The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-01
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Great Northern Tracklayers
Royalty Welcomed.
70 SEATTLE BY THE NEW YEAR.
Hill on His Way Westward-New euper.
intendent Of Lake Shore-Csna.
dian Pacific Plans.

SPOKANE, May 31.-ISpecial + President
Hill, of the Great Northern, who was ex.
pected to arrive here tonight from Bonner's
Ferry, will not reach here until early in
the morning. The right-of-way committee
will meet him at IL O'Clock tomorrow
when it is expected he will give the COM
mittee to understand what NAV be ex-
pscted of his road in the way of lower
freight rates.
The connection between the Great
Northern and Union Pacific tracks was
made today, and the tracklaying crew Of
the Great Northern will now be put to
work ballasting track east Of here. About
GO men are now engaged in this work.
which will be completed in few DAYS. The
work of grading through the city proper has
not yet commenced. but it is expected that
twill be in few days. Men and teams
are going westward all the time. and the
grade is completed at intervals all the way
from Spokane to the Columbia river.
Work has been slightly delayed by the
desertion of about forty men, who no
sooner received their pay last Thurs
day than they took advantage
of their proximity to the city to
enjoy themselves. Their places were soon
filed, however, and work then progressed
Of full speed. ]. H. Benson, fore
man of the gang, says that in
his thirty years experience he has
never laid track over a better grade The
balIasting crew of 600 men is divided into
seven parties, scattered along the line, the
nearest being about thirty miles from the
city and is expected to reach here in
about two weeks.
Arrangements are understood to have
been made with the Union Pacific for the
running of Great Northern trains
through to Portland, beginning about
June Is. The trains will enter Spokane
over the Union Pacific tracks and go out
over the Lake Shore tracks, though it is
pared to make trouble on that point, and
another route may have to be chosen.
H. G. Coykendall, superintendent of
construction for Shepard. Stems e. Co., is
quoted in the Spokane Review as saying:
The grade will be completed to the Columbia
river by the 10th of June, and the track will be
laid to that point by August Is. We will have
the grade finished to the summit of the Cascades
on this side by November l. and as the work on
the west slope is well in hand think it is safe
to assert that the track will be connected
through to the coast this year. Unless the
winter comes on very early or the snowfall ID
very deep there will Be no hitch in these plans,
and II necessary the snow will be shoveled
away to lay the track, but that, of course, means
slower work.
The Waterville Democrat quotes him as
saying that in all probability trains will be
running through from st. Paul to Seattle
by January 1, 1893. 1t is expected that
the Northern Pacific transfer boats now at
Pasco will be used in crossing the Column
bia river until the bridge is completed.
KALIsPELL, Mont, May 3l.-[special. lin an
interview today ). J. Hill, president of the
Cheat Northern, said a train service would be
established within three weeks over the Pacific
division, which is now complete to Spokane.
This virtually makes another transcontinental
line, as 1t is understood that Hill has made ar
fsngements for communication to the Coast.
The party OF officials left this afternoon for
Spokane. making their first trip over the new
line