The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-01
sEATTLEs ROAD. /"
IT LINES EAFIpLY BvILDIx6 NORTH,
EAST AND WEST

SEAIiLES ROAD
IT LINES RAPIDLY BvILDTx6 NORTH,
KAsT AND WEST.
Though one OF the newest railroad
( corporations in the territory, the
Seattle. Lake Shore & Eastern has al
ready risen to the third place in the
matter of mileage, and its rec.rd is 50
far enviable in the extreme. The com
pany had it. origin among a handful
OF citizens ia 1855, the number inclnd-
T ing j. X. Mcdonald, its president: d.
H. Gilman yiee-preadent, manager
and moving spirit. and the new Chief
/ Justice ThOs Burke. attorney. These
men, with few Others, gave the enter
prise time and money. They talked
and wrote. bonded lands. interested
Eastern capitalists and finally got the
road started. In January, lss7 they
we're so far along as 10 order their
rails from England, and to have their
3 locating engineers in the field. In
/ February two five mile construction
contracts were let, followed By q 30
mile contract in April. a 13-mile con-
tract in May. and i0-nile contract in
September During lSs7 construction
was completed upon the first . miles
of road and formal operations began
During 1888 the sections of road, 50
miles before referred 10. were all COM
pleted and in addition "A more were
put under way. and all com
pieted but one l0-mile section upon
which work is now in active
progress. No other company has ever
built in Western Washington 50 rap
idly as has the Seattle, Lake Shore e
Eastern. All the plans OF the COM
pany have been the result of shrewd,
careful fOrethought, and all its opera
bous have succeeded as planned. The
importance OF this country was seen,
ana the cOntemptuous neglect with
which i was treated no'ed. There was
field here 10 the north and east
which no railroad company apparently
valued, There was iron. coal, timber
wheat and other products to carry.
but no road 10 carry them. The trade
OF a large town, destined to become a
great CITY, was disregarled and re-
PEELED. The conditions all favored oc.
cupancy % the field, and the new
company proceeded at once 10 take
possession and cultivate H.. They have
done this assiduously. with the result
that the best Of feeling prevails every
where towards them. The first law
suit has yet 10 be brought against the
company, while en- the contrary the
advent OF the road is hailed with I'M
feigued satisfaction at every point.
IT. rates for transportation are the
lowest, and its facilities in every re-
spect equal 10 the best Seattle. as its
terminus. has helped the road inn
menseiy, while il is no less
true that the road has benefited
the city. beyond computation. Its
benefits in fact. have been far-reach-
ing; not only directly increasing the
population and wealth, but indirectly
having their effect upon other railroad
corporations, encouraging other Lusi-
ness enterprises, and assuring for all
time Seattle's commercial supremacy
IN the North Pacific.
- L. 5. s r. LINES.
The company has conceived and in
auguratcd the construction not of one
line but of many lines. Those in course
OF construction viii he briefly described
IN the following paragraphs:
sSoQUALNtE BRANCH.
4 MS atANNN AlAt llAfAA INT at - point
. miles from Seattle. and extends
southeast 10 miles. On the way il runs
through the rich valley of the Samam-
ish, into coal lands OF the best charac-
ter. past the famous fails OF the Sno-
qualmje, and on towards the iron
mines IN the Snoqunlmie pass. near
the summit ut the Cascade mountains.
only Is miles more road being required
IN rsHaefs fkas .Anlr-a.f.aa
branch must In the future he an at
;faEtiyu one Ia toufi,ts. Raining
IN nv miles along the lake.. through
lovely country. past the falls ard on
into tsiC mountains, it j. possessed OF
Sceu,c beauties of the highest order.
This section of ruad il also destined
@ cnfny aa enormous traffic. In
deed, it ha, aireasly entered upon II. 10
c'rrled out $1,000 tons of coal in iSSs
"a q '8utty almost certain TO be trebled
cf wa i-upied IN iSS9 and greatly in
creased thereafter. A large tYslic IN
agricultural products, in timber. in
general merchandise and ia the trans
pnrtsti0n 1T passengers has also arisen.
and ia which for isS9 i viii Re safe To
double the figures of iSs> The heavy
hsals on this road wii all be down
rraie-irou the mountain 30 the sea.
once al the summit il will BE- easy
enough Il the company 50 elects, 70 40
down he eastern slope into the valleys
OF hitlilas aud Yakima counties
rHE sroEkNE ItSE.
This viii probably he the main line
Of the future. The route leaves the
present northern branch st a point Is
miles from seattle, or about the Sao-
howi~h county line, courses the sno-
uuaimie river and valley. runs MP the
>Sy konl FtgeF Ia the summit OF the
Cascade mountains. goes through the
pass 10 which the SKI kopaiSh anu We
uatehee rivers head, down the valley
at the latter stream ~ the Colun -
river. aGu thence across the BIZ Bend
coaHtrv g. Spokane. Foytv-live miles
ol this Foad were butt during the past
sunaTaef HHd faf. ir1ua Spuksne west.
which section sll be lsuEiheneti over
100 rifle ia 1883 Nhea 70 NiI reach
TIE eastern bank ot the Coiuu bia
river. Nork wiu De simultaneously
prosecuted vest OF the Cascade. and
10 IS iD,Cut5ef 70 have tie who's
lire completed In $500 his iiae viii
H. lust aHuut s - miles long. from -
attic q SPa garc. The Northern Faci
&c from Spokane To Tacoma j. 40t
ialscs long aui from Spokane 70 Sc
atiles hy way VI Payaliup, sg6 miles.
As Ntti te seen al a g.1uce Il vii, lessen
the distance g. Spokane and all Y,aiuts
east o. that ISIS mites. an ADVANTAGE
Tor the rev Tuuie that cannot be over
estimated. IL Vii nor oBly Re shorter
from >eattie bgt it vii be about =
MILES shorter - Tacoma even. ard o.
al points IN Southwestern Washing
ton. tAan by the Northern Paestic VITA
Tacoma. While L all ~ ever leo miles
shorter 70 Port Townsend, Victoria.