The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-12
a RAILROAD BOUGHT.
The Olympia 1 Tenino Line
Sold to the q. 1. Company.
Brief HISTORY or THE ROAD.
Ts - Cha.ged To Standard Gauge SD
yeia ~ Port Tswnsesa south
ern-rhe IsSoa Parfac.

The Oregon improvement Company.
through its manager, H. w. Mcneil. res
txrday completed the purchase Of the Oiym-
pia 4 TenIno railroad, the roadbed OF
which is twelve miles between the two
points The price TO be paid IL xi3..on. or
s.u09 per miie- Under the terms Of ptaY-
chase. the Oregon improvement Company
viii paw for the road when the present
company operating il has transposed the
line into standard gauge road.
The object of this is 20 make . connec-
ton with the Port Townsend & Southern
railroad at Olympia, from which point the
recentiy acquired road viii run to Tenino,
where trsnscontinentai connection will
he made with the Northern Pacific, thus
fulfilling the promise made by Manager
Mcneil TO the people Of Port Townsend
when the bonus was given for the construc-
ton of the Port Townsend & Southern
railroad.
Colonel J. C. Haines. attorney of the Port
Townsend & Southern railroad. returned
yesterday from Olympia and reported that
the statement OF sale of the Olympia &
Tenino road to the Oregon improvement
Company was correct He said q public
meeting had been held in the capital city
Thursday night at which the Northern
Pacific and Union Pacific railways made
propositions TO the citizens for entrance
into Olympia.
The Union Pacific attorney informed the
citizens that that line was DESTROYS OF pass
ing through Olympia ON their line direct 10
seattle. and in return for sufficient induce
ments would guarantee 10 have their trains
running through the capital city bv DE
he
thusiastic over the idea of having SO many
railways and agreed to give the Union Pa
cific subsidy OF $50 900 and fifteen acres of
ground on the east side of the city for
terminals. Surveying parties are ont there
now for the Northern Pacific, which road
WAS also DESTROYS OF acquiring the Olympia
& Tenino line, but was checkmated by the
Oregon Improvement Company.
The above news created considerable i'm
terest among business men of this city
yesterday. Speaking of the purchase of
the Olympia d Tenino road, Samuel l..
Crawford said:
The road has q decidedly interesting
history to great many people in this city.
rs we'll as throughout the state and [
could give you long story about IT, I'm
isss, when it was learned in. Olympia that
the Northern Pacific had given up the idea
of building its line To Olympia, giving il
the go-by. the people felt decidedly blue.
Hazard Stevens, son of Hon. l, l. Stevens.
first governor OF Washington territory.
together with the newspapers and promi-
nent citizens, began an agitation for the
building Of railroad from Olympia TO a
connection with the Northern Pacific at
Tenino. Many of the citizens who had
wrapped themselves up in the idea that
Olympia was the only town on Puget
sound. aud thought that the Northern
Pacific, or the first transcontinental road
was bound to build In there were so dazed
and stunned by the fact of exclusion star.
ing them in the face that they failed to
realize the situation and were show 10 act
in rational way.
After meeting with many discourage
ments. Mr.. Stevens issued his famous cir
cular proclamation. in which he declared
that unless the people walked up and put
their shoulders to the wheel. they would
see grass growing in the streets of the capi-
tai city in short time.
Many different theories and schemes
were talked of; some wanted to build a
road with wooden rats, some wanted a
standard gauge road some a narrow gauge.
and few wanted no road a. all. Notably
among the latter was prominent physi-
clan, DIR. Steele, still respected citizen of
the capital lie said publicly that the peo-
pie were getting along we'll enough, and so
far as he was concerned, he had a good
practice. II another railroad were built