The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-06
WILL DIG WITH WIND.
Fake" Subscriptions to the
Telegraph's Canal Fund.
WHAT THE SUBSCRIBERS" SAY.
They Were Never Asked 20 Subscribe,
end Have Not Done So-A Black
Eye From Jim Hill.

They We're Never Asked 70 Subscribe,
oad Have Not Done so-A Black
Eye From Jim Hill.
Ia its efforts 10 throw dust In the eyes Of the
people BY raising the CRY,
aDig the canal, and
Dig IL in '93,
the Telegraph has no. allowed any OF the rules Of
dscency 70 stand In its way. What little local
patriotism IL ever had was surrendered at tho
command Of Its Tacoma hackers, and its regard
for the truth has been thrown aside at the bid
ding OF the same people. These are hard things
TO say, but the evidence s at hand TO prove them
In order to distract public attention from tie
fact that the Democratic state platform Is
openly hostile 10 the interests of King county,
the Telegraph has started . movement with
the alleged purpose Of having the Lake WASH
ington ship canal dug by private local enter
prise instead of by the government, and in fur.
thsrance OF this scheme has opened popular
subscription Of cash, land and promises-cniefy
verbal psomises-to
sDig tho canal, and
Dig il in 49,"
Buteven these shadowy funds did not come
in fast enough to satisfy the demands of the
TeiegrnpA's paymasters, SO Imagination had 10
be drawn upon TO swell the total This state
ment IL made on the strength OF the deciara.
tlous OF number of the alleged subscribers that
they have not subscribed one cent to the Tels-
graphs fund and are opposed to the digging OF
the canal by private enterprise except - last
resort.
. At the head OF the list stands: ''Mr. Colman,
.t75,00a." When Mr.. Colman was asked about
this subscription he said:
sThat is quite q surprise to me- had no Idea
OF pledgiug q cent and have never done
Cos f<sarv haU nd and
asked me to subscribe. but have no recollec-
ton of 1t. an emphaticaly in favor of the
building OF the canal by the government; IL
not by the government then by the state; IF
mot by the state, then by the county; II not by
the county, then last of ell by the people Of
Seattle. want free waterway"
ID. T. Denny was equally emphatic In deny
ing that be had pledged any subscription to the
fund. He said:
"The Telegraph has no authority to put me
down m asnbscriber to its canal fund. / do
not believe that 10 the way to go at it. The
FIRST thing is for the government to take hold.
but. ~ there seems likely to be some delay
about that, the county should issue honda
do not believe ANYBODY has subscribed anything,
except. perhaps. II. F. Day
Yet the Telegraph put Mr. Denny don a. q sub
scribsr for &,o,ooa
Edward Bisxett 10 down for $4,000, but he
says:
II never authorized the use of my name in
Any way I'm connection with tho matter.
never said would give $4,000 for the scheme,
and viii! not do it The work should be done
BY the federal government"
The Consolidsted Street Railway Company IL
next on the list with $1,000 opposite its name,
but whom DIR. 4. G. Kilbourne, president of the
company. was asked whether 1t had made any
such statement, he said:
II know nothing of the company's pledging
$1,000 never said anything to justify the
statement and no other officer, director or per-
son connected with the company was author
lied TO make It do not believe any such state
ment was made by any one connected with the
company. for a least two meetings of the board
OF trustees have been held since the matter has
been agitated and il has never been mentioned
In any way. Tho company would not give any.
thing for the building Of the canal for it is no:
in position to do So
Personally, believe the canal should be
built by the federal government. few days ago
reporter for the Telegraph called to interview
me about ths canal aud asked me a number OF
questions, which answered according TO my
belief, stating unequivocaliy that It was
matter Tor the federal government and not for
private enterprise. The interview did not ap-
pear in print but next day Homer Hill, the
business manager OF the Telegraph, called and
interviewed me on thu same question, putting
. number OF hypothetical questions with the
under certain conditions / would favor the
canal being built by private enterprise. Before
no left l told him / would like 10 read
any matter thst might BE- prepared az a result
Of the interview before It's publication. called
at the Telegraph Office later, and WAS shown an
interview with myself. After reading 4. tore
IL up, as 1t said exactly what did not saw mis-.
represented my sentiments and made me talk
like Telegraph editorial. then told the Tt,e-
graph people that II they wanted an interview
with me would write one myself. wrote an
interview and handed IL to Mr. Hill, but NV
sentiments were probably not satisfactory, and
II was not published"
}. r. Mcknight is credited with supporting
the 1tfegrdphs scheme with q Subscription of
3io.ooo but no says he has done nothing of the
Kind. and on the contrary is opposed to tho
7ee0raphs way OF doing the work. When asked
whether he had subscribed anything, he said:
Nobody has ever spoken TO me about IT, The
eanai should be dug by the government and no.
by private enterprise. The & vernment may
oe slow. bni when II once gets the work started
twill go through With IT,"
EshelAau. Leweliyn & Co are on the list for
little matter 81 $500. but IL was put down
WITHOUT tie firms knowledge or consent w
II. Liegeiiyn was asked about Il, aud proceeded
to compare notes with his partner. J. F. Eshel-
man, who was az ignorant himself OF tie
matter. Then Mr.. Lewellyn said:
"The Telegraph. people never ssw either OF rs
eud We have not subscribed anything lam in
tsser OF the government digging the canal
Failing that, the county and private enterprise
ss q last resort i believe In a canal first. last
and all the time"
The only alleged subscriber on the list who
admitted that they had actually subscri bed
anything was the Seattle Land COMPANY. C. r.
Holman. the secretary and treasurer OF that
company, said:
"fes. we subscribed s., COO To the tund because
We want Ia help along any scheme by which the
digging OF the canal may be hastened"
But. not satisfied with booming its scheme by
Publishing let of largely imaginary suhscrip-
fions. the Telegraph drew en- it, powerful
Imagination for Little contribution from the
Great Northern railroad OF $4,000. In Its issue
of last Monday 1t published al editorial which
began as follows:
We are reliably informed that the citizens
owning TIE water 'front.' al the mouth of salmon
ar shilsholr oay are willing 70 donate to James
J. Hili, oi the Great Northern railway 400 feet
of water front. prov dad Nj Hnl or the com.
Faay VAL construct tire tocs at the mouth of the
canal. tbst Mr.. Htu regards the proroS;.
ten fsycrsbly, sud may accept il on his
forthcoming visit 20 she city. The construction
at THIS ioe& means n contribution IN tha canal
mud of si.0,t9A II Mr. fisl or the tirea, North.
era accept this oder we arc assured that the
Northern Pacific VIII contribute saan,o toward
she Immediate construction of the csaal
A. Mr. Hil IS not in the hsbit of flngiur a
nezs little sum o. {&Sooco into hslf.baksd
schemes like ihat 81 the rsiec~cpA he was
shown this article his arrival IN the city iasI
night aad asked what truth there vas In 1,
He looked surprised and SAID