The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-15

, .a ana determination, he worked away. He
Aaia MS plans before Judge Thomas Burke and
| angus Macintosh, and soon infected them
with his own enthusiasm. Among themselves
anu a lew OF the most public spirited citizens
.uey' IN April, 1885, organized the Seattle, Lake
ouofe q Eastern Railway Company with a CAPT
TAI STOCK OF 100000. The original stock holders
were: d. H. Gilman, F. II. osgood, Thomas
burke, Thomas I. Minor, John Leary, d. T.
| Jenny george kinnear, G. NJ Halter, Griffith
DaFles, }. W. Currie, William Cochrane and J.
X. Mcdonald. They raised g. 500 by the sale of
shares III Seattle and spent it for preliminary
| surveys by T. II. Whitworth, the chief engineer,
ana to pay Mr.. Gilman's expenses to the East,
/ where ne went to interest capital in the enter
| PRISE. lhe Obstacles he had to surmount can be
imagined He found capital timid as ever, and
LOUDLY so when it was invited to join in an en-
| 1eTprise which would antagonizs one OF the
most powerful corporations in the country. The
| proposed road was 10 be built in remote sec
| tioh, little known, where dense forests and the
great distance from the chief sources of supp y
would make construction slow and COSTLY ard
"he,e the sparseness OF population and limited
! Ns'eIopmcnt gave small promise OF immediate
returns on the investment. All these argu-
inehls We're used against him. and it was only
aiter several trips across the continent that his
efforts were crowned with success.
lie finally succeeded in interesting the we'll
known house Of Jameson, Smith & Getting
IN the prospect, and through their efforts East
ern capitalists were induced to take It up. Rhe
capital stock was increased TO $4,000. 300, and on
July II, 1885, the Puget Sound Construction
| company was organized in New York to take
the contract for building tie road. This COM
pany had capital stock of s500,0Ol all of which
| was subscribed for by the middle of January,
| 1857, and in due course paid in in cash. Judge
Thomas Burke and Angus Macintosh headed
the list with subscription OF 10000 each; D.
| ii. Gilman subscribed $4,000, aud Watson c.
| squire $4,000. The remainder was taken by
Eastern men. s. V. White faniliarly known
| as deacon White" was the first subscriber
taxing $4,000 OF stock. The other leading East
ern subscribers were H. d. Armour, T. NJ Lo-
gan, Commodore James d. Smith, John Il.
Beach and W. A. Brown. The company was or
gained with Franklin NJ. Jones, OF the firm of
JAMESON smith d Getting, as PRESIDENT; D. n.
oiiihan' Vice-president; Angus Macintosh
treasurer, aud {. NJ Sheaie, general manager
Inc survey so far made by Mr.. Whitworlh was
only preliminary along the water front and as
lar as Union bay, on Lake Washington and n
Reconnaissance around Lakes Washington and
samamlsh as far as the Squak coal mines. Lack
OF funds had prevented further prosecution of
the work. Soon after the construction COM
pany's capital had been subscribed for. John G.
scurry was appointed its chief engineer in
January, 1887, and he Immediately started out
H. II
10 make the location from the Snoqualmie hop
ranch to Gilman.
Inc WORK had to be done rapidly and secretly,
ior the oregon Improvement Company was try
ing to secure possession of the pass at the falls
where there is only room for one road The
oregon Improvement Company was watching
MT. Scurry's movements, in the expectation
that he would lead tho party, but in order to
outfiank that corporation he sent Mr. Thomp-
sons party up the Snoqualmie river to Fall
City on the steamer Cascade, while he remained
behind, pretending to make preparations to take
the field himself. He then went up by another
route. Tho Oregon Improvement Company's
party reached the falls the day after Mr.. Thomp-
SON and learned that they were beaten by see
Ing the blazes OF Mr.. Thompsons trail. When
L. u. Wilson, superintendent of the hop ranch,
VINO was then at Renton and knew the mount
aims well, heard that the Oregon Improvem emit
Companys party was starting from Seattle, he
rode on horseback from Renton TO the falls in
search OF Thompson's party. and steered it
through, in order to insure the Lake Shore max
ing the first location.
Meanwhile Mr.. Scurry, who had gone to the
hop ranch, received orders from Colonel Sheaie
the general manager, to cross the Snoqualmie,
pass to Ellensburg, organize party and make
survey through the pass. Accordingly on JAN
uary Is, 1887, Mr.. Seurry crossed the mountains
with his party on snowshoes, there being fifteen
feet OF snow on the ground, and each man car
ried heavy pack. At Ellensburg he organized
party and continued his survey all through
the winter and until the next year.
The location OF the line from Seattle to Gill
man began on March l, 1887, and contracts were
let and work was begun as fast as the line
located, the contractors following close on the
heels of the locating engineers.
The April showers of that year witnessed the
Inauguration of construction work. The almost
disastrous quiet which enveloped this section
during the two years following the Willard col
lapse Of 1883 had been weathered, the compar-
alive dullness OF 1856 had been endured, and
now in the sprfngtime, four years ago, to Seattle
and its 1900 inhabitants came the "clincher" of
prosperity and unparalleled growth in the shape
of the tracks for the iron horse to race upon,
along the bay. the lakeside and through the for
ests, to the north and east.
1t an important day for the city that wit
messed the beginning of the piledriving along
what has ever since been known as the "water
'front.'" under Contractors Surber & Eagan, and
the first shovelful of dirt thrown up by the men
of Kems Bros, who had accepted the section of
five miles from Smiths cove eastward. Day by
day the work progressed. despite the sneers of
a few local and many Tacoma disbelievers, who
would have their filings at the "psper railroad"
Boom after boom OF piles and raft after raft of
timber for the trestles and the bridges along the
line came into the bay in the wake OF busy tugs,
were delivered from adjacent camps and
mills The Premier and the Walla Walla landed
many tons of material at the compsny's wharyes,
all rapidly utilized by the swarming gangs of
carpenters and laborers, the stretch of trestle
gradually extended up and down the bay. Long
trains of four and six-horse teams started al
most daily from the warehouses of Schwabacher
Bros. x Co, the London Hardware Company,
Harrington & Smith and others. and the whole
population would turn out to see this practical
demonstration that the paper railroad was
actually being built
Then some more nails were driven in the
collins of the cyuics Five miles of work beyond
the section of kerns Brothers were let to Ander
son & Larson. Soon thereafter thirty additional
miles. ending at Gilman, were awarded TO
Thomas Earle & Co. Anderson Il Larsen had
made n good record as sub-contractors under
Hale, Smith & Burns on the Northern Pacific,
but through some Encouragement, got into diff
fieuities with their new contract and assigned
their interests to the then firm OF Carr & Preston.
Colonel L. NJ. Carr, who had known the men
while on the Northern Pacific's mountain work,
buckled 10 this new diversion with characteristic
ability and energy and brought mis- clients con-
tract to prompt, thorough and profitable issue.
The company was also fortunate in possessing,
in the other contractors named. agents OF push,
experience and means. Surber X Eagan, who
took the entire contract for the three and one.
quarter miles of water front trestle, except fur
nishiug the iron, had been for years
the leading pile-driying firm OF the
sound region. Both partners, W. II.
Surber and Frank Pagan, still actively
pursuing their calling, were long associated
with that well rememb ered pioneer. the late II.
A. or as he was more Familiarity known. "D!ck
Atkins, under whose personal supervision the
greater portion of the bridging at the head of
81 a..