Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-25
SEATTLE HAS NOTHING TO FEAR.

EDITOR POsT-lNTELLIGENCER If the
letter of Mr.. G. b. Wright, President OF
the Tacoma land ring" to Mr.. j. L
Baltzell. as published in the POsr- -INTNL.
LGENCER this morning, foreshadows the
actual financial situation of the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company and it,
future operations on the Sound, then
indeed, has Seattle nothing to fear in
her efforts to maintain her commercial
supremacy. The objects of the ques-
tiOns and answers in said letter are ap-
parent, viz: to bolster up Tacoma and
to give the people. both here and in the
East, to understand that the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company have no in
teRests in Seattle, and hence no inoen-
tive TO t.eGt her only as local station
Mr.. Wright says "the Northern Pacific
owns most of the water front (at Taco
MAJ and has not refused to sell any Of it,
Who owns tho balance of the town prop
er? Evidently the land ring, except the
little it has sold to unsuspecting per
sons. Everybody knows that it 1.-THE
land rine) is " on the SELL.
Mr.. Wright virtually admits, in the
above statement, that the Northern Pa
osuo AsnssA~0A NOAD kSSy ssAo 49, "'A'Ask
land probably anxiOus) to sell their wa
ter front, or give life long lease to it.
1t il we'll known fact that both the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
and the land ring have large land inter
ests in q certain harbor further down
the Sound. Hence the eagerness of both
companies to sell their Tacoma proper
ty. The great significance Of Mr..
WriRht's answer is thus apparent.
(Query: Would the owners of the most
important portion Of Tacoma be willing
to cell at present prices, il they had any
thoughts that Tacoma would eventually
b the great commercial CITY Of Puget
Sound, or even ono of them? It would
b an unprecedented act il they did.
But they know too we'll that the grade
into Tacoma 10 the "l0ad that breaks
the camers back" and they do not
mean to be beneath the wreck.)
Lat u zee what encouragement to
the people of Tacoma, and those who
may contemplate locating there, Mr.
Wright offers in his answers to Mr..
Baltzell's questions.
I'm regard 70 elevators" says Mr..
Wright, II think they should be built
by private capital" "It 10 understood
that ample provisions will bs made for
bunker facilities. but the railroad COM
pany will be little cautious in its ex-
penditures for the present." thus indi-
eating that these too 'should be built
by private capital" Mr.. Wright says,
"there il already a syndic,to formed to
make proposition to build the Cascade
division, and several influential men-
bers Of the board are favorable t. the
immediate construction of this line, II
it can be built Without calling on the
treasurer Of the company" 1t seems
then, that this line also, Is to be built,
(if built at ALI by private capital"
What then, is left in this letter Of Mr..
Wright's to bolster mp the faint hearts
of the terminal city? Why, 1.-THE lm-
provement OF the harb0r, as per plan
submitted by Colonel j. w. Smith, En-
gines.. which is likely to to commenced
by the railroad and land oompanies."
Bot Mr.. Wright says that the treas
urer Of the railroad COMPANY must not
be called on, and intimates very strong
ly that the company "is not yet on q
good financial footing" The land ring
has not a. yet developed any great sur
plus Of funds, and it looks a. though
the "likely" part Of this whole business
depends upon the power or influence Of
the two companies to induce '.prirote
cepital' to initiate this bubble.
Mr.. Wright adds: Your remaining
questions, in regard to traffic, am un-
able to answer, except 30 far ~ running
the traips is concerned. / think you
will find the trains between Tacoma
and Seattle treated as local traius." Al
Mr.. Wright adroitly omits 10 state the
nature Of these questions, il is fair tc
presume that they had q direct bearing
upon Seattle interests. They wert
doubtless direct questions ~ to whether
freight and passengers would be carrie(
as cheap to Seattle as to TaoOma-Ques
tions which Mr.. Wright would not vii
lingly answer Ia the affirmative. and hi
failure 10 give direct negative replv il
| to SAY tho least, presumptive evidenc
| that the Northern Pacific Company doe
not vet WELD dictum over the othe
compauics to which il 10 81 90 closely al
ltd."
From Mr.. Wright's letter, a. veil q
from the recently published statement
in regard 20 the financial condition @
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
Il il evident that not only has the raj
road company all it can do for the mel
two or three years to look snugly afte
its present constructed road. even . th
securing Of the Seattle traffic. bat thu
tho land company has . big job on Il
hands TO induce private capital to boos
their town lots on the strength Of Vhl
the two companies are "likely" to do Il
the terminal city. Meanwhile the oit
Of Seattle will 90 right ahead, a. thoug
nothing had happened in railroad OF
cles, building up and adding to her Q!
mcrous enterprises, the saIne 20 she d
ouce before when the Northern Pacit
Railroad Company took shelter und.
the Taooma bluffs, thus creating tran
which even this company cannot a60l
70 ignore. and for which other equal
important roads are reaching.
Seattle has nothing to fear from q
results Of the interviews Of either u
Wright or Mr.. Cakes, nor from q
present financial sembarraAsmonts
the Northern Pacific Railroad Compan
While this company 10 recuperAsin
seattle will be adding TO her ssrengt
which 10 nov \ hundred fold great
than in the memorable days Of Isl
Whea che held the fort.
n. S. Sooru.
Seattle. December q. 1881 :
Fine amber cigarette and cigar hol
ers and meerschaum pipes and bow
some Of the latter silver mounted, lal
est and best assortment IN tho Mort