The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-14
TO BUY TERMINALS.
Northern Pacific Wants the
Transfer Property.
RECEIVERS TAKE UP OPTION.
They Alss Get optson On the Stock
Trying 20 Carry Dat IN kItenstve
Terminal Plan

The receivers of the Northern P8ciac
railroad have taken steps 20 sec1reIss Own
trslghs terminal. for the road IN this city
by the parcnase OF the property OF tie Sc
aEsle Transfer Company. They have given
Iae transfer company notice Of their IL
tention 10 avail themselves OF TIE option
the road has Of 5uyiog the terminals 81
their appraised value and are understood
70 have also secured an option on the ma
iority OF the stock Of the transfer COM
any
The contract under which the receivers
propose 20 make ghl. purchase Is the out
growth Of the famous broad-gauge "trip
ngat 81 Isss-sa The strip extends across
the tide OATS from Seattle junction 10 King
street. and was claimed by the Puget
Sound Shore Railroad Company as
right-of-say. On December 8. ISIS. ,ha.
company entered into contract sith the
Seattle Transfer Company by which il
leased the strip TO the transfer company
for ten years. the latter TO build freight
warehouses on il and handle ali the freight
business Of the railroad in and ont of the
city on certain terms. The railroad com
psny. however. found that IL could not
give possession OF the land, the Columbia
ing prior right. The transfer company
nevertheless began TO build its warehouses
ana pitched battle with the forces Of the
Columbia q Puget Sound followed. Each
party mad hundreds of men employed, the
one in trying TO erect the buildings and the
other in preventing the work. The rival
forces were kept busy large part OF the
time in having one another arrested and
in bailIng one another out. Then every
body enjoined everybody else connected
with the controversy and the matter hung
fire in the courts until June g. 1859, two
DAYS after the great fire, which burned the
railroad tracks and cut of rail communi-
cation with the rest OF the world. Neces-
sity forced q settlement and il vas reached
By the Puget Sound Shore agreeing to rec
ognize the right of the Columbia & Puget
Sound TO the strip ana leasing it from the
company. Ii then gave the transfer COM
pany possession, the warehouses were
built and peace has since reigned. The
Northern Pacific d Puget Sound Shore
Railroad Company, a subsidiary corpora
ton TO the Northern Pacific, has since
succeeded the Puget Sound Shore and has
inherited its rights under the contract.
This contract provides that at the exp ira-
ton of i've years from its date the railroad
company may purchase the property of
the transfer company at its appraised
value, to be ascertained by five appraisers,
two appointed by each party. who are to
select fifth. Notice was given by teie-
graph TO the transfer company on Deem
Der Il. the date when the five years ex-
pired, that il would take advantage of this
privilege. and the appraisers will shortly
be appointed. This step, ii is said on good
authority, has been preceded by Others in
tended to secure the control of the transfer
company's stock. for c. III. Prescott, of
Tacoma, acting as receivers agent OBJ
tanned an option on the majority of the
stock at the time of the receivers visit
few weeks ago and this option has still
some years to run.
These measures are simply in pursuance
of a plan which the Northern Pacific has
been trying 10 carry out for some time for
the improvement OF its terminal facilities
IN this city, though the litigation in regard
10 the rams horn" and Railroad avenue,
and more recently the appointment of a
receiver for the Lake Shore road and its
own financial difficulties, have prevented
its accom- piishment. The plan was TO
build a new track on Railroad avenue
south. which is an extension of South
Second street. TO freight yards at the head
of the bay, and TO use this only for freight
traffic, devotlng the present track to pas
senger traffic exclusively, to make direct
connection on Railroad avenue y with
the Terminal Railway & Elevator Com
pany's line to the grain warehouse and
to use the extensive water front prop
eriy of the Lake Shore road, of which
control was acquired about the sane
time. for passenger terminals. At
the same time the YesIer wharf was pur-
chased TO be used for transferring freight
and passengers from rail 10 ship and vice
versa. Circumstances have combined 10
prevent the execution of this comprehen-
slye plan. When the new freight track
reached kjnnear island, at the head of the
bay, its progress was blocked by injunc-
tions from hinnear 4 Brawley. the owners
OF the island, and by orders from the war
department that drawbrid must be
butt across the east mouth of the Duyar,-
Ish river, which would have rendered the
track useless Tor the PURPOSES for which IL
was intended. The controversy with the
city prevented the granting of a franchise
Tor the track over the \ the Strengthening
Oh kuS " on FsalsFpau avenue south
1csIer avenue and the construction of a
spur 10 the ies.er wharf and the con-
siruction OF new passenger terminals was
postponed until the litigation with the
city vas ended and n friendly arrange
ment could re made with the other rail-
roads on the whole terminal question.
Recent legal decisions have more clearly
defined the rights Of the parties 20 the rail-
road problem, and IL seems as though the
Northern Pacific receivers were preparinr
10 take advantage of a settlement Ii IS
only in exceptional eases that the courts
allow receivers of a railroad to expend anv
part OF the receipts IN acquiring more
property. and the action IN this case "a
significant that the Northern Pacific re-
ceIyers appreciate the necessity Of Selling
the opportunity 10 secure good terminals
here While il offers and that, whenever the
road becomes again able TO make large ex-
pcndltares on improvements. an effort will
lee made u carry out the plan for the c-es-
ton Of adequate terminals in this city.
THE FLOODS ARE ABarISG.