Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-21
PRESIDENT HILLS SPEECH

When Mr.. Hill made his famous
address to the Fairhaven Chamber of
Commerce some months ago, he COM
mented on the plain business PROPOSE
ton that railroad activity on Belling-
ham bay would he commensurate with
the development Of the natural resour-
ces of the Bay. Build up trade for
the Great Northern and we will be
compelled to come to you for it. Get
traffic ready for us, and our road must
come; the law of demand and supply
will necessitate it, and acting on the
belief that the residents of this section
would follow his advice, and knowing
that the resources were here awaiting
development, Mr.. Hill has gone vigor-
ously to work on the construction of
his road, which is now completed and
under operation. But what of the
trade which was to bring his road
here? Has it kept pace with Mr.. HIPS
labors? 1t is worthy of note that in one
branch of trade alone, the shingle in
dustry, such an extensive market has
been opened up for the Whatcom
county manufacture that the entire
present reight capacity of the Great
Northern cauld not handle it, The in
ference from this plain fact is obvious. |
Mr.. Hill must increase the carrying ca
pacity of his road, and especially at
this point. That he has not done so
already is not because he has not been
pressed by the necessity so to do, but
because his enterprise is a vast one and
dependent upon contingencies at nu-
merous points. The difficulties and
problems are great, but his is a master
hand BEFORE which the the difficulties
are fast melting away and the prob
lens are becoming solved. In the
very nature of things the delay of &C
tive operations at Fairhaven cannot be
so very far in the future.
Moreover, the necessity of increased
activity on the part of the Great North
ern at this point is not only made i'm
perative by the increasing output of
shingles alone. There are other devel-
opments which are beginning to clamOr
as loudly for attention as is the shingle
industry. The demand for our coke
and coal from interior points is begin
ming to be heard with an emphasis
which must soon be respected, while
the market for our fruit and the pro-
ducts of our gardens and farms is ex-
banding with the return of each sea- 4,
son. Orders for railroad and bridge
timbers are coming in constantly from
the East to intensity the demand for
railroad facilities, so that
when Mr.. Hill again visits Fairhaven, 1
as he is expected to do before long, the C
Chamber of Commerce can revert to s
his address with the forceful remark a
that so far as carrying freight Eastward 4
Is concerned the Great Northern need c
not stop at any other point than Fair o
haven to have its full carrying capacity c
occupied. But Mr.. Hill need not visit Q
tairhaven in order to learn this fact. Q
DE already knows it. He knows it !.
wen better than the manufacturers 4
md producers who are resident here
know it, for he is in touch with the q
Eastern demand for the products Of =
Whatcom county, and more than any :,
outsider can conceive is be making :
Efforts to earn the profits to be secured =
rom this part Of his great enterprise. -
Some day his plans will be perfected at !.
'ther points, and his eyes will turn to- =
Yards Fairhaven. Then ~