Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-08
CHICAGO
And che Tramscontinental Trade OF the
Future.
Northwestern Lumbermnn.l


Northwestern Lumberman.
The San Francisco press is complain
ing that the Northern Pacific railroad is
diverting business from that city, and
taking il eastward to Chicago, st. Paul
aud Minneapolis. 1t is asserted that
such rates are being made TO induce the
shipment of wheat eastward from Wash
ington aud Oregon, when it formerly
went to Portland and San Francisco.
Where the farm products go, the mer-
chandise trade follows, 50 that it is likely
that the north Pacific coast and ada
cent interior will eventually trade more
with this city, st. Paul and Minneapolis
than with Portland or San Francisco.
This is only what might have been ex-
pecsed. The Northern Pacific WAS built
on purpose for traffic. Ii was designed
to traverse the grazing lands of Eastern
Washington and Oregon by its feeders,
and the wheat lands as we'll, and convey
as many cattle, aud as much grain As
possible to Eastern markets. Ii cannot
be expected that the products of the
the soil and the pastures of the trans
Rocky mountain region will continue to
90 TO the Atlantic seaboard or Europe by
the eircuitouh route of the Horn and
Isshmus when there is rail communion
ton that will convey IL, at the same or
less cost. and quickly. to its destination.
Time is money. in this age of dispatch,
aad slow route. except for products not
subject 10 market fluctuations, cannot
successfully compete with rapid trans
por,ation. Oar Pacific coast neighbors
have not vet felt tas full force of the
eastward tendency. Within a few
years other companies, like the Chicago
4 Northwestern, the Chicago Il Rock
Island, and the Chicago. Burlington X
Quincy. will be feeling among the Rocky
mountains with their steel fingers for
passages % the Pacific. About every
trunk railroad, with a VI stward tenden
cy out Of this city, - pointing toward the
Pacific, the powerful magnet of that
mineral and agricultural region drawing
them with force thai they cannot re-
sis.. These signs of the times are si2nifi-
cant. They point to the prospect that
the great center Of commerce, as well as
population, Is 20 be right here in Chicago.
The hub that the railroad magnates
wrought cot here vas for the insertion
of spokes that we're designed 10 reach
| farther than the Rocky mountains, as
events proved. Already one touches the
Pacific at San Francisco, with branch
10 Portland (the Oregon Short Linel;
another strikes Portland and Puget
Saand. for the Northern Pacific has its
terminus practically in this city. Anoth-
ar goes down into Mexico TO the capital
| city, while another reaches the Mexican
Pacific coast az Gsaymas, on the Calf OF
CALIFORNIA;. IL 10 evident thai the CON-
| nercial center of this country IL not 80
| be on she Atlantic, nor vet on the Pacific
| The coast cities will be the mouths
through which foreign produce will be
i fed 10 the great interior-portals oat OF
| such things a. We expoyt viii 60 to for.
eion ports. The great digestive and cir
culatory apparatus will be within the
BODY OF the country, and the heart viii
be Chicago. Thsre will be great eitlss
On the Pacific coast: there 10 one sacl
now. But they cannot but expect teal
the tendency OF agricultural prodncf'
viii be mainly To the eastward Thu
fruits of the Pacific coast viii be lsrgel,
consumed in what are now called TIA.
Northwestern States. The salmon ane
other ash products will come tkis way
and 50 will the grains. the meats and th'
wool. In time lumber viii take tbs sana'
course.