Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-16

rresaent Harris Says the Northern
Pacific VIII seeure IL.


Please let the public know through
tne OrtsoHidH what truth. II any there
IS, IN tne Fumor that the Northern Pa
cine mas secured lease of the Oregon
Railway and Navigation Conpany's
transportation system - asked re
porter OF this paper Yesterday of Mr..
Robert Harris, presidsn, of ths Nortb-
ern Pacific Railroad.
Settling himself back in one of the
large arm chairs IN the Esmond parlor,
wnere the reporter had been received,
Ar. Harris remarked: 1t was ikis
that cansed me to come across the
country little more hastily than had
nrst lntended. Tbs matter of leasing
the u. T. Il y. road has been under
consideration for some time, and sucs a
step IL approved by the directors of
both companies. II awaits nov only
ths settlement OF details relative 70 the
rental, etc"
May | ask upon what terms the
lease Is made z asked the reporter.
Substantially the same" answered
Mr.. harris, - ss was pablished some
time since, viz: the payment of fixed
charges 6 per cent interest the first
year, per cent the sesond and per
which We are negotiating"
When will negotiations probably be
concluded %
That is hard to say. The negotia-
tions cover "A vast amount of property,
ne srly 700 miles of railroad, the steam
ship and steamboat lines. docks. the IN
tersst in the Northern Pacific Terminal
Company. and minor properties You
lf4f ihGy IN a - -
ioal work, and nothing will be concluded
thas u not entirely satisfactory to both
roads"
How will this affect the building of
the Cascades branch p
Not at all. 1t has always been the
intention of the Northern Pacific to
come to Portland and to Puget Sound.
In 1880, with the great financial load of
constructing 0 miles of road to CON-
plete the main line from the lakes to the
Columbia river. the company found il
20 be its best Interest TO JOIN with. the
y. X. d n, which was building from
Wallula to Portland. These conditions
are not changed. The Cascades division
will be- built. The land grant will sus-
tain i. during it's infancy, until such
time as the development of the country
~Na~~ka "oASa ~ ASocS WILL kiNo ~ SUI
stautial support"
How will the proposed lease affect
the Oregon Short Liner"
mot at all. The Union Pacific has a
traffic contract for ter years with the
Oregon Railway Il Navigation Company
on almost the same terms as that made
with the Northern Pacific in the fall of
1880. The only difference ia that the
Northern Paciic's is IN perpe,uity. For
the next ten years the Union Pacific will
cOme into Portland on preci sely the
same basis as the Northern Pacific does
now"
How soon, do you think, the formal
transfer of the Oregon Railway d Navi-
CATION will be made to your
Probably by the end of August"
For what term of years?"
"Oh, II will be a marriage for veal or
for woe.' Probably 80 years"
Mr.. Harris, asking the reporter to lay
down his note book, spoke in most en-
thusiastlo terms of the future of Oregon
aHd Washington, comparing them to
Iowa. Wisconsin and Illinois as they
were thirty years ago, and expressing
the firm oonvi ,tion that he would see
ths same development here that he has
seen there.