Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-01
DAILY -lNTEluGENCfR


coro,essroan George. OF Oregon N
,..s,, interview with represen'a'i's
=, the Portland Chronicle, was asksa az
or;n;on of the lease Of the Oregon nan
r.v and Navigation Company 70 TIE
no,,hsyn Pacific, and of It's effect upon
tha Welfare of the Northwest. dis re
ply is reported as follows;
I,ui uerrnanent it preserves sys
-. nov existing, which ramlnes va
Nortb and connects Portland S.tn %
poni Had the Union Peclhc oo'aineo
1870, il would have coppeAeo 'ae
Gn.La,r Pacific either - come W
49, With the Union Pac!he or bniio =
SnnIicste line down the Othet s'ue Vi
III proInnohia 10 meet at Portland tbeiI
49, f,orn the Sound, or else nsS al"
aInsnsiye road across the Cascaoos ~
Puget Sound.
Nothing can be deduced from the
above but the conclusion that, by 90
tanning the coveted lease, the Sor'herH
Pacific has avoided the Necessity Of con
s,,nctino "a new and expensive route
o.,oas the Cascades TO Puget Sound
Sucb v. believe was the intent OF ihh'
company in procuring the lease Snch
will he the result Of Its executions. We
suooested the other day that, WITH shiS
lease in hand. there was no immediate
necessity resting upon the Northern "a
ci6o to complete it, Cascade branch
Pvsyv movement made by that company
lint confirms the impression that Its sole
aim with respect To the Cascade diVision
ia In obtain a valuable portion OF th'
land grant in aid Of its constructioh
that il is now building and only insehd'
TO construct it's road to the base OF tht
Casc,des on each side, leaving the mo4'
costly portion for completion when IL
the future business will, IN the opinion
of it's management, justify the heavy
outlay necessary Oh the mountain sec
ton.
Meanwhile, however, it will, by con
struction of the comparatively mex
pensi,e portions from Ainsworth west
ward, tap the grain producing valleys
no which it's line extends. and lay clam
70 over 100000 acres Of public lands
worth more than the cost Of Its road
All the grain of these valleys viii b
taken To tide water via the Colurabis
river. On this side the mountains, b,
the same method OF procedure, thu
Northern Pacific will strive TO gain pos
session of an equal additional area o.
the best coal and timber lands in thu
Territory. What Is to induce or com
Del 1t to complete the road after Thu
result has been achieved Not neces
sity, for by leasing the D. IL. d N. Coz
lines it has a reliable and perpetua
outlet to the ocean. Not greed for the
remainder of its land grant, for the
lands opposite such unoompleted por'
tiuns are not OF sufficient value to jus
tify the large expenditure required fol-
connection of the two sections, both Of
which, as local roads and feeders r.
its main line, would undoubtedly b.
self-supporting and quickly profitable
What then The interest Of the Taco
ma Land Company Even that woulc
not be materially subserved by direc
line over the mountains, IL, as is alleged
the grain crop of Eastern Washington
can be as cheaply hauled to Puge
Sound via the Columbia river.
There il atunnel about two miles lonI
TO be driven through the summit on tn
Stampede pass. II will occupy at leas
two years in construction, working iron
both ends. IL IL the intention of tn
company TO build up TO tbs tunnel oI
both ends and then wait two years h
bore hole through That would be I
queer way of hurryine work. We dom
believe the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company intends TO complete the Gas
cade branch within the next ten years
Every indication negatives the promises
of it's officers.