The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-17
THE TERMINAL FIGHT
Judge Burke Replies to General
Manager Smith.
HE GOES BACK INTO HISTORY.
Oregon Improvement Company Charged
With Obstruction and Enmity TO
SeAttIe's Interests.

Smith, general manager Of the Oregon I'm
proverneut Company, on the terminal
question. which was published IN yester-
days PogT-IsTELLIsEscEg, Judge Thomas
Burke. counse! Of the Great Northern rail.
road, last night said:
Mr. smith has taken a column 70 prove TIA;
did the Oregon Improvement Company an IN
justice when stated that since It's entrance into
Seattle IL had opposed nearly every pubic In
provsment and. 70 9isprove ny statement and
in illustration Of its pubic spirit. he points 70
the history Of tie company Ia Seattle from lssI
To isss. which be refers 20 ire darkest hour In
the csty's history. Unfortunately for lin,
either through Ignorance or bis part OF 10 con
tempt Of the intelligence Of the people OF the
city, the period in The history q bis company
which be select. as the brightest affords con-
srmstion ''stfong ~ proofs Of holy Wit o. the
charge Of Obstruction which have brought
against the Oregon improvement Company. In
passing. / may say that from ISL Until lb+f
covered period not the darkest, but
one of the brightest in the history
of this city. The chief claim - makes On BE-
half OF TIE Oregon Improvement Company Tor
service rendered To the city WIS the extension
Of the ngrrow gauge RAILWAY from Rentoa 10 the
franklin mines | imagine that when the old
settlers read tnis claim IN Mr. smth's interview
they mnst have sniled sudibIy. Inc fat is
that before the OREGON Improvement Company
would take single step toward extending that
coal road ~ the Franklin coal mine, the people
OF Seattle bad TO raise by subscription tbs sum
Of si06,g0 Or $4,000 for the Oregon Improve
men. C1muuay That We. big sun % money
for thc people in those DAYS, and - the ever
lasting Gisggaes II the Oregon improvement
Com pRay he IL raid that i. Afterwards tired by
a Tow trick and double shufs3e between ths Co
iumhia d Puget Sound RSiiroa9 Company aud
the OREGON Improvement Company 10 defraud
tie subscrl bers-tnst is. the people Of Seattle
who helped IL 10 build that coal road. This
charge was proved a: he time ia The courthouse
in this city.
But, II the Franklin extension Is no: credit
able TO the company, then Mr.. Smith falls back
on the operation of the broad gauge. Iis con-
peetloa with that enterprise il even moro dis
graceful. IL possible, than ats conduct in con
necti9n with tho franklin extension. Seattle
has indeed good cause 70 remember with bitter
ress tae conduct ~ the Oregon Improvement
Company IN reference 70 the broad gauge road.
The socglled broad gauge, or Orphan ROAD, as i
was then called, completed in i953 The
Oregon Improvement Company operated IL Tor
one month after It's completion, that is, during
the month OF August, l393. 1t taen ceased 20
operate IL for two years. or until the fall OF lss5
The diseon.inuance OF the operation OF that
road was s. terrible blow 70 Seattle The people
here besougbt and begged the Oregon Improve
rEeat Company to operate il. but they begged in
vain. The Oregon Improvement Company's
partner. the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany. useG tn refer 30 this orphan road n the
two siresks OF rust that into the town OF
Eastyille. meaning Seattle. The farmers along
the line OF the road tried ~ get the Oregon I'm
rroyenent Company 10 operate IL, but to no
purpose. Finally, patience had ceased 10 be "a
virtue with the people. and the farmers of
White River valley held Indignation
meei!nv at Kent This meeting was
addressed by Judge Hautori, Judge Lewis,
Judge tac9hs and others The legislature was
about To convene, and the question discussed al
the meeting was: What. If any. legislation was
necessary to compel the Oregon improvement
COMPANY to operate the orphan road The
meeting rightfuIly considered that the Oregon
Improvement Company had no right under its
charter to refuse either TO operate the road
itseif to let any one else operate il. The
manager of the Oregon improvement Company
was there. and he told the assembled farmers
that they must not and they could not touch
the vested rights OF the Oregon Improvement
Company. Before the meeting was over, how.
ever, n telegram was received from New York,
by way Of seattle. announcing that the ROAD
would ba operated within two weeks The
Oregon improvement Company eyiAently
afraid 10 leave the road unused much longer for
lear Of being called IA aecoun. IN the courts
Shortly alter this the road WAS put into opera
tion. but in such way as 10 outrage
Seattle and King county much as
possible. | doubt very much whether
ever before railroad was operated
I'm such utter disregard Of public interest and
."i'FeA''sH'S ~ Was sSttiS ~ H"No oten ny S4e
oregon ihlfoFeineh' company anu tte North
YIN iHc'ho together. ms DIX Oh the oregon
Improvement company history seattle re-
iAsiii'~tS ot '"o "eii' Ahd Il Is "a piece oi MS
tory 81 "hlch eet'A'h'f the oregon improve
meut Company ought not 10 be proud.
nj ou4AH 'liAH aDou| the oregon improve
Dent Conpsny's property ia Seattle. Does he
not Aho" 'sa' nearly All 'ae property owned by
'h9 pfeSon improvement company IN seattle
"aS given 'o 'la1 company 'F rs predecessor 10y
'"e %. hS'NS'S A0ts A't rs" SNOW ''a' one OF Inc
w"aei "'' nc one ne'N~oh "ashlnEtoa anu
ala sNss's "il'Sh ne oregon improvement
,"''I"n' - 1o" ~ 'Hs =" 4se a' weapon against
'Ae '1'hi'e'cia A''ete7's III Wis cry was pro-
e"tSN 'Ni N'4e ''Sh'" ~ l''f"ihe4i' company 10y
ctHhens "i li''s N,"h' VINO fa'seo the money In
'hS i'fs1 s'aaee ~ subscription 70 o&E IL II
ne does h2' SNOW y the peop.e OF seattle do,
s'3 taey remember L. Too moreover, the now
s"hle"e h' notorious ram horn franchise was
foaa ''iHPaay upon tae tAi'eS' promise and
peg 'na' t.i'' Guy s"oA'u promptly a%Fe coa-
nso'oh ~ standard gauge railway with one ot
''e Vot''"sH's' ''i'ss' 'oad''iGA that Vas
thsmeiu'4y oIoheA' ~ the INFINITE harm Of
sss'1r.
MF- smith accuses me OF having secured n
Uancals9 ca hs'fHaf avenue Tor TIE Seattle,
LAKE shofe q Eastern haii way Company. ]
peso gNiiV = hSN8ae a'htsfed ia scouting that
Haachisc aua "1sh could AiHays 10 IA a pp-
ston 10 render 9NRliY E3ot service 10 the elts.
Iae oregon IMPROVEMENT company. Roth here
AMI IA Few A9f>. "altsi " IN the enemies O.;
nes'A@ - prevent 'Ae eA-H1As Of tic Lake