The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-17
JAMES J. HILLS TALK.
He Tells the Citizens His Views
at a Banquet.
A FORTY CENT LUMBER RATE.
He Says He Asks for No special
Favors-He Must Have Ter
minal Facilities.

. :. inc guest OF the evening ne SAID
that the people of Seattle had looked
forward with great anticfpations to
the coming Of competitive rail-
way line, and that he had no doubt but that the
gentlemen present would be glad to hear from
Tue lips OF Mr. Hill himself what were the fu-
ture plans OF the company with regard 70 its
permanent advent into the city.
hearty burst of applause crested Mr.. Hill
as he rose. He at once plunged into his subject
ana ior over an hour held the complete and
Undivided attention OF those present. He be-
gan by saying:
Ihis Is to me great, though unexpected
pleasure. During my trip manage to Keep so
busy that have little time out of the house. 1t
Is an unusual pleasure to meet the business
men of seattle, for Seattle is 10 remain, for
sught can see to the contrary, the end of our
railway. We are here on the Pacific. We can't
savanee farther west We are here to remain
with You Whatever may happen, the railway
VIII always be part of your material wealth
ana interests. The railway and its destines
WI be interwoyen with the destinies of Seat
tie Seattle and the railroad are partners and
any attempt to rend them asunder will iniure
each and both. In coming here the problem we
had to solve was direct and simple. When
hrst visited Puget sound my previous estimates
were more than confirmed. NY previous estf-
mates fell far short of the reality saw here on
the ground. Everybody two years ago
seemed busy TO crowd the market with town
sites. was surprised to see how many people
would reach after gilded butterflies These are
not the means OF permanent prosperity. large
portion of the land between the Cascades and
the Sound is covered with as fine timber as
grows in the world The actual tonnsge on an
acre Is more than you can raise on an acre of
fertile ground in wheat at thirty bushels to the
acre in 100 years. Every ton of this timber will
pay as high rate OF transportation as tho
wheat. Ii Is not subject to destruction. All
you have to do is to find market There is
where thought our company cnuld help you
In the most material way Timber is your
most valuable proiuct. In the East there are
4O,Oo,U0 or 100000 million OF people who
need your lumber and who have the disposition
70 buy AMI the ability to pay for it. You may
ieel that Chile Peru, Japan and China are an
IMPORTANT market to you, bat put them all to-
gether and multiply them twenty times and it
VIII not foot up as much as the states of Mime
sofa and Wisconsin cut If YOU should cut
and ship 100000 feet of lumber it would
bring you in great money. This would
they 0u cut FER y Ssh' would 90 the cut ium bet
100000 a day you see it would amount to
great deal Now we are building railroad con-
meeting St Paul and Minneapolis to connect with
the Pacific coast We come long way. A year
ago or more in conversation with Judge Burke,
in his modest and anxious way ne seemed anxi-
Gus TO know what rate We could make. told
him thought we ought to open it at 40 cents.
lie seemed anxious to know how. He thought
! lin, had made mistake. This rate
sympathy. II We can carry your products East
We can bring your freight West We viii have
an opportunity soon to settle the matter.
here was to consider with the residents OF Seat
tie the condition of all the roads. You have
struggled along iu the past and maintained your
position as the metropolis of Puget sound
You did that through the efforts of
yeur own people, while our neighbor
the Northern Pacific. has had an interest
Pacific made many things possible that would
not have existed without it. The Northern Pa
eifie helped the growth of Seattle. When the
road was built they did not think there would
be another one built soon. They built the road
hastily. Hindsight is generally better than fore
sight. Give US plenty OF time and money and
we will bull pretty good road. We claim no
patent. will let you into the secret Get a
good map. Find the rivers and follow their
courses. climb the mountains aud thst
is all. Money, sound opinions and
convictions and back them up. We have spent
five years IN exploring your mountains. We
know them pretty thoroughly. We have a fair
idea of the shape OF the mountains.
In building our road we aim to get railway
in the right place, so that no future engineer
can come along and double us up by building
a better road That takes time and money but
when We have the road built it is as much
yours as ours. Your merchants are the agents;
through their hands we must distribute
the freight we haul and carry. They are
part OF our enterprise, and If we can
furnish the same facilities for less money than
Others we can 20 that extent serve you better.
We don't come here for scenery or fun. 1t is
purely a business proposition. We will lose no
money. We viii do this business with profit
Seattle cannot expect that any ambitious road
Will come III anu AuFtlsn Transportation at less
than cost Any railroad that expects that will
continue in business for their benefit without
return. They are building on a wrong tounda-
Gn Will p BE- poo BE 2sF1sd Or has a9
undivided interest in the prompt development
and upbuilting o. the country through which
il passes. We desire to come here on these
grounds. We want TO ask no more Tor ourselves
than an equal opportunity with any other com
pany. II is important 10 all interests that all
railroads shall be fairly treated and fairly con-
sidered in every way.
Mr.. Hill at this point asked the reporters to put
up their pencils and then plunged boldly into the
question OF terminal facilities. He cited the ex-
ample Of other cities and counseiled Seattle not
10 mar her chances by failing TO solve the rail-
road terminal problem in wise and equitable
manner. lie said he asked for no special favors
for the Great Northern road, but that modern
conditions had created such a state OF affairs
that cities were made aud unmade by turning a
deaf ear to the needs of railroads. He told the
pe0u.e that the Great Northern road would carry
more freight with q ton of coal than any
other road; that Seattle 500 miles
near Chicago than san Francisco, and that
the real values of the world were such as arose
from agriculture, timber and mineral resources
tina. Seattle had ali OF these things ana would
therefore prove valuable partner 10 the road.
Mr.. HnI closed by saying that he would b
glad TO meet the citizens, and that his road
would do all in its power to forward the best
interests Of the city.
A toast was proposed 10 the health OF Mr.. Hin.
which was Joined in and responded TO by every
guest OF the evening.
Chairman Furth then called upon Colonel
Clouch, who said thst owing to the iateness Of
the hour he would simply propose the tosst
THAT Seattle May Forever Remain the Queen
citv Of the Northwest" This toast was drunk
standing with via.
To the toast, 1.-The Northern Pacific Railroad"
A. f,hr II Mitchell f- Os Tacoma responded
H seconded Mr. hin in urging the citizens Of
seattle, and Tacoma well, 10 give greater ad
ysnteres for land transportation. He asked
that the Northern Pacific be given the facilities
10 10 the bu5i ness it had TO Go here
q Graves the next speaker. declared that
no great general development of this state
could take place until q market wss obtained
for the lumber. The Great Northern would
give low rates. enabling Washington lu mber TO
90 into the East.
NJ Hill added 'you have the supremacy now
in the Puge: sound commerce, bat no railroad
ran keep (, for you If you do
not DO something for yourselves The
TINA will never come when the Great
Nrrrhera's through trains will not run into
seattle We are willing 20 make concessions
10 the Northern Pac!ac for rlght-of-way and
terminals. We have done so before al St Paul ~
John Leary made vigorous speseh recalling
es-ly discrimination against Seattle by the
Northern Pacific. tie urged united action 10
receive from congress Gn appropriation for the
lake Washington canal. and then the Great
Northern terminals could so there.
Thomas Ewing touched briefly pom the min
s-al wealta OF tie state, and thea the dinner
0' TSo,s seated around the board were;
II I'M. ". 2. C.04gl. i. c. Neuielior, y. II
rrtire-, G. B AdRir, John Il ActiraE. Il.
Chapln. John Collins, a. Is. stewart, A. = b1r-