, 1888-05-24

you question me about. and wrote him a
letter assuring him that 80 tar from inter-
fering with the Spokane IL Northern, we
should be glad to give 1t every encourage
lnent."
.Would you have any objection to the
publication of these letters?"
81 have no objection to the publication
Of mine, but viii not give you Mr.. New
berry's for publication"
Mr.. Mcdonald then handed over the fol-
lowing letter, with permission that 1t be
published:
PRECEDENT M'DoNALp's LETTER.
SsALrLx, LAKE SHORE & EASTERN
RAILWAY COMPANY.
SEATrLK. W. r., May IL, 1888. }
A. A. Newberry. Esq. President spokane
Falls X. r. Co., Spokane Falls, w. t.:
DEAR SIR--Your valuable favor OF the
take is, as understand 1t, as follows:
First--That yourself and some of your
friends have made survey from Spokane
Falls to the Columbia river.
Second-That you claim the exclusive
right to build line of railway through the
country between Spokane Falls and Col
vile.
Third--That your organization possesses
. capital to- successfully and speedily build
that line OF railway.
Fourth-That by reason OF the parties in
terested in your organization having sub
scribed TO the capital stock of the Seattle,
Lake Shore & Eastern railway company,
such subscription imposes an obligation
upon our company to avoid the territory
which you propose to occupy.
Fitth--That IL would bean act of discour-
tssy or injustice to the people of Spokane
Falls or any of the subscribers for our COM
pAny to build branch line from Spokane
Falls northwaraly to Colville, or the
Columbia river, and
Sixth-That you demand from us posi-
a
an answer to your questions. whether We
propose to interfere with yourself or the
.itizens of Spokane Falls in the matter of
che Spokane Falls q Northern railway
company
Referring to the above I would res
pectfully state, first, that branch from
Spokane Falls to Colville was one OF the
system Of railways projected by this COM
pauy Tin the event OF building to spokane
FalIs) from the first inception. When we
commenced our preliminary survey last
March we were not aware that your COM
pany had made any surveys; in fact your
company was organized after we had COM
menced these surveys, and the location
which you claim Is now going on in the
line Of perfection OF the works com
menced before. / have heard for the
past year that surveys were being made
between Spokane Falls and Colvllle, and
was informed that they were really made
in the interests Of the Northern Pacific X.
r. Co.
Second, respectfully maintain that
know no agreement, either direct or i'm
piled. which would prevent our company
from entering the territory in question,
and in the absence of such agreement it
Is manifestly as much our right as that OF
any other corporation to build into that
country.
Third-You can certainly not accuse me
OF impoliteness when state that have no
In xxxyl loflt vrh 10 afnyn tn tha nf
your company TO speedily construct this
line Of railway, nor can consistently de-
nand any such Information in the absence
any negotiations which would justify
ne question on the part OF this company.
Fourth-I am confident you are under a
misapprehension In regard TO this question.
As understand 1t your citizens made the
subscri ption in question for the purpose of
determining Spokane Falls as the present
terminus OF the Seattle, Lake Shore, d
Eastern Railway, and as an inducement to
this COMPANY to construct from Spokane
Falls westerly not only for the purpose of
expediting connection between your city
and Puget Sound, but to give Spokane
Falls q competitive line into the Big Bend
country, and practically an independent
ton of the Eastern and Western divisions
OF our road. | think am entirely within
the truth when l state that it was not the
intention of any one OF all the subscribers
that this subscription was for the purpose
of debarring us from entering any terri
Tory 1t might be necessary for us to occupy.
Fifth-The interests of the Seattle, Lake
Shore 81 Eastern railway company and the
citizens of Spokane Falls, are, in my OF in.
ion SO intimately associated and identified
that the benefits To the citizens of Spokane
Falls would certainly be at least co-exten
sivs with those of this company. Assum
ing for the sake Of argument that the city
of Spokane Falls, as a municipal body. ol
all of its citizens individually were interest
cd In the building Of this road, II could only
be SO to meet that pressing necessity for al
outlet to the Canadian Pacific railway, anc
because there was no other alternative. IL
such q movement the direct benefits in tn,
way OF operating such railroad woul(
surely be secondary To the interest each cit
izeu felt in the development Of his particu
lar busines on the one hand and the pros
perity Of the city generally on the other
hence our decision to build to Colville
should We decide 20 do so, should certainl,
be hailed by the citizens of Spokane Fall
With enthusiastic delight and satisfaction
becsuve Il would relieve them OF = very sc
rious drain upon their financial resources
Furthermore, It would be conceded by
snvone at all familiar with the
upjeveloped condition Of the county be
tween Spokane Falls and tn Columbis
river northwsrdly that 1t would take many
years before our Independent branch line
could pay any dividends upon its capital
stock, and several years before Il could pay
~ nxed charges and operating expenses
and frankly confess that should DC ouiid