Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-21
uOW CITIES AXE 8GglT.


eviden, to the citizens of Fargo that the
Northern Pacific Railro ad Company IN
tended 10 discriminate against them 10
the matter Of freight !etes and II other
ways. The idea Was TO build up cities
at points selected by the company, or TO
boom other cities IN which Northern
Pacific directors and officials had large
personal interests: aud this was 10 be
done by dvarfng the growth Of the city
which was the natural metropolis of
Northern Dakota.
At hrss a storm Of indignation burst
forth in Fargo. bat when this subsidsd
the citizens cspsidered the situation
calmly and wisely. and determined 20
be the architects of their own fortunes.
70 bnild up city which should be IN
dependent of the schemes aad specula
ii ,ns of Wall street monJpolists and
landsharks. To this d they bent
every effort: they realized the fact that
powerful competitors must be met and
that the fight would be one again 81
heavy odds.
There were, however. redeeming fea
tures in tue otherwise gloomy situation.
Fargo WAS the center and natural out
let for the vast grain fields of Dakota,
and one thing must be done In order TO
take -.us advantage of this fact. X all
roads must he built. railroads which
should be built by Fargo and for the in
terest Of Fargo, which should haul the
vast stores of grain from the fields
around to the elevators and st re houses
| of Fargo, there to await shipment To the
markets Of the world. No time was lost
| after this conclusion was reached.
Three railroad companies We're prompt
| iy organized, and measures We're taken
looking to their prompt construction /:
and now, We are informed, a fourth
road. the Fargo, l. gilmore & Northern.
ID to be built. All Of these roads center
| In Fargo: all have the name Of Fargo III
the names of their corporations all
look 10 Fargo s Interests, and the money
they earn goes to enrich the people of
Fargo.
Fargo's future il assured. Her citi-
zebs are working with a will and they
SEQ and know the way in which cities
are built The towns which have grown
into cities and commercial centers with
1
growth to Just such enterprise. Co
lumbus. Ohio, was In 1870 apparently as
lifeless and spiriIiess a country town as
could be found. In 1880 she was a
wealthy. hourishing and rapidly grow
ing city, with a population exceeding
$1,000, and a Wholesale trade exceeding
that of any other city of the siZs In the
country. This change had been brought
| N N he Pa
ton of powerful and long established
rivals who had for half a century con-
trolled the trade of the country which
Columbus made tributary to herself.
One after another railroads had been
built radiating from Columbus To every
corner of the State of Ohio aud attract
ing trade which had always before gone
to Cincinnati, to Cleveland, to Toledo
or to Wheeling. Following in quick
succession came the Columbus and 10
ledo, the Columbus and Hooking Valley
the Columbus and West Virginia, the
Columbus and Southeastern, until nc
less than fourteen roads conferred in
Columbus
The same story could be told of Indi.
An Apolis. OF st. Paul, Of Kansas City, OF
Denver, of a dozen other growing and
fionrishinR cities. Even the adoption
of the name of city by \ railroad
90 npany is source of incalculabl
benefit to the city 80 honored. Who CAL
SAY how much tho city of Fort Wayne
has been aided by the mere name of the
fort WAYNE" road? How much Bur
lington has been aided, how much Pitts
burg, how much Rock Island or Crane
Rapids In this point the city of s..
attic Is wOofnlly deficient. her name hav
ing been cOntemptuously sighted by
tao companies which look towards her
Even the coal road from Seattle to New
castle bears the deliciOusly ambition,
but meaningl IS uame of the Colum
bia and Puget Sound Railroad"-prob
ably because II does not approach with
in a hundred miles of any city. county
mountain or river which is or ever mas
been called Columbia.
But how is Seattle situated with re
, gard to the various other points men
toned! Her splendid facilities for com
munication by wa or and her many line
Of steamboats, have heretofore in som,
measure supplied the place of railroads
Now, however, the time has come whei
other methods of communication ar,
demanded by her commerce and her in
dustr,es, and her citizens, for their owl
Interests and for the interests of thei
city, must zoe that the demand il
needed.
Seattle's position is infinitely superior
to that which Fargo occupied yea
ago. OF course railroad building is al
easier matter in Dakota than in Wash
IN gton. but Fargo had not half the CAPT
tai which is possessed by Seattle. Sh,
had to fight her battle in the face o
powerful rivals. while Seattle has NJ
such rivalry to encounter. She was ap
psreptly completely at the mercy of tn,
Northern Pacific and its public be d.
system OF railroading. while Seattle Ia,
at her gates the one highway of con!
merce which knows no monopoly anC
no Discrimination open sea.
The call to action IL now imperative
1t IL plain that the Northern Pacifi,
Company means to discriminate agains
Seattle III every way possible. and Il
try to dwarf her Industries and crust
her commerce. One remedy We have
and II must now be used. A railroad
mast be thrown through the Snoqualm.,
pass and into the vast grain fields Of
Eastern Washington, where no Dom
petitor Is to be met and where tn,
gro1nd will be all our own. Let com
pdhy De formed NJ once, ana let II Ot
named from Seattle: let Seattle men
} have enough interest in il to insure fan
) play for every city on its line and N,
} discrimination: and let road he buil,
which shall bs solely for the interest OF
Washington Territory and her people
The money to push the enterprise vii
be Forthcoming. Seattle can and vii
raise an amount comp .red with which al
former efforts will appear trifiinR; ever,
CITY and village along the line will d,
what it can; and Walla Wslla. at the
other end. will not be tehindhand. The
people of the whole Territory will re-
gard this road as the bond ich is {
unite forever Eastern and Western
Washington. The success of the pro
iect Is assured when once action Il
taken: and action will not now be- Ions
delayed.
The New CLAYTON BUrLpISa.-Ths
first luaber for the new Clayton Bros
hu,ilipy xwas ha,ial ,o.s-l.- -,