The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-04
LINES MAY COMBINE.
Big Deal to Combine Electric
Railways.
THREE MILLIONS INVOLVED.
Thomson Houston Company Arranging
to Take Charge Of All but Cable
Koads-Probab1e Plans.

One of the biggest deals in the history of
the city was practically closed yesterday
It involves the consolidation of all but one
of the street railways running north and
south through the city under the control
of the Northwest Thomson Houston Elec-
tric Company. The aggregate value OF all
the lines included in the deal is about
5000, COO.
For some time the affairs of the street
railways of the city, particularly the cleo
trio lines, have been tending toward a con-
solidation. There are now three parallel
roads running north and south through
the principal part of the city-the West
Street IL North End electric, the Front
street cable and the Consolidated electric
--and the Rainier Power and Railway
Company is now extending its line from
Lake Union down Third street, thus max
ing a fourth. The Grant street electric
line meets the Consolidated line at
Yesler avenue and runs south to the race
track and River park, thus carrying the
net work far beyond the southern city
limits. 1t is paraileled by the Commercial
street electric line, which is practically an
extension of the Front street cable line
from King street to South Seattle. The
Union Trunk lines are separate system,
not competing with the other north
and south lines, nor seriously
with the east and west lines on
Madison street and Yesler avenue.
The Rainier avenue electric line runs from
the foot of Washington street to South
Sixteenth, and down Rainier avenue to
Columbia and Lake Washington, parallel
ing the Yesler avenue and Jackson street
and James street lines, and using power
from the James street power-house. 1t,
too, does not come into serious competition
with any parallel line.
But the four parallel lines first men
toned are seriously competing with one
another. and are operated at an expense
which would be saved by consolida-
ton under one management. Each
has its power-house and electric apparatus,
its staff of employees at headquarters and
its superintendent. Money can be saved
by doing away with the competition and
by consolidating the power plants. and
having one management for the whole in
stead of one for each.
1t Is on such a consolidation that the
officials of the Thomson Houston Com
pany have tor some time been working,
that company being deeply interested
financially in the economical and prof.
liable operation of the electric lines.
1t is understood that an agreement
was reached yesterday, so far as
the electric lines are concerned, but that
the Front Street Cable Company refuses
absolutely to go into the consolidation.
The terms OF the deal are reported TO be
that the new company which is to be
formed by the Thomson-H Houston people
shall take up the portion of the bonds of
the existing companies which have not
been sold, and make new issue of 81, 500,-
GOO OF bonds in their place and shall take
each line at an agreed valuation. This ar
rangement would set free over 81, 000, 600 of
local capital which has been loaned on the
unsold bonds.
While these are reported on good author
ity 10 be the terms of the deal, it is impos-
sible to get positive confirmation of the
statement. II. NJ. Byllesly, president of
the Northwest Thomson Houston Com
pany, denies absolutely that any deal is on
hand, but it is certain that the parties in
terested have been comforting on the SUBJ
ject and that some such arrangement as
that outlined has been made.
What the plans of the new company will
be is largely matter of conjecture, but
some of the main features were given to a
PosT-lsTKLLIeEScER reporter by man in
position TO be well informed The cleo
trio lines will all be operated from one
power-house, to be located on Lake Union
near the Western mill. The power-house
OF the Rainier Power and Railway Com
rany, operating what is known as the
Denny road, is located there, and would
form the nucleus of the power plant, and
sufficient dynamos would be removed from
the Consolidated or Union Trunk line
power-house, or both, TO operate the
whole system of the new company. The
present power-houses at Fifth and Pine
streets and James and Broadway would
then be abandoned, except that the James
street cable would still have to be operated
from the Union Trunk power-house. The
power-house of the Grant street road at
the race track, which is now nearly fin
ished, might be completed, but the ma
chinery would not be set up. The
Denny road would probably not be
completed down town, but would come in
over the Consolidated tracks, while a short
connecting line would let its cars into
Queen Anne town over the same COM
panys tracks. Other similar changes
might be made IN the direction of econo-
my in operation and to avoid the building
of new track, but they are matters of
speculation az present.
Though the parties interested will not
talk on the subject the whole story will be-
come known IN = few days as soon as the
necessary papers are signed. 1t is said
that large sum of money was paid on tie
deal yesterday. 1t a significant fact that
the bank clearances yesterday were the
largest in the history of the city.