Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-06-28
THE CASCADE PASS SURVEY
Speculations of the Hamilton Herald
Concerning 1t

Concerning 1t
The Hamilton Herald of last Satur-
day contains the following article re.
lative the survey now being made in
the Cascade pass:
We have waited, and waited in vain,
ii appears, for some definite informa-
ton concerning the corps of railroad
surveyors that has been reported at
Cascade pass for three weeks past.
Not in vain, either, for we have
learned to a reasonable certainty that
there is full corps of railroad survey
Ors in the mountains east of Cascade
pass, and that il has been prevented
from coming through to this side yet
by the unusual depth of snow remain
ing near the summit. We have learned,
too, on authority that we consider good
that those engineers have no direct
connection with the Northern Pacific
railroad. II is equally certain now
that eX-County Surveyor Mosier, who
is known to be in the employ of the
Great Northern, is not, as was reported
by Mr.. Millett, in charge of this party,
nor Is he with it. He is still at work
ON the Great Northern construction
engineering east of Sultan City.
The report recently published i'm the
Seattle POst.Intelligencer to the effect
that this corps of engineers is i'm the
employ of Mr.. Law, a wealthy coal
baron of Chicago, may be true; but if
so it is equally true that the coal baron
is backed by one of the great railway
corporations; or, rather, that he is an
instrument in the hands of some one
of them, for no private individual
would undertake the construction of so
expensive piece of road as this would
necessarily be.
The rational conclusion is that the
engineers are directly or remotely em-
ployed by the Great Northern.
This idea will of course he pooh
poOhed by the people along the Sno-
hOmish line Of the Great Northern, but
it is plain to the close observer that our
neighbors over south do not yet COM
prehend i'm its fullness Jim HIPS great
plan.
Fact is, the Hill system of railroads
is the only one yet to touch the Sound
that has come with that characteristic
vim and push that opens development
before it. The Northern Pacific, true
enough, is now aiding greatly in de-
veloping our numbering industries, but
it never did manifest disposition to
cooperate with the people of this Sound
country in such development until
driven to it by the threatened COM
petition of the Great Northern. IL is
even now resting on laurels by no
means secure, for they are as yet only
half earned.
The Northern Pacific is firm in its
determination to occupy with line of
its road the Skagit, conceded to be the
greatest and most resourceful valley i'm
Western Washington. Instead of
pushing forward, however, and MAX
ing itself secure i'm the occupancy of
this valley, it sleeps upon its shovels
and its picks, resting content in the
assurance that its royal competitor has
chosen for its line a lesser valley over
south, leaving this one undisturbed.
Meantime the Great Northert has
not been asleep. 1t has got in near
the mouth of the valley and bought
and developed coal mine that within
six months will be the greatest coke
producer on the Pacific coast 1t has
gone up the entire length of the Skagit
valley and wherever ii has found a mar
row place, where railroad right-of-way
was precious, it has bought and paid
for its ground, and holds deed for it,
1t is, above all other lines, fortified i'm
its right to the occupancy of the Skagit
valley.
Further than this, the Great North
ern is i'm possession Of better, more ex-
plicit information concerning the
availability of the Cascade pass than is
any other railroad company. 1t has
the field notes and official data of sur
veying parties of its own that have
spent months in the survey of this diff
ficult approach to the coast. These
need be only supplemented, and the
profiles are ready for action.
For the Great Northern to build
line through the Cascade pass after
completing the line through Stephens
pass is as feasible and probable as for
the Northern Pacific TO occupy this
pass in addition to Stampede pass.
The Great Northern line now building
is nearer, tits true, but it is so far away
that the two lines would i'm no wise in
fringe on each others territory.
Another Feature of it to be consid-
cred is that the line through Cascade
pass would tap the galena ledges of
Cascade district, which would not only
furnish an immense carrying trade, but
would prove splendid stimulus to the
coal mining property Of the Great
Northern. On the whole, there is
much reason to believe that the Great
Northern is determined TO take advan-
tage of the sleepy policy Of its ponder
Gus rival.
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