Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-17

| -,x-a -: I@uio concord. Tner
o Insurmountable legal and othe
a. 70 an actual consolidation o
tne con panies- There was obviousI
Dus oue a way open TO the end in view
~. tne concentration of q controllInt
oA ownership. The best means an
peaaeu !" Dc the formation of tbir,
eoIpany Ior the purpose of acquirin,
. uoiuing AZ once paramount stocl
tons. viz: the Northern Pasifc anS ~,
oregon Railway Il Naviostion c.
panies. With their control one a.
sured, the acquisition of that of ~,
MINOR companies, viz: the Oregon (
Caiifornia Railroad and the Oreooy I,n
provement Companies. appeared ,n =.
out question of time and method
Accordingly, the Oregon and Trars
continental company was oroanizad :,
June, 1881. Its purposes were an
nounced 10 the original prosoac.ps =,
the company 10 be: First, TO acanire ane
nold permanently a majority Interest -
the stocks of the Northern Pacific and
oregon Railway and Navigation Com.
panies, and, next, to carry ont the osn.
efal programme outlined above. Itwas
further empowered under the articles o,
incorporation TO engage in any othe,
commercial and industrial enterprises
tnat weuld serve to promote the inter.
ests OF the controlled companies.
| Ine mission OF the Oregon and Trans.
continental company WAS strictly full
niled as defined. II acquired a con.
trolling interest in the stocks of the
Northern Pacific and Oregon Railway
and Navigation Companies, and As the
hoider OF such, It not only established
absolute harmony between the com
panles, with many important immediate
results IN their practical relations TO
each other, but proved faithful and
powerful ally, whose financial help, as
VIII be shown hereafter, proved the very
salvation of the Northern Pacific.
| The Oregon and Californis Railroad
Company had succeeded in 1892 in rails
ing the means TO complete its main line
throuehSouthern Oregon TO junction
with the Central Pacific system at the
| California boundary. Ii seemed clear
that the control of this company, unless
| promptly secured in the interest of the
Northern Pacific, would surely fall into
the hands of the Central Pacific, with
the inevitable result to the former com
piny of a compulsory division of the
business of Oregon and Washington ter
ritory with the latter. To prevent this
contingency. the Oregon and Trauscon-
tinentai company, in the spring of 1882,
| entered into lease, under which the
complete control of the Oregon and
California system passed to 1t.
The Oregon Improvement Company
became member of the combination
by sort of personal union, its manage
ment being Identical with that of the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
pany.
NV efforts were directed only to Sc
| cure control of the traffic on the north
Pacific coast as IL existed, but to insure
Its rapid growth by the development Of
the transportation systems of all the
tributary companies. Thus, under my
direction. the Oregon Railway and Nav
| igatiOn Company undertook the CON
struction of GOO miles of standard gage
road in Oregon and Washington Terri
tory, between 1880 and 1884, including
the Columbia river line. forming the
outlet of the Northern Pacific to the
| Pacific coast, and leased 149 miles of
narrow gage road in Western Oregon.
| Ihis was exclusive of 30 miles of road
built on the Palouse branch of the
| Northern Pacific, mentioned hereafter.
|
and California main line, l25 miles were
completed. The Oregon Railway and
| Navigation Company also acquired con
troll of the Puget Sound tr4fiic, aud
provided new feet of fine boats for
this service Both the Oregon Railway
and Navigation and the Oregon I'm
provement Companies added large new
passenger and freight steamers to their
ocean aeet. The Oregon Improvement
Company undertook, at its own expense.
the exploration and development of the
coal fields of Western Washington.
In these various ways the Northern
| Pacific obtained. without the least cost
| to itself, and even before the compile
ton of the main line, the guarantee, so
| to speak, of traffic tribute on the Pa
oitic coast from 100 miles of railroad,
| 20o0 niles of coast wise ocean lines. and
800 miles of river and Puget Sound
lines.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRANCH LINES.
As stated, a system of branch lines
was devised. Ito insnre the rapid devel-
| opment of the territory tributary to the
| Northern Pacific. and of local traffic
| from it to prevent eneroarhtnonts upon
| IL by rival interests, and 90 prom Jte the
sale and settlement of the oompany's
land grant"
ANY judioious efforts to promote the
development of the tributary territory,
whether by providing improved means
Of transportation. or in any other way.
| had to rest necessarily ON An accurate
Knowledge of the natural resources of
the country. such knowledge did not
exist as regards almost the entire region
between the Missouri river and the Pa
cific coast. To obtain il the northern
transcontinental survey was established,
with view to n thorough and syste-
matte inquiry into agricultural and min
eral resources, climate, water courses,
irrigation, soils. forests and general to-
Biography. This work was prosecuted
from July l, 1881, till my retirement,
after which Il was brought to an abrupt
close. so that its useful results could
| only in part be made practically avail
able.
when / entered upon my duties as
| President found most injurious con
fiict pending between your company and
the St. Paul. Minneapolis and Msnitobs
| Railroad Company, which had already
| led 10 the commencement of two defen-
sive aud offensive auxiliary lines under
/
the Northern Pacific, Fergus and Black
| branches. | followed the same line of
policy by providing fer the extension OF
| the Casseltou branch to the Manitoba
boundary, and by starting two addi-
tionsi branches in Minnesota and Da-
kota, known as the Fargo and South
western and Little Falls and Dakota
branches. This aggressive action led.
after years OF constant friction and out
right hostility, TO the conclusion OF
peace between the two corporations, on
the basis Of an exchange of lines. that
will doubtless prove n lasting one. and
has already proved OF great and indirect
benedt TO vour read.
Altogether there were built under my
administration the following branch
lines:
IN arSSrsorA AND DAKOTA.
Miles
Northern Pacific, Fergus and
Blaek Hills s................. III
Little Falls and Dakota. -
Fargo and Southwestern. ........ sly
jamestown and Northern. ....... 80
Sanborn, Cooperstown and Iur-
tie Mountain .....-.-......,..-. 10