Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-08
TEE NORTHERN PACING AND ~ GET
ssGxD IIMEER.
chicago Lumbermsn

q directors Of the Northern Pacific
railroad, which fsyOrs the ease oi
the oregon Railway & Navigation
CoBpaBy's lines il Oregon, b4s much
significance ia reference % the Puget
Sound lumber Trade. The CONTROL
Jog influence 10 both railway con-
panies will he against The completion
If the Cascade extension. which
would give the Northern Pacific &
terminus on the Sound a. Tacoma,
80 that Portland will remain the
Pacific coast terminus Of the system
The directors are opposed 10 the
Cascade extension becagse they do
not wish to incur any floating iBdebi-
ed ness FOR such q work. that would
require about s., 100. 000, since q tun-
Del must be bored through point in
The Cascade range, and much heavy
work on the line u necessary
This altitude Of the Northern
Pacific Company indefinitely delays
the completion Of & direct eastward
outlet for Puget Sound lumber into 4
vide extent of prairie, grain and
cattle raising territory. Eastern
Washington would he q great market
for Puget Sound lumber, II il could
be reached by railroad The Cascade
extension was looked forward to
with lively expectation as the de
sired outlet For the past two years
work has been going forward on the
line, and cars have been running on
its eastern portion for some time,
connecting with the main line al
Ainsv orih. II this road had been
speedily completed. the foreign de
msnd for Puget Sound lumb Der would
have been supplemented by an im-
mense requirement from the great
spokane prairie region, which Is
rapidly filling up with settlers. The
nearer by rich Yakima valley would
also call for larger and Increasing
amount OF lumber. Bat, according
TO present appearances, ii will be
4 number OF years before the North
ern Pacific affords the desired outlet.
The people Of the Puget Sound re-
gion are justified in being thorough
~ exasprraied al the way affairs have
larned. II they DO something that
will wake up the Northern Pacific
management and make it understand
that there Is 8 disposition on Puget
Sound that cannot be trifled xith, no
one need be surprised. The people
Of Washington Territory should see
TO it that the Northern Pacific does
not reap the benefit Of is land grant
along the Cascade branch.
II can be easily seen that President
Smith, Of the Oregon Railway x
Navigation Company. and those ia.
,erested with him, do not intend that
The main Pacific coast terminus shall
be on Puget Sound, but al Portland.
Their interests all lie against the
Cascade branch. Judging from ap-
peaTaDces the time is somewhat dis
TAFT when Tacoma will be the ter
minai city par excellence, and Seattle
can find some consolation for a lack
OF direct eastward ontIet in its
chuckle over the disappointment of
its rival.
The Union Pacific now has OPP Or-
tnniiy 10 capture the Puget Sound
trade by extending its shot line to
that body Of water. II the Sound
people could thus form a connection
with the Union Pacific il would give
them better lumber market than
the Northern Pacific. The onion
Pacific now has 4 harrow gage line
extending northward through Idaho
to Butte, and the prospect Is that 1t
will be converted into a standard
gage, and extended 10 Helena. Mon
lana. This would open up q vast
held for lumber distribution in Idaho
and Montana. Besides, eastern Ore.
gon Is filling up with inhabitants
who will want lumber for all time to
come. The Puget Sound manufac.
tnrers and business men should ioin
hands in telling endeavor to induce
the Union Pacific to extend the Ore.
gon Short Line TO the Sound. There
Is. too, q nice plum OF lumber trade
In Utah. now being plucked by Ore,
gon mill men. and the Pacific coast
trade Is likely TO be extended 10
Colorado. Wyoming and farther east.
The Union Pacific system would af.
ford Puget Sound as good a market
Tor lumber, and Ia respect of extent.
better, than the Northern Pacific.
IL would serve the latter right IL her
path should be crossed by the Union
Pacific in Oregon or Washington,
which could pick up the advantages
on the Sound that the Northern Paei-
&c has neglected.
IL Is possible that side issue Of
the Northern Pacific in stopping
work on the Cascade branch Is TO
give lis child. the Montana Improve
nent Company, q continuance of the
monopoly Of the lumber trade from
bismarck TO Walla Walls. Big prices
for Pend d 0reille lumber Justify
Dig freight rates. which may be as
profitable, in thu eyes Of the sstute
managers OF the Northern Pacific, a.
hauling lumber over the Cascade
range.