Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-11-26
RAILROAD BEGINNINGS.

RAILROAD BEGINNINGS.
The system Of King Csuaty-lts Csst.
Mileage. Presesf and Fsssre
Tr.me. ese.
The railroad system il King county Is
one of considerable magnitude nov, and
Of rising importance IL 10 tbs largest
enterprise In the county, and is doing
more TO increase and sustain the RopG-
lation than any other. Aside from the
value Of the real estate held by the cor
psrations. they have railroad propertie Q
in the county ARRfe9ating about s.. coo, :
600. These properties consist Of the
tracks, vharves, dspots, bankers, shops
rolling stock. etc.
TIE COLUMBIA AND PUGET SOUND.
The main stem Of the system is the
Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad,
which has its headquarters at Seattle,
and has proved of untold advantage to
thecity. 1t has constructed large docks,
bankers, depot buildings, machine shops
and other structures, and is nov at work
upon another csal incline. which will
give il q capacity for loading four YES
| sells at the same time. The properties
of this com pany amount in value 70
| 81, 5OO, 900, much of which is in this city
| The line operated BY the G. 4 p. 8. Ce.
/ is shout fifty miles long, including the
/ branches and side tracks The rolling
stock consists Of l3e coal cars, 20 fat
| cars, 3 caboose cars, a coach and 3 en-
gines. All the cars are bailt in this city
and the engines are kept in good repair
at the Company's shops. or the coal
cars. 30 are large ones, carving Is tons
each, and the Company are manufsctur-
ing nov this kind only, the smaller ones
having gone out Of favor. The condi-
ton of the entire road is better now
than il has ever been since its COMPILE
ton. To Mr.. T. J. Miner. the present
Superintendent, is due the credit for
this excellent state of things. Last
month was the best one the road has
experienced. The coal transported was
about 5000 tons. while the greatest
previous months haul was $500 tons.
Besides the transportation of coal the
Comp any realizes from $1,000 to 5000
per month frsm the freight and passen
ger trade, which is steadily increasing
along its line.
Since the opening of the mines and
the completion of the road, towns have
sprung up at different points. until nov
We have Newcastle, Rsnton, Black Dia
mond Cedar Mountain. franklin, Denny
and Coal Creek, ag2reeating about 300
Inhabitants. These people are nearly
all producers, and as such they are help
ing and advancing the common wealth
a. only producers can. E
The employees Of the Company in this
city number about $50 men, who receive
over 5000 monthly as wages. The en-
tire pay roll amounts to about $4,000
per month. Many of the men employed
have families, Who derive from this
so1roe their means Of support. The
road has carrying capacity of $1,000
tons of coal per month, and upon the
completion of the new incline and the
looked for improvement in the coal
trade. an increase in the already great
benefit to our community may be ex-
pected. The docks and GOAL wharves
are large and substantial structures,
and add much to the appearance Of
the place and to the real wealth of the
city.
The stock of the Columbia and Puget
Sound Railroad Company is held by
the Oregon Improvement Company, and
to this latter company belong the mines
at Newcastle. Coal Creek and Franklin.
The o. l. Co. also owns the Pacific
Coast Railroad and the Pacific Coast
Steamship line.
The officers of the Columbia 4 Puget
Sound Railroad Company are as follows:
President, Elijah Smith; Vice President,
A. A. Denny; Secretary and Treasurer,
W. r. Thornell; superintendent, i. j.
Miner. These officers, together with
Bailey Gatzert, constitute the Board OF
Director
THE PUGET SOUND SHORE LINE
IL operating "a miles of standard gage
road from here to Stuck Junction. This
road runs for ten miles along the same
bed as the G. i p. 3. X. to Black river,
when 1t turas to the south and runs
almest straight through the White river
valley, one of the best agricultural dis
triots in the Territory. This road meets
at Stuck junction a seven mile branch
Of the Northern Pacific Railroad. And
this little branch is the Orphan Road"
The way that name was applied ia as
follows: An arrangement had been made
by which the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company was to build the road as far
as Stuck junction, and the Puget Sound
Shore Line was organized to complete
the road to Seattle. The N. p. Co. built
the road a. agreed. and it was then dis
covered that 1t had no right to build
ssch branches. 1t owned the road. bat
had no legal claim other than q lien.
The road was therefore dubbed the
Orphan" Its business is increasing
steadily, and promises further increase
in the near future. The rolling stock
in use at present is leased from the
Oregon Railway h Navigation Company.
The value of the company's track is es-
timated at $750,000. A side track ia
being bailt 10 the City Dock, and an
other is expected to be built to Yesler's
wharf. This will be great advastaee,
as freight for the lower Sound ports can
bs transported with much less hand
ling. The officers and managers Of the
p. 5. s. Line are about the same as those
of the G. & p. S. X. Co. The stock Of
the Puget Sound Shore Line Ia held by
the Oregon aud Transcontinenta Com
pany.
This latter company bears a peculiar
relation to the entire railroad system OF
the Northwest. II was organized by
Henry Willard and his associates for the
cARhcss pDoC VI tuc ANbtta-
ern Pacific, the Oregon Railway 4 Nav
igation and the Oregon Improvement
Companies. 1t expected to furnish funds
and build branches for all of these CON
panies. The property Of this D. L. I.
Co. consists of this short Puget Sound
Shore Line TO Stuck Junction. q number
of other branches along the Northern
Pacific, and vast amount OF stock and
bonds in the N. r. Co., the .. Il. & N.
Co, the U. l. Co. and other corporations.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
The Northern Pacific Railroad Com
| % ny has p miles OF road in this county.
which cost about f600, 200. Only three
miles of this road are bsing used. Il is
that portion Of the Orphan Road from
Stuck to the Pierce county line. The
rest Of the road In this county il the
I uncomrleted Cascade branch. Orders
have been issaed By the Board of Dr.
reo.ofs for work TO be resumed on the
| y IA al 49,