
AZ, e. opposite New Tacoma Bank.
RAILROAD 10 Tms SOUND.
The editor of the Lewiston T.ile,
wrote to his papsr - follows:
portland, May 7, 1882.
do not suppose that il u within thu
purview Of any outsider to predict with
any certainty what will b done BY thu
several railroad companies who nov
have purposes and plans to b accom-.
pliahed for the Northwest during the
ensuing three or five years. Most OBJ
serving men have some speculative
opinions of their own. entertained from
their own stand point and seldom do
we find two who fully agree in obinion.
Nearly all whom / meet agree in this,
to wit: That not less than three Of the
powerful companies haye determined
70 have In operation through trans-con-
tinental lines extending to Puget Sound
within the ensuing five years and that
they viii succeed in their plans, unless
some Unforeseen crisis in the money af
fairs in the country should cripple them
in their means to build. Which Of
these will 10 the first to operate q
through line it IL hard now to predict.
Il il generally conceded that the Can.
ada Pacific will be behind the others,
not for want Of means, but on account
of the character of their route and the
distance they have to build. Tho
Northern Paci6c aud the q. II. d N. Co.
being virtually under ono management,
may b considered a. ono line by util-
izing the distance already constructed
BY each, arc still lacking nearly 600
miles Of completing through line,
which gaps, considering the difficulties
in making their trsstles and construc
ton Of some other portions Of their
work, can hardly b expected TO COM
plete their through lines in less than
two and . half or three years from the
Let Of January last. The Union Paci-
fic, Oregon Short line and the Utah
Northern, also virtually one in interest
and general management, have as good.
il not better prospects Of reaching the
Sound first, il they determine to do so,
and bend their energies and means to
accomplish that end. What they will
do Is only yet problematical. The diff
ference between Mr.. Willard and jay
Gould is this, while the former, through
the press and otherwise heralds in all
vance most Of his plans, the latter
makes all his moves quietly, and but
few know his plans till his work is com
menced and being prosecuted with Wig
or, and then he hurries matters to COM
pletion. It u claimed here by some
that Gould will yet have control Of the
Northern Pacific, even before tho road
u completed. But can yet forsee no
good reason for such an opinion. /
think have good reason for believing
that when be gets his line through to
the Sound he will command and receive
much the largest share Of the business
west Of the Rocky Mountains, as well
% q great portion of tho through BUSH
ness. Since here have heard much
speculation in regard to the origin Of
the Seattle, Walla Walla and Baker
City road. Many here surmise that
tho hand Of Gould is in that, while
others think that il was originated by
q few men in and about Seattle, for
the purpose Of getting an organization
franchise and . partial survey and then
selling ont at an advance of their small
investment to some other company who
had ample means to build. ! have
seen and c0nversed with one or two
men identified with that organization
who say to mo, that they expect to
build the road themselves about thirty
miles east of Seattle to some very val
liable coal mines and put it IN opera
ton, upon which investment and con-
structi0n they know they can reap a
good interest a soon as completed.
They further cay that they will build
| 70 tho summit Of the Cascades IL the
people Of Eastern Washington and
Oregon and North Idaho will by their
own means or by any other they may
secure, will agree to meet them at the
| summit. They claim the grade on the
west side 10 very moderate, tho maxi
mum which in only for . few miles
near tho summit, being less than
20 fest, the elevation at the summit
being q little over 500 feet above sea
level and the distance from Seattle
about Is miles. The Eastern Slope of
the Cascades 70 the Columbia, they
claim, has leas maximum grade, and the
distance will depend whore il reaches
the Columbia. II ct the foot of Priest
Rapids Il would b lsss than IL the point
Was farther down the rivor. They cay
tho eastward beyond tho navigable
vates of the Columbia they have no
particular line settled upon a. yet. !
asked one of these mon il the advent
Of Williams, the Union Pacific attorney,
ct the Sound did not in some measure
influence this organixatioof To this be
answered, il was contemplated before
b came, but he thought his coming
had accelerated the enterprise and
they were Of the opinion that il they
moved forward In the matter they could
Ultimately Be able 10 obtain the means
OF building TO the Columbia river from
some quarter and that whom the road
Was completed il would b the best pay
inc road Of the whole Northwest. Our
conversation upon the subject was thon
interrupted BY others Who had business
With him, and ] sav him no moro. The
CommsrcSai reporter, Of this city. Of
Last Weok, oenAdeatlally declared Jay
Gould Was at the bottom Of this Seattle
mOvounsnt b cro0 The Cascades. Bat
~ imagine the editor knows no more
about tho matter than ~ do.
An old - captain, otopp1nR tempor
asily 81 ~ city and Who claims 4
knOv - movom1uto f vessels from thu
Eass for this ooaat, informed me- tha
not Len than twelve ohipA loaded Will
railroad iroo. woala rsaeA the Sount
With their caTRoe4 mostlv for the North
oru Pacific, which veuld indicate thai
either that company proposed 70 taxi
tAat iron oyur their road % the Column
bia for uss along the Columbia and
perhaps beyond. the Pen d'Oreille, o
that they intendsd 70 project the road
eastward from the Sound aoro0 th'
Oasoadea learn that the s1rv0l at
railroad from Tacoma along the Sount
70 Seattle b now heing nade. and SOM
ssppose that Willard b determined I,
nako fun eunnoetfon between Pom
land and Noattlo Va Tacoma long b
foeo any hsannh b oenstz1eted acroe
~ Cascades - thA1 paint Il y qut
evident from the movements that 90
ueethegu tormiuus Of his system o. th
Sound VIII ne4 b below Seattle an
That - intsndD 70 tAko 1fu12hts dow
thA Columhia from Eageern OfeHo
al Wanhingtou ard NoEth ldah
IasnunA n 6Gnt>1A for uhipmeut IN