Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-04-28
LOADED FOR BEAR.
W6IGHTY MATTERS EEORE NE
CITY COUNCIL

The Jefferson Street Erancais" Siitl
Iudcrided- a Tacoma s:OiG-EBTg's
Rendition Of -. will YoU Come
Into Wv Parlor.,. said the SpIdcrIO
the fly - The Mayor Carries Il
Level Head Oh Divers Walters.
While no important action or
any proposition WAS taken by the
City Council, last night, several pro
Jccts OF considerable interest were
placed within the routine for decisive
results. All the Cnuncilmen were
present except Talcott and Phipps.
The Council plunged at once into
business 10y emitting to read the
minutes, and Mr. Byrne moved to re-
consider his motion to postpone action
on the Jefferson street right OF way
ordinance two weeks. This carried,
and the motion was voted down and
the ordinance and communication
of the Olympia Door and Lumber Co.
in relation to it were referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means. Tie
communication is as follows:
To his Honor the Mayor, and the CITY
Council of the City of Olympia-Gentle.
men: There was brought before YOUR
honorable body at your last regular meet
ing an ordinance granting To the y. =. r.
K. Co. Il franchise for a switch, or spur,
on Jefferson street, that relief NAV he af.
iordcd to the mill, now located there and
that other mills and factories may be in
duced To locate OH the tide lands living
between Long wharf and the east shore
line, and extending for one mile north of
lhlrd street, containing an area of more
than l60 acres, and which OH account of
the absence of the toredo, the non-preva-
lence OF high winds and storms and the
ABUNDANCE Of fine timber found at the
head OF the Sound. makes it one of the
best mill. and factory otto, on Puget
sound.
As To the ACCESSIBILITY of opening these
tlde lands by a SPUR, or switch, entering
them, so they may be available to the
manufacturer, and rs other utter worth
lcssness without the same, your honora-
bile body are no doubt aware: but we
wish TO make plain statement of orr
ease so that we may see lust what this
switch or no switch" question means to
Z
mentS as threat nor in the spirit of brag-
adncio. but as Il mere array of facts
Our business started six wears ago and
each year We have been Obliged to add
new machinery and increase facilities for
rapidly turning out work TO meet tho de.
nlanu Tor building material for this and
the two adjoining counties. This unpre-
! cepented demand suddenly ceased, and
| last year we found ourselves with a iarIrr
plant on our hands and a very small de-
nand for products in our line. The con
sequence has been that we have not done
more than half the business that our
plant Is capable of producing, and at the
| opening OF this season the same cor di
tons exist. and the prospects are that the
! local business will be even worse, unless
we can secure rail connection so that we
may do some Eastern business. Without
it. the outlook is indeed gloomy.
Our Olympia plant consists OF sawmill
with a daily capacity OF 40 0OG feet, a com
plete and well equipped sash and door
factory and shingle mill with a 10000
per day capacity. We have also porta-
bic sawmill of 10000 feet per day capacity.
which we are now operating in Chehalis
| county is fine belt of cedar This mill
was run to its full capacity all last sum
mer, the cut of which was sold to .Tne
Seatco Manufacturing Company" of Blu.
coda. and this fine lot of cedar was made
into beycled siding and every foot of il
shipped East, and Bucoda got the credit
of it instead OF Olympia, and all for the
reason that we had no trackaye facilities
and could not handle it. Our factory and
saw-niili IN Olympia is situated on block
81 of which we have a lease which ex-
pres next winier. This block was
brought up to the street level by means of
slabs. saw dust, ETC., and our present
buildings are erected thereon, and our
sawnill is in a very bad condition owing
TO the settling of the foundation and the
| nd -
perative that we must rebuild our mill
very soon.
Last winter we drew our plans for a
new mill to be located just north of our
present location, where we have property
rights. and We now have the piles on
hand which were got out for this special
purpose, never thinking for a minute
that when we asked for spur down JEFF
ferson street that there would he any OBJ
position, much less obstruction.
We have never asked for a spur on JEFF
ferson street before now tor the reason
that up to the present time we did not
consider that the business we had to offer
the railroad company would justify them
in going 10 the expense of building the
switch, but on the occasion of MIR, Dickin-
sons recent visit to the city, we asked
him i'm regard to binding a switch TO our
mill, and after visit 10 our plant and
looking at the tide lands to the north Ct
it, he replied without hesitation THAT
MS company WOulu Dulld spur down
, Jefferson street il We would furnish the
ties and the city would grant the right %:
way" never asking for guarantee of any
: amount OF business. but simply looking
to future development for that.
Certainly the railroad company have
. made more concessions in this case than
the facts in tho case seem to warrant.
Now that the question has been raised
, and there is some doubt about the city
allowing n switch to be put in, we are
Obliged To put away all thoughts OF relo
eating our mill near our present site, fol
any one can SEQ tho utter foolishness OF
putting mill where we cannot have
3 trackage facilities.
. During last summer we employed al
average of fifty men and our pay rol
averaged about So. 90 per mouth. an,
$ during the year 1892 We manufactured
: about three million feet of lumber, which
, we think is very good showing consd
, ering the dull season, and we can say
l without fear of contradiction that in TIL,
r last five years our business has brough
: more outside money into the town thai
any other business except that of tho Pu
! get Sound Pipe Company.
r In conclusion we would say that IL W,
r cannot get spur to our mill, that we will
De driven from our present site and proU
ably from the city, Just as effectively a
d an Irish tenant Is evicted by the British
landlord, because wa cannot and will no
be content TO stay where we are and d,
only a local business. without profit I,
!, ourselves or the city either. You are II,
l. doubt aware that the Puget Sound Pip
p company, so far the best business in tn,
city rs IN Just the same fix as we are, thei
r old building long ago too small for then
are now almost ready'to collapse on then
= and they must rebuild, and if Olympus
=. has no site for them they too will have t,
g go elsewhere. %
i We hope that your honorable bod,
| la 10,
+. meeting and take up the above mentione,
! ordinance land aftera proper revision o
d II, so that the interests OF the city may b
4 properly guardeO and put it on its prop
er course, that it may be considered an
e final disposition ff1ade of it, for we ar
anxious 10 know where we are at."
Yours Respectfully,
~ OLYMPIA Doom 4 LUMBER COMPANY,
Per Z. ii. SPRINGER, President.
p T. s. Since writing the above we hav
been interviewed by parties who we bt
e lieve would establish large flour mi
" on the tide lands below where we col
template building our new saw mill an
Y factory, Ii reasonable Inducements wen
!. offered them, which inducements woul
certainly have to include a switch.
y A resolution bearing on the sam
W subject was introduced by Councilma
t. Byrne and adopted. 1t read as TO
d lows: ="
q "Be it resolved by the City Counc
that it Is the sense of this Council that
n necessary to tho growth and prosperity
Olympia that proper railroad lacilitit
be provided for the shipment of mani
Il featured products. and that the Commi
tee on Ways and Means be instructed |
C investigate and report As to the re
II, means of providing such facilities an
" also the best location tor the necessar
| frun hnx t..t