The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-25
A eRIEvoUs BLUNDER.

ment for the abandonment OF the
rams horn right-of-way. The ordinance
granting it was passed by a vote
| of 6 to 3, the dissentients being Aldermen
Ingraham, Pontius and Snyder; but the
bill must now go before the house Of dele
gates, where, it is TO be hoped, the measure
may be blocked for the present.
| The city of Seattle desires the benefit Of
| all the service the Northern Pacific can
render for the shipment of freight. It is
not to the city's interest to place any OBJ
stacles in the way of competitive railroad
| transportation. But, on the other hand.
| it would be disastrous to aid
| either the Northern Pacific or the Great
| Northern to block the other in such man.
| ner that in order for either to have free
access over its tracks into Seattle it should
| be necessary for them to enter into an
| agreement which might result in pooling.
| The questions involved in the division
of the avenue among the railroads are very
| complicated. 1t is very unfortunate that
/ so many entanglements should have
| arisen, but it will not mend the matter to
! add another one TO them.
1t is not an easy matter to explain all
the conditions without diagrams, but the
main issues in the controversy may be
readily comprehended.
The Northern Pacific railroad now
comes into Seattle from the south over
| the Columbia & Puget Sound tracks to the
| depot between Lane and Weller streets.
t. hat tie los hot inc iuc
! expired and it proposes to come in
| direct by means of its own
| tracks. 1t has acquired property and
| partially built its line as far as the ''Y"
| at Judkins street, and asks the council
TO grant franchise from that point north
along Railroad avenue to junction with
the Seattle, Lake Shore e. Eastern depot
near Columbia street. In order to effect
| this the council would have to re-arrange
the franchises of the Seattle & Montana or
| Great Northern and the Portland & Puget
| Sound or Union Pacific, neither of which
roads has yet laid tracks. If the franchise
| be granted, the Northern Pacific would oc-
| cupy the eastern side of the avenue in
straight line from the ''Y'' to the Seattle,
Lake Shore & Eastern track. This part of
| the plan is equally beneficial to the city
and the Northern Pacific.
The objection to it is that there is a bow
made by tracks between Jackson street
and Yesler avenue, which gives the North
ern Pacific the right to cross and recross
any other tracks laid on the avenue. The
Northern Pacific offers TO abandon these,
which is a gain to the city, but unfortu-
| nataly they are the property of two other
railroads who do not Join the Northern
| Pacific. so that they might remain even
after the Northern Pacific retired.
! The Oregon improvement Company
claims not only the track and the
| franchise over the bow, but what is of
greater importance. an absolute ownership
of the land, thus denying the right Of the
city to grant any franchise over it.
| The Northern Pacific's offer to relin-
| quish all its rights on the "bow" is con-
| ditional; it is not to give up the tracks
"until it has built new line" As its
| attempt TO construct new line would be
| subject TO the permission of the Oregon
Improvement Company to pass over its
! claimed land, it is by no means certain
when the new track would be built.
Herein lies the objection OF the Great
| Northern road which fears that the North
ern Pacific would be enabled TO seriously
| impede the formers access to its terminal
grounds in South Seattle.
The interest of the citizens, however,
] 1eh thnt L.,
| fire it was resolved to devote Rail-
road avenue to the use of the railroads,
with the express understanding that the
old crooked track along Post street should
| be abandoned by them. While the 1lr-
engagements were being made the Seattle,
Lake Shore & Eastern was the first to ac-
| cept the offer, and by right of first
| claim was allotted the easterly thirty
| feet. The Northern Pacihc-resenting
| this-refused to avail itself of any
other portion. That road is now prac-
| tically in possession of the Seattle, Lake
| Shore & Eastern, and the citizens who
| made valuable donations of land on Rail-
road avenue TO secure REIMBURSEMENT of
the rams horn insist that no injury will
be done the Northern Pacific by requiring
! that road TO be content With the thirty feet
il has so acquired.
The Northern Pacific has failed to keen
faith with the city before, and it is the
duty of the city council to impose such
conditions hereafter in dealing with the
railroad as 10 insure performance Of its
part of any contract.
There can be no doubt Of the danger at
tending traffic on the rams horn. 1t was
foreseen, aud IS the city increases in
| population the danger increases. The
contest between the city and the railroad
is now going before the supreme court and
nothing should be done which shall de-
prive the city of any strength in its con-
tentiou.
The Northern Pacific Is coming to Seat
tie because of the business the city can
give it. The quid pro quo is, therefore.
complete. What IS asked by the city is
that before giving the railroad new and
valuable right-of-way, the road should
reeonpense the city by yielding up that
whAh it already claims. 1t is a fair
Offset.
The city is tied up in very awkward
way, Now is the time 10 compel the rail
Toads-not one. but alto assist the city
n unraveIiing the snarl by making con-
SESSIONS in return for the granting of new
favors. The city council viii not. Of
| course, lose sigh. OF the fact that the rail-