The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-07
WHAT HILL WILL DO.
Bring Lumbermen Here and
Ship Their Product East.
PROMISES 4 FoRTv-cENT RATE.
Figures ON the Cost Of Handling Freight
-Pxsparing Plans for Swift
Pacific Steamers.

President Hill, Of the Great Northern
railroad. and his party left for the East on
the $40 p. m. train on the Northern
Pacific road yesterday. Mr.. Hill goes to
Great Falls to attend meeting OF some
company in which he is interested.
Mr.. Hill talked freely of his plans for the
development Of the country tributary to
his road and Of what he could accomplish
in that direction. saying:
In three months you viii see . great change
In the railroad situation here, and In a year you
will see . wonderful change. I'm not scatter
ing any promises around, but We intend 70 help
develop this section. No, We don't intend to
make any war on the Northern Pacific. We are
friendly TO that road. and IL has troubles enough
on hand at present, but II It cannot keep up
with the processIon-weil, that's not our
funeral The trouble with the Northern Pacific?
Well. you can draw your own conclusions from
the fact that the interest charges OF that road
alone will pay all the expenses OF our road.
Now about this transcontiuentai bust
ness, let me give you few figures.
The whole business last year amounted
TO SSl. co.. OF this amount $24,o00.Oo
was California business. 100000 belonged
to British Columbia and only 100000 to
Oregon and Washington. Now If we reduce
rates we shall develop business on our own
lines, but the California roads are not in the
same position To reduce rates as We are. They
would lose AZ much a. We now have. 80 what
ever business we develop will be ours
We propose 70 develop the lumber business of
this region. We not only propose to extend the
present market, but also TO find new markets
for It Why, II you were to ship 1000. 600 feet of
lumber day that would only be per cent. of
the lumber cut wcst of Michigan. Next year
am going TO get tho lumbermen OF the prairie
states together aud bring them here and show
tkntt
advantage. think accent rate will help the
lumber business considerably and we shall make
ss-cent rate to Chicago That gives US 37lz
cents NJ our proportion OF the haul. Just let me
snow you what we can do in that matter. Say
We have line $50 miles long. The average
cost per train mile in Iowa IL 81 East OF there IL
IL . few cents less, but say IL is 81 80 In this
mountain region. That would make the cost of
train over the whole line $500. At 40 cents
per hundred we would only have to haul 800
tons or train OF fifteen cars TO meet this cost.
~ so cents per hundred It would be twenty
cars. But we propose to haul trains of thirty.
dve cars. OF course we shall have to have help
ers over the mountain here. II you will take
the trouble to observe the trains OF these other
roads you will notice that they average less than
fifteen cars. They cannot haul as large trains
~ ours, and hence VIC can make money at rates
they cannot live on.
Mr.. Hill says he is preparing to carry
out his plans for the establishment of
steamship lines to connect with his road
ct this port. He has already arranged to
put two handsome steel steamers on the
run between here and Alaska next spring.
He is also making arrangements to have
ocean liners from Puget sound to China
and Japan, and is having designs prepared
for boats which will make the trip across
the Pacific In nine DAYS and have n noss;
BILE speed of twenty-four knots an hour.
The Canadian Pacific steamers now make
the trip in eleven and one-haif days.
These steamers will probably be built at
Cramps yard.
Mr.. Hill is making sort of missionary
OF himself to induce settlers and capital.
lists to come to this section. He is con-
stantly bringing to the attention of the
lumbermen of the East the extent and i'm
portance Of the lumber interests of the
Sound, as his proposal to bring the lum-
bermen of the prairie states on an excur-
sion to the Sound indicates.