The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-27
LETTER FROM CAKES
President of Northern Pacific
Writes to Seattle.
THE NEW LINE OF STEAMERS.
They Are Not Owned by Northern Pa
cifc People-No Trackage FAcili-
ties to Seattle Wharf,

At the meeting of the trustees of the
Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon
the following letter from President Thomas
f. Cakes, of the Northern Pacific rail
road, was read:
am il receipt of yours of the 18th instant in
regard To having the ships OF the Northern Pa
ciic Steamship Company, plying between Puget
sound and China. stop at your port. Let me
say at the outset that this steamship com pany
is Northern Pacific only in name. Neither
the railroad company nor any officer connected
with il has any interest whatever in the steam
ship company. The stock OF the steamship
company is owned exclusively in Great Britain,
and It's management. is in the hands Of Mr.. ".
b. Dodwell, to whom your letter viii be fo--
warded.
We have good dock at Seattle, which was
purchased for the purpose of connecting il with
our business along the water front. and thus
place our company in as good position for in
terchange OF commerce as We are at Tacoma;
but our efforts 10 put i'll the necessary tracks
have been defeated in one way and another, so
We are no better eff in this respect today than
were at the time the wharf was purchased.
! trust your people understand that we cannot
do business without facilities, and SO lar as il
may be practicable l hope they will cooperate
with our people in securing track connection
between the wharf and existing tracks under
our control.
A letter had been sent few DAYS before
to Goodall, Perkins & Co., asking that the
Alaska steamers stop little longer at Sc
attic in order to give the passengers a
chance to view the city. The answer of
Goodall, Perkins & Co. was rather curt.
They began by saying: I'VE beg to say
that the Alaska steamers trips are ar
ranged with the view of showing the tour
lists and passengers the beauties of Alaska:
il being assumed that there is plenty of
time and of opportunity for them to gee
such cities as Seattle before starting or on
their return" The letter continued that
there was no law TO prevent passengers
anxious to see Seattle from coming here
and spending six hours. or even sixty, before
the steamer started. If they wanted TO
look at Seattle they could get off here on
their way back and take boat to Tacoma.
The Alaska trip was arranged in order to
give passengers as much time as possible
in the places diff cult 10 get at. and so TO
spend time in cruising about the Sound
was out of the question.
4 letter from Congressman John l..
Wilson announced that though he had
not as yet succeeded in getting the sal
aries of local steamboat inspectors raised.
he hoped TO accomplish this purpose before
the session closed.
Another interesting letter was from ].
Berger, OF Markdorf, Germany. He said
that many honest and hard-working Ger
man farmers would come here If they only
knew of the advantages offered by the
Pacific Northwest. He suggested that
some of the pamphlets be printed in Ger
man.
Secretary J. w. Dodge was given an in
definite leave of absence 10 devote himself
to the task OF establishing here furniture
factory and an iron furnace