Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-01
B. B. & {. CELEBRATION
One Hundred and Fifty Guests
Entertained BY the
Company
Charming Excursion to the
Lake and Luncheon at
Silver Beach
How Blue Canyon Came to
New Whatcom--A Visit
to the Bunkers

The Bellingham Bay d Eastern Rail-
way Company yesterday submitted its
newly completed improvements to the
inspection of the enterprising citizens
"who made it possible" for the COM
pany to build its line to tide water at
New Whatcom. These are con-
tributors to the right-of-way fund,
members of the city council which
granted the franchise and representa-
tives of the press. A train, consisting
of a passenger coach, an improvised OBJ
servation Tor fat car and a caboose,
was provided for carrying the party,
about $50 in number, over the COM
pany's line. The train and cars were
appropriately decorated with flags and
bunting. As the passenger accommo-
dations of this new road are limited,
admission to the cars was strictly by
invitation. The train left Holly street
at 10 o'clock in the morning and run
to the bunkers where the first stop was
made. Those who had never before
visited the bunkers were surprised at
the magnitude of the structure. After
short stop the train proceeded to the
| lake where the visitors were given an
opportunity to inspect the facilities for
| transhipping coal and logs from the
lake TO the railroad. The huge ferry
barge was at the wharf and the train
run upon il to illustrate the method OF
handling coal. The barge was towed
TO the Silver Beach hotel where all the
company's guests were invited to par
take of a sumptuous luncheon. As the
dining room would seat but fifty at a
time there was a lively but good ma
tured scramble for places. The train
did not return until after 5 o'clock but
those who could not remain away 50
long were provided with street car
tickets.
The opening Of this road, the first
outlet for the vast timber and mineral
resources of the Lake Whatcom basin,
is an event of great Importance in the
: development Of the Bay cities and will
give great impetus to their CONNER
cial advancement.
A neat little pamphlet entitled How
! Blue Canyon Coal Came TO New What
CON-" compiled aud printed for the
occasion, copies of which were dis
tributed among the guests OF the COM
pany, contained the following history
of the development Of the mine and lis
, outlet to tide water, prepared by En-
gineer J. j. Donovan:
After the closing down of the ole
Sehome mine in 1873, all coal used Oh
Bellingham bay was brought in from
other ports until March 1891, when
few sacks of coal were brought in by
Y / "a
com owned by the Blue Canyon Goa
Mining Company. During the seasol
the shipments increased until in Jul,
the steamer Premier tried the coal
found it superior and began using !
exclusively and continued to do 8
until the boat took the business Of tn
Puget Sound d Alaska Company ii
March, 1892, when it began coaling a
their supply points.
The Blue Canyon Coal Mining Con
pany was organized December %, 1891
by ]. +. Wardner, j.. II. Bloedel, q
Fairhaven; and G. w. Carter, Of NeN
Wbatcom, with a capital of S5OO,O0C
These gentlemen had examined tn
prospects in July, 1890, where the Bel
ingham Bay Coal Company ha
y worked years before, and on the repol
of Mr.. Richard Jennings, of the Fail
haven mine, decided to go ahead wit
DEVELOPMENT. In January, 1891, j.
McNaught, of Anacortes, became int
a ested in the company and an agre'
ment was made by which he was
secure a branch road to the mine frol
ct the Seattle, Lake Shore d Eastern raj
= road and ship the coal from Anacorte
A tramway over 1900 feet long an
reaching a height of 800 feet above IL
~ lake was built in February, 1891, su
veys were soon made for the railroa
and active construction was looked f
daily, but the Lake Shore road WI
hampered by its unsettled transfer
O the Northern Pacific, and this dela
o. proved fatal TO the proposed Anacort
outlet.
In May Mr. wardner Mr.. NJ.
c Downs, well known as the manager
y the famous Jay Gould gold mine,
Spokane, and succeeded in inducil
+. him to examine the propertp. The.
1r suit was that the so-called "Helel
Syndicate" composed Of Governor
Il. Hauser, Peter Larsen, John II. Mt
ply, A. ]. Seligman, Martin Holt
4 and A. NJ. Hotter, became owners Of
controlling interest in the mine. N
Downs was placed in charge, develc
ment was pushed and in Septemt
. the people of the Bay learned II
+" there was possibility Of the coal bel
shipped from here. Governor Haui
and his friends came TO the Bay for
few days in September, examined va
f" GUS points from Chuckanut TO Squa
cum and after being offered fine pie
of water front at the southern line
OF the city by the Bellingham Bay La
Ing Company at low price and reasonal
the trackage rights over the Lake VIII
md com electric railway, announced |