Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-08
DAILY POST-INTEllGENCtR.


Company built a railroad from Taco
ma to Wiikeson. Il WAS ostensihlv the
commencement of a Projected line OF
railroad FROM Puget Sound TO a lnnc-
ton with the main line On the Columbia
River east of the Cascade maintains
In other words, IT IVES assu Led 10 oe
part of the Cascade tr.ncn u 'ue
Northern Pacific Railroad, 70 he built
via Matches Pass. Actually, II VIE
built and intended merely rs coal
road 10 tue Wilkeson mines. At the
time the map WAS fled, Novemtef -.
1876, upon which the Withdrawal OF
lands WAS based, no survey OF Matches
Pass had ever BEEN made by the North
err Pacific Railroad Company. The
purpose Of fling the map was to claim
land under the grant Of Congress to
said company. This road Is thirty one
miles long, and the entire line Is wthin
the limit. Of lands claimed to be earned
by said company by building road
from kaIana to Tacoma. Two or three
Years after wards branch from this
line WAS built to CarbJngd). THIS was
constructed for similar purpose, /. -
to transport coal from Inines at that
point to Tacoma. Last year another
branch was constructed TO Stuck River
leaving the Wilkoson road Al point
about ten miles east of Tacoma. ms
line il about ton miles lsng. rlnnine
north With it connection IL projected
by the Puget Sound Shore Line Rail
road Company.
The Northern Pacific Company as
sumes its right TO select lands claimed
To be earned by the building Ut this
Wilkeson road (and branches, We be
Ii ,ve,) from territory north OF that
road, or, in other words, in King coan-
ty. That IL to say, for the building OF
that thirty one miles of coal road from
Tacoma to without refer
ence to the branches mentiOned-the
Northern Pacific Company demands
from King county 1860 acres Of its
c)ai, timber and agricultural lands.
The average value of these lands. at IA
low estimate, cannot he less than SIC
per acre. In lrief, AZ the oass now
stands, the people OF King county are
expected to give up lands IN the heart OF
the county worth not less than 81 $50,
OOO. For whatl For tho sole purpose of
subsidizing an opposition coal road
from Wilkeson to Tacoma. Not mile
of this road lies within our county lin
it's. Not a mile of the Cascade branch,
If extended via Matches Pass. will ever
be taxable for the benefit of our people.
Are these benefits? Is not the action,
and are not the claims of this company
high handed and monstrously uHiustI
Nearly all the lands. the best lands Of
King county, have been withdrawn from
public occupation, on account of the
several claims of this fostering benefac-
tor, since 1870. Before each abandon
ment of projected lines WAS suffered 10
operate, another map Of different To-
cation would be filed and another with
arawal order issued from the head Of
fioe of the company. in the Interior De-
partnent at Washington. Are we ex-
pected to tamely submit TO an indef
mite continuance Of these methodist
The Northern Pacific Railroad est ID
lished its main line via the Columbia
River Valley and Portland To Tacoma.
making that city the terminus of said
line, in July. 1873. Previously it had
filed two maps of this main line. One
WIS filed August l3, 1870, which extend.
cd north from Portland 10 the north
line Of township 70 north ,six miles
north OF this city,. Another map, filed
February I. 1872, extended this line to
BrlIisgham Bay. Under these nearly
all land from the south line Of King
county, between the Cascade mountains
aud Puget Sound, WAS claimed by that
company. When il finally determined
to stop ut Tacoma instead of Belling.
ham Bay these lands were forfeited. II
filed August 10, 1873, n nap of branch
via Skaeit Pass. In 1876 this was absn-
doned, and the Matches Pass route was
selected, which. as We have stated, does
not run within the limits of this county.
and which Is overlapped for 40 miles on
its western end by the claim of the CON-
pany for lands earned by construction
Of the road from Portland TO Tacoma.
What shadow Of justice is there in the
claim made by the company to locate
lands IN lieu thereof north Of this coal
read line Under what pretense does
II assume to still withhold from occu-
patton large portion of the most val.
liable land III this county We are
tIld that If the grant IN aid of the Cas-
o.de branch Is declared forfeited that
road will not be built. IL the policy
thus pursued BY this 50 called benefac-
tor, this benevolent monopoly, is to be
followed up, We hope it never will be-.
IL King county is to be stripped of her
resources. her timber and coal lands, to
build railroad. not mile Of which
posses through her territory and which
is openly asserted is to be operated
against her interests, shall We 50 stul,i.
" ourselves as To promote the robteryy
We have thus far been compelled to
contribute about Ss.0O0,oOC for n miles
OF An OPPOSITE II coal road At this
rate. how much will be left 10 oar p,o-
pie by the time this philanthrop,c men
dicant extends its road tn the top Of the
mountains?
hing county has u coal road of ia
swn, and can build others when re-
quired. We have even offered a bonus
TO- company Ia aid in building a coal
road to Green river. At least il an
pears AT present that such is to he tn.
only outcome. But while We can afford
To give o. an honest company x,oO
subsidy per rifle for railroad to be
located and operated in our county. and