Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-03
rus PEOPLES REPRE-.
SENTATIVE.
pelegate White Before a
Committee OF
Congress.
the Argument made by
s... ". X. white. before '"e
u...e Committee o" Public
,.ud.. on Monday. April
3I.a, 1884.


= pst t"f.'+''i
n, Chairman. north of this
,N,sde Pass there Is pass that 'en.
Stam dsc,ded a. being perfectly prac-
s'e,e,n Gov a railraad long before the
ncsD -, That is the Snoqualmie Pass.
ci'n coma over that pass this com piny
bu' within ten miles 81 Seattle,
nuss 49,, run south some twenty miles
snu .lono a constructed railroad 10
liz the Puyallup coal road.
whan STAMPEDE Pass was deter
an citizens of Seattle sub
nlne1 SlOWO. and the Presi-
scl'o't the Northern Pacific Rail
oen Company, Henry Willard agreed to
foau c, q branch road by way OF the
oon ,ssIds Of Green River, to connec-
ca Nth the Cascade branch OF the
uon Pacific, and several miles OF
~, ,oad has been already graded
e. Mr. Chairman | admit that II
~. ,oad ia constructed through the
s VIZ Pass. the P0yailup coal road
=. made part ST the Cascade
S,ch hut a road thro lgh that pass
lid Give Seattle az good connection
- IN. Nor,bern Pacific IA Tacoma.
"a h.nce slnce the downfall OF MIR.
W.i.,d and the substitution OF 4. b.
tr.,.,h, M the Tacoma Land Company,
:. p;s Mace as director, this whole
nnl;cv az the company has been again
ahsnoed and the Stampede Pass has
been abandoned.
A, "a nnblic meeting held IN Seattle on
..a sveninp OF the 2sth of March, 1884,
T.n,.s MoNausht. the attorney OF the
No,,bsrn Pacific Railroad, read this
NEW YORK. March q, 1894.
yo,,,. NJ Vapgtt. Seattle, ". H.: You
r,sv cav 10 the people of Seattle that 1t
!. he policy and intention Of the com
,.any 10 uush the Cascndes division To
rompletion as speedily as practicable.
D.Nnite line If location over the Cas-
a.asa bas not been made. Company
vili ADOPT the pass that Is best Tor cross
Ing Cascade range without regard 10
The interests of any special point, and 1t
will he the aim of the company 20 serve
the busipess OF Seattle and all other
points on the Sound with complete fair
ness ROBERT HARRIS. President.
M definite location vet, no pass over
the Cascades yet selected, according to
M. Harris, the President Of the com
mnv. How then, Mr.. Chairma7, can
tbis committee conclude that thus road
IN WiIkeson il part of the Cascade
branch , What right has the company
toa withdrawal Of lands on this line
(,uoht not this land to DO restored to
the public domain Z Your bill Ia not
broad enough to cover II. and for our
people we ask that you also declare all
lands Withdrawn north of the north line
Of the Tacoma and kalama withdraw
ala. subject 10 settlement. sale and pre-
euption as other public lands of the
United States, preserving the rights of
bona fde purchasers of II from the com-
many, and in some way charging the
company with the lands already sold IN
this mart of the withdrawal to such
purchaser.
But there are still stronger facts show
ING that this Pnyallup road IL no part
Of the transcontineutal roads, on the
line of which they are entitled to grants.
In the report Of the President. and
directors of the Northern Pacific Rail
road Company to its stockholders, on
Sept. 9th, 1876, on page ] We find the
following: AT the westerly termination
Of our road on Puget Sound this Com
pany has, directly aud indirectly, very
extensive properties. 1t owns directly
vast quantities OF agricultural, coal and
timber lands, and, through ownership
Of the stocks of the Tacoma Land
Company and of the Lake Superior
Puget Sound Company, 1t has con
trolling in the terminal town site and
adjacent lands. The profitable devel-
opment Of this property seems to de
pend upon the completion of the through
line, or the immediate construction of
81 miles Of the Puyailup branch and the
development of the COAL
The Vice President of the Company,
IN this same report, on page - says: "
think 1t has been satisfactorily demon
strated by surveys and estimates, and
practical examinations now CO .lpleted,
that an expenditure of $4,000 will
build the branch and develop the GOAL
property OF this Com pany, and that We
have a merchantable coal of superior
quality, that can be taken out with
great ease and sold at a remunerative
price,"
Ga page - he says: "The instruction.
OF the Puyallup branch and the devel
opment Of the ooa mines would stimu-
late the growth of Tacoma and at once
make ocr large terminal properties pro
ductivs. Numerous parties On that coast
tol me that, II this work was com
menccd, they would at once settle at
Tacoma and 20 into business. The
population g. AT would be thus attract
cd, and temporarily or permanently
employed by the enterprise. would dis
purse very considerable additional re-
oeipts to the present line OF road. and
add largely to the value of the property
OF the Company"
Mr.. Oh alrman. you will observe from
these extracts the identity of the inter
es's existing between the Puyallup
branch and the Cpooma Land Company
and the Lake Superior and Puget Sound
company. Further on | expect TO de
monstrata to any reasonable man that
These last named organizations are the
Credit Mobilier" of the Northern Pa
ONO Railroad Company. and of the
Hme character, IN all essential respects,
rs tnat famous, or rather infamous, or
RaniZAtion.
but there is, MIR. Chairman. IA still
uore significant fact showing that this
roaa was but coal road. Not until It
was known that part of my mission
.e'e was TO lay the foregoing facts be
Iotc this committee. did the Company
ssA 10 nave commissi ,ners appointed to
examine II AS part of the Cascade branch
,oaa' although II WAS built SIX years ago.
Lei me read 10 You the following dis
pa'sh, which | received this morning
from the Seattle Chamber of Com
msrce.
here MIR. White read the substance
y, tue memorial from the Chamber of
.ommerce and the dispatches received
.Iom their Secretary, Roswell Scott. on
"s subject. He then proceeded
=. Inc reason for the sending out OF
.ue,s commissioners at this late day il
petieetiy obvious. IL Is that the Com
pahy may. under section i of their char
.s' receive patents for over 600 ,0O acres
v, 'and worth AZ least Sl0. 01o.oOp, as I!
.ue Fayailup coal road VAS part Of the
cascade branch; receive these patents
before pending action by Congress
sn uao. In other words. TO obtain by
nsa 'e piessuses property worth {lo,OO,'
HE doors of the penltent.ary
mould be open for all men, parties q
s contemplated fraud, IN place VI
'as committee rooms of Congress.
no', Mr.. Charm II. there Is a very Sc
r,ous legal question connected with tai,
ascade branch. claim that the Com
pauy h.s abandoned that part of thei
s's1', or rather that they have commit
ao's which s.ount TO An abandon
Mcut. The last MAN .s u,,h 3r.n.Is 4,