Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-16

Yesterday We published an extract
from the Tacoma Ledger in which il was
alleged that the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company had been engaged in re-
moving iron from the Seattle extension.
Evidently the article WAS intended TO
carry tie idea that the track was being
torn no and removed 20 South Prairie.
This would be not only gross lnios
tlce, bat Az exhibition of stupidity
| phenomenal in the management of that
VIGOROUSLY mismanaQed corporation.
/ The Northern Pacific Railroad Compa
nv has constructed and owns less than
/ half the standard gage railroad track
no. lad between Tacoma and Seattle.
| The ten mile from Tacoma to Puyallup
we're laid ia 1877 the eight mile sec
ton between that place and Stuck
Junction was constructed last year.
In. section between stuck junction
and Seattle WAS constructed under the
auspices Of the Oregon * TranscOnti-
mental Company. Is never has be
lon2ed TO the Northern Pacific Railroad.
We do not expect any benefit to Seattle
bv the construction of that railroad
through the effsrts of the Northern Pa
cific Railroad Company. But 1t is
hardly possible tnat the manage
rnent of that corporation will do 81
utterly absurd au act as To tear up Its
track and abandon It's section OF con-
Meeting line between its terminus and
this city. 1t costs money to build even
eight miles of railroad In this region
| The property Is valuable. Ii econOm-
icaiIy and equitably operated it could
not fail to be profitable. 1t can. with
the rest of the line between this city
and Puyallup, be operated by such a
COMPANY As the Oregon Railway d Nav
lgation Company to good profit. This
will be true even If, AS at present seems
probable. the Cascade branch shall be
diverted from its most feasible and nat
ural route and constructed through the
Natchess Pass. As has been said before
the saving of handling IN freight would
more thaa compensate for the lncreas-
ed cost of hauling by rail over water
= transportation, if, indeed, the cost
, would be any greater. 1t is as sdro AZ
fate that the east shore of Puget Sound
vii. at no remote day be paralleled by a
/ railroad. Such is the history of every
, prominent waterway upon the CONT
nent where railroads have extended
Along the whole length of the grea,
= Mississippi, tine Hudson, the cham OF
, lakes which form our northern border
and side by side with the great artificial
waterways. vast trains run daily anC
: hourly III successful competition. 1hi.
, being the fact, il is only a matter OF
time when the road from PuyallHp t
this city-even were no other cOnnec
ton had with the valley or the lopez
Columbia and the transcOntinental line
east of the mountains, save by rail
road through the Natchess Pass-wil
be utilized to bring 10 our doors the
products of and lmpOrtatiOns from til,
/ other side. Still more will this DO tru,
If. as Ii to be expected, the line from
this city be extended nOrthward be
tween the Cascades and Puget Sound
We were therefore prepared yesterda,
, forthe assurance received f, om Mr.. Buck
ley, General Superintendent OF the
Western division of the Northern Pa
has rom owed to South Prairie was no
any portion of the railroad proper, bu
: merely some side track used to run gu
! gravel for ballast. and SINE rails no
! necessary for use on that section. iht
, animus of the Ledger is most con
temptible, and its evident attempt t,
injure this city by carrying the i'm
preston that rail connection with tn,
| East, only just completed, was being
severed, was but another exhibition OF
naleyOence to which this city ha
? grown accustomed,