The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-28

rumors that "Jim'' Hilp as everybody calls him.
was about to extend his line to this city, buying
the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad, aud
as time passed these rumors became more def
mite until they obtained authoritative confirma-
ton. For a time Mr.. Hill had under considera-
ton the purchase OF the Lake Shore road, but
he finally concluded that it was too heavily
bonded and had too many heavy grades to suit
him, and ne abandoned the idea. The Union
Pacific then obtained option on that road,
but not having the means to purchase ii, al
lowed the time to expire and LETT 1t for the
Northern Pacific to purchase.
Mr.. Hill then concluded to build line of his
own the entire distance from Assinaboine across
the continent, and from Seattle along the Sound,
while the Portland & Puget Sound road, to be
built jointly by the Great Northern and Union
Pacific, was to form the other set of teeth reach
ing south to Portland. Accordingly at his in
stance on March 10, 1890, the Seattle Il Montana
Railway Company was incorporated in this city
with capital stock OF s10,000,000 by d. FL. Gill
man, Thomas Burke, z. D. Graves, w. E. Bailey
and w. r. Thornell Its objects were stated to
be to build and operate a railroad from the
Sound to the eastern boundary of Washington
and to build and operate branch lines and to
own and operate steamers, in Washington Idaho
and Montana Immediately after franchise
was asked for and obtained from the city coun-
Gil granting the company right-of-way sixty
feet wide, giving room for four tracks, along
Railroad avenue from the northern to the
southern city limits. At the same time strip
of land 125 acres in area, and varying in width
from two to four blocks, was purchased on the
tide flats in Elliott bay. exte ending from Lane
street on the north to Lander street on the SOUTH
to be used for depot and terminal grounds
There were also purchased from ID. H. Gilman
sixty acres of land at Boulevard for yards and
shops, and this tract will soon be enlarged by a
further purchase of 100 acres.
he Grpe ,n, xAosG F.
company proceeded to build was a line down
the Sound, apparently intended to connect with
the Canadian Pacific road For the purpose OF
constituting part of this line, the company pur-
chased the Fairhaven & Southern railroad,
which had been built or was under construction
by company of Fairhaven capitalists from Sc
dro, on the Skagit river, through Fairhaven and
Whatcom, to Blaine. on the British boundary,
a distance OF 40 miles; also the New West
minister Southern, which was being built
by British Columbia corporation, aided by the
Fairhaven company, from South Westminster,
on the south bank OF the Fraser river, to Blaine,
distance of "a miles These roads, with branch
e. miles long from Sedro to the jennings coal
mine on the Skagit river, gave the company a
mileage already completed and under construc-
ton of 1917, leaving 7S.5 miles to be constructed
to fill up the gap between Seattle and the juno
ton point on the Fairhayen & Southern near
Jarman prairie, eight miles northwest of Sedro.
The construction of this part of the road, to
which the name Seattle & Montana is more par
ucularly applied, began i'll the summer of 1890
The franchise granted by the city provided that
construction should begin within sixty DAYS
from the date which it bore, and within that
time the contract Tor the pile trestling along
the water front to Smiths cove was let to the
san Francisco Bridge Company and work under
II was begun in the month of June In the
following month the contract for 6he clearing,
ING tran VII and hall l..
shepard, Henry & Co, of Minneapolis, and
work under ii began Immediately afterwards.
w. r. Watson having supervision of it
as principal assistant engineer. His as
sistants J. w. Graft, in charge of
the section from Seattle to Mukiteo,
and Z. c. Taber, of the section from
Mukilteo to Fsirhayen Southern junction
The contract for heavy bridges over the Sno-
homish, Stillaguamish and skagit rivers was
let to the san Francisco Bridge Company.
The work was pushed with all the energy
OF winch contractors and engineers were capa-
bic, but unforeseen difficulties DELAYED itx
completion long beyond the time stipu-
lated Tor II: some property owners along
the route forced the institution of con-
domination proceedings for right-of-uay.
which in some cases delayed the prosecu-
ton OF work on the tracts in question; heavy
rains made the ground heavy and grading cor
respondingly slow; at Ballard a controversy
Win the city council and the Lake shore road in
regard to right-oi-way was q source of DELAY for
some time, and when the grading and nearly all
the bridging was finished traekiaying was
stopped half way by the delay in the arrival OF
rails from the East; when the other work was
nearly finished, il was discovered that the piIing
along the Seattle water front had in little more
than year been rendered unsafe by the ravages
Of the teEedo, and new piles had 10 be driven
covered with the 2. Il B. teredo- proof covering
There were also long stretches of plling TO be
constructed across the mouths OF the snohorn-
Ian, SilILaguamish ana Skagit rivers.
Bat the most fruitful source OF DELAY ana diff
hcuIty was the part OF the line extending along
the shore of the sound for distance of twenty
IoaE miles from the mouth of salmon bay 10
Davis point near the mouth of snohoTnish
river This is the only line on the continent
which skirts the sea for such distance and he
foadoea Lad 10 be protected from the waves by
eriooIng, which Is very costly work. To enhance
the oifheuIiles Of the undertaking the soil along
THIS shore Is all earthly material. very light and
so4uole IN water, there being practically not a
yard OF stone. This section of the road was
criooed with solid round logs, built I'D eight
Ieet above high tide aud nlled with earth
ABOVE TINS Is a fence of plsnks two inches thick
reaching eleven feet above high tide 10 protect
the bank against the spray
ms structure was first put to the test bv the
great stesIa OF Last Christmas day, which came