Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-19
DAILY POST INIEllIGEMcER,


man kindly tell ~ WY tne Re1uDko@n
parfy Of Washinotsn IerFitoFy soo1lo,
Is this year Of nrace 1854 ures gonesess
20 Give the Northern Rae1no kzasikno
Company an area Of land larger sr1n
chat embraced In either Maryland. 49,
saohussssn, New Hampshire, new sesssy
or vermout, m amount consseeEsosy
excsedine tbs oombinsd area q Connsc
tieut. DeIsuare, Rhode Island sno ~ .es
Dissrict of Columbia TOR buiidlnR -
milss 81 Standard Raxe rhslroso Nssn
borrowed MONEY!
70 the forsgoine ths WsiIs WaIis
Unjos replies - follows;
Ths baet answer IL that the ConRrtss
- ~ Unit q S<afes agreed 70 Rivs the
ier6 for re road. In 1854 Congress Or
e~nixsd 4 corporation. named = sne
Northrrn Paoi1e Railroad Company,
cave 4 certain rights and px1ystc9
ana arrsed 70 rive it . specified nnmper
81 seres 81 land Il il would build rail-
rad from Lake 3oporior " foeet
sound. TIE proposed road vss - pen.
eerafe 4 eountry the greater paxt q
whion - unknown, which - niiso
win hostile Indiana, and - devoid q
aeffIsrv . the sahara Degort. NO. oniy
did TIE Company undertake 70 build me
road. bat Il undertook 70 peopts tne
wiIderneea. when Is entered upon ~
rndertakinos the Nation vas ~ . oeAsn
e1rupals With ske most gigantic rspei-
Ion recorded In history. IL bonds we're
deureciated over one-haif their face
value. ana the outlook for the future
prosperisy and perpetuity OF sne Nation
~ e Che darkness Of death. MOI
dxunsed BY che HAsional sisuafioss the
uromsters Of tbs project Suffered upon
the labor Of procuring fluids 70 pfose
cusA the work. Success crowned tuslf
efforts. and great pxogress vas rnane ~
the binding Of the road until tho panic
az 1878 cent the company into oank-
ruptcv. II was years before tho com'
RAINY was again in condition % procure
mouey with which to prosecute con-
sfruction. Then the proRress Of con-
struction was blocked ~ Indian rescs-
vatioue. and for several years hostile
tribes made IL Impossible 10 make sne
usesuary surveys. The army nnsiiy
sshdued the hostile Indians. and Con
creae. ii 1851, opened the way thr0uRn
their rssersat,ons. These facts form
sxouesa enough for not completing sne
road within the TINS hxed by the grant
inc not and is amendments, and en-
ssndinc tbs time for It's final cosrpis-
ton.
Congress agreed 10 give the isna for
the road under certain conditions. The
main conditions we're shat che road
shouid follow the moss direct route 70
PUGET Sound; that work should Be
commenced within certain specified
time that Il should be prosecuted dill
gently and continuously and be com
p,ssed in twelve years from date Of
charter. Not ono Of the conditions
was complied with. No work was done
upon the road for six years after the
charter was granted. II did not pens-
trate Q hostile country. All Indian
troubles we're settled long In advance Of
ths advent OF the railroad. Up 10 1873
ii had built but 40 miles westward from
its eastern end. Indians never inter
fered with the construction Of the rail-
road. The " promoters OF the project /"
never put up any money 10 build the
road. Not until 1870 was mile built.
The war had been over for ave years
and the country vas, during that time,
exceptionally prosperous. The panic OF
1879 was precipitatsd by the misman-
aesment Of Northern Pacific finances
under Jay Cooke. The company was
baskrupted because over $4,000. 600
had been expended In building two iso-
lated sections of railroad--in all $50
miles--the earnings OF which we're in
sufficient 10 pay interest ON such an
enormous outlay. The panic was not
responsible for Jay Cookies failure. bat
siee Versa. The progress Of construction
never was blocked by Indian reserva-
tions. Not q day was lost thereby nor
by hostile Indians.
The Northern Pacific Railroad has
not " peopled the wilderness" On the
contrary, 10 has extended ia line mainly
through country penetrated and set-
tied for quarter Of a century. II has
Joiieseed not preceded immigration. II
has constructed 1900 miles Of railroad
since 1879. II IL today building q rail-
road through section OF country set
tied before lie charter was granted.
Within radius of fifty miles from the
road now building this side the Cas-
cades are 1000 people.
The land grant should DO forfeited
"a because Il has mot been earned ca
because the company has not in good
faith tried TO earn II 1; tS) because by
no act Of the company, but solely
through lapse Of time, the granted
Ia, d. remaining unearned have become
vastly more valuable than In 1875, when
the road was 10 have been completed
90 because its continuance IL mani
testify q hindrance 10 the growth and
prosperity Of shis Territory; CO.. be.
sasss. under present conditions. q gift,
however iustinabie In 1864. 10 now con.
tinued without adequate consideration
t6) because Il 10 aiding 10 establish and
render imprcRnabie 10 successful CON-
petition . monopoly Of rail transposta.
sion in this Territory ca because the
Northern Pacific Railroad 10 operated
and It's land grant Ia being used, tc
further the purposes OF certain favored
stockholders and tovnsite speculators
10 the injury Of industrious and self.
helpful communities, and because ID ID
openly aud officially announced that
this policy 10 20 be continued inden.
niteiy; go because no land grant ID
now needed 10 bald railroads in thi.
Territory; 60 because neither this MOI
any other railroad corporation should
be permitted &c escape the results Of
neRlecs and bad faith which in all case.
between the Governmens and privas.
estizens. are fatal 30 the acquisition Of
title 10 public lands; tiol because Z
righteous public sentiment all over The
United States uniies in demanding I
strict construction Of land grant act,
and the enforcement Of the condition,
therein in accordance with well-sesslss