The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-01
Successive Measures of Self
Defense Reviewed.
Won at Last by Cooperation and
Pure Grit.
Again Proved that No Private Interest
Can Prevail Against Natural Advant-
ages, Developed By IntsIiigen. and
Persistent Enort.

This day, New Years day OF 1890. new
schedule OF railroad rates goes into effect
upon the Northern Pacific for the transpor-
tation of wheat 10 Seattle. This announces
ment. simpleIn itself is the last spike driven
in completed highway Of commerce begun
in the necessities of struggling conrmun-
ity and terminating in triumphant pros
persty. For seventeen years Seattle has
been engaged in acivil conflict unparalleled
in commercial history. Cities have sprung
np all over the country and prospered as
the teTmini of lines of railroads which
poured the prouucts of empires al their
feet. but no community in the Old or New
World can show such victory of indomi-
table determination over the most stub
bornly sustained efforts 70 repreSs it
The Northern Pacific railroad has prob
ably now abandoned forever that policy of
discrimination against Seattle which must
have driven il back into the ohscurity Of a
mushroom city but for the sublime cour-
age and energy of her people. lie would be
an untimely resurrection of the dead TO re-
vive the bitter memories OF the past, bat
upon the day of annual retrospection il
may be permitted TO glance back at the
road the city has traversed and relate to
her later generation OF dwellers the roman
tic and thrilling story of her early struggles.
The Northern Pacific company, which
was chartered in 1854 TO open up the little
known wilderness of the Great Northwest,
was munifcentiy endowed by congress
with q grant of 100000 acres of land,
reached the boundary OF Washington about
1870, and the following year construction
northward from the Columbia river was
begun at kaiama. The company was re-
Quired by its charter 10 construct twenty
five miles the first year and forty miles
each subsequent year. As the engineers
pushed twenty-five miles up the Cowlitz
valley. heading for Puget sound, swifter
messengers sought ont q suitable location
for terminal point upon the Sound shore.
Aspiring cities were stimulated 10 outrun
each other for the prize by competitive Of
fers OF generous subsidy. From Budd's
inlet 10 Bellingham bay public enthusiasm
was aroused; Steilacoom We'd with Muk-
iiteo and Olympia bid against Whatcom,
but while each strained its endeavors to the
utmost with hearty good will. nature
seemed To point TO Seattle as the inevitable
choice Her exceptional aud incompara-
BILE advantages as the common gateway of
the Alaskan seas, the British possessions
and the contributing Sound drew COM
merce 10 her whafves with magnet-like at
traction.
The secret history OF the Northern Pa
ciiic reveals preponderance of opinion
among its directors in favor OF selecting
Seattle as the future metropolis OF the
newly unfolding empire, but disturbing
factor appeared In the shape OF an organi-
zaslon incorporated in the East in 1870 as
the Lake Superior and Puget Sound Land
Company, with W. d. Rice. Of Maine. as
president, aud Sam Wiikeson lately de-
ceased, and after whom the Wilkeson
mines were subsequently named) and other
leading stockholders Of the Northern Pa
cific as projectors. Their rei=.ion 20 each
other Is clearly stated In the contract made
between the Northern Pacific and Jay
Cook & Co, en- May 20, iS55. by which
the Philadelphia bankers undertook to
raise 10000 within thirty days. They
formed pool absorbing bali OF tbs original
twelve proprietary interests (which had
been divided so as 10 make twenty-fourD.
sold the bonds al 81 ,otll each but erslitiug
the company with only 50 per cent a.
agreed. The contract gave to the firm 500
OF the stock for every 81 coo bond, and this
jay Cook & Co. gave 20 purchasers OF the
bonds but took ia each case an isTev0csbie
rover Of attorney. 20 that by the after pur-
chase Of another oue-tweDty- fourth the
sfm absolutely controlled tbs railroad.
Other specifications in the conttact made
the firm the sole depository of the funds.
provided for the conversion OF 100000 Of
the old stock outstanding into bonds at 80
cents on the dollar. and created a land
company 70 manage town sises-fhe Lake
superior and Puget Sound. IL VIII be seen.
therefore, what a powerful influence the de-
ssres Of the land company for aggTancize-
nent must WELD over the destinies OF the
roa