The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-23
SILVER A BAD OMEN.
Agitation Curtails Train Sery-
Ice on the s. & /.
AL DUE TO FREE COINAGE tai x
No Orders at the Lumber Ngflls-
Slack Business Affects the
Railroad.

The first blow struck BY the silver craze
on the Immediate business interests of this
section has fallen II comes in the form.
OF reduced train service on the Seattle Il
International railway. BEGINNING with to-
morrow that road will curtal its pasSen-
ger service BY taking of one train each
way. The train to be abandoned is the
local between Woodinviile and Woollsy.
The travelling public interested az All
times IN the AFFAIRS OF THE road. viii natu-
rally ask two questions: First. how will
the new reduction affect the time sched-
uie and the employees: and second. by
what Is this compression OF business
caused at season usually reckoned the
busiest in the Seattle & international cal
endar.
In answer TO the first question, by an
economical and very simple arrangement
the Seattle g. International train now leav-
ing Seattle at 4:So O'Clock p. m. will con-
time 10 leave at that time, and ii will run
through TO North Bend. On the other run,
the train DOW due 10 arrive in Seattle al
1919 o'clock a. m. viii continue to arrive
al that hour, coming through from North
Bend. This arrangement will cause no
confusion in time at this end OF the line.
The chief difference lies in the fact that
from and after tomorrow there will be but
one train day each way from Woodin-
the crews heretofore employed on those
trains Will be laid Off Where viii they
find work.
Free silver Talk Did 1t.
Now as TO the cause. This IS TO be
found in the free silver scare which has
diminished the business OF the road until
IL became absolutely necessary to cut ex-
penses somewhere. Fortunately the public
is not left TO mere inference on this point.
The authorities or the road themselves
plainly and unequivocally state that the
agitation of free coinage Is al the bottom
OF the matter, and the intimation is clear
ly made that If the sliding scale of husi-
ness is not stopped. still further reductions
will be necessary.
This was first brought out in an inter-
view with President John n. Bryant on
his return from Banff Springs last week.
AT that time he predicted reduction In
the train service of the road. but as he
thought il premature TO publish any thing
on that point. Fridays Post-Intelligencer
quoted him as saying only that the pres
ent tendency of investors should be an
object lesson 10 workingmen, who viii be
directly affected by it, President Bryant
was much more specific in stating both
the cause and the results. among the latter
being direct and immediate necessity for
the road to curtail its expenses. i venture
10 assert, ne d11sI, iildt We 90 HUI StoAA
alone in this matter. Nearly all our IN
dsstries here are more or less dependent
on Eastern capital. The present political
agitation in favor OF free silver is causing
Eastern capitalists to call in all contingent
investments. and postpone all contemplated
extensions of business.
Orders Being Withheld.
Look at the inevitable result on the
Single and lumber business in this state.
Big Eastern buyers who have been accus-
toned to place large orders with our deal
ers at this season of the year are with
holding those orders, just as Mr.. stetson
Mr.. Aver, Colonel Griggs and others have
stated In the Post-Intelhgencer. What
affects the shippers, OF course. affects the
railroads. We shall be compelled 10 re-
duee our expenses. To do this We must
reduce our working force. i regret to see
men laid off now when work Is hard 10 get
and money seems TO be getting closer But
there is no alternative. do not see what
Iaboring men can be dreaming OF when
they advocate free silver and talk or yot-
ing for Bryan. The Bryan ana Tree SILVER
agitation Il directly responsible for the
increasing depression in business. 1t
seems 10 me that the tendency on the part
of investors TO which | have Just referred
ought 20 he an object lesson 10 all the
working men of the state, who VIII be d.
rectly affected by 1T
Superintendent Kline OF the seattle
International is equally clear and positive
in his statement of the reasons which oc-
casion the reduction in train service. our
road" he said last night. is largely de-
pendent for its freight traffic on lumber
and forest products. This season OF the
year is usually the busiest among the mills
along our line. But Eastern orders are
being withheld simply because men there
ere naturally unwilling TO open up con-
tracts in the face of a possibly deprecated
currency and an unstable standard OF
values. The Post-Intelligencer has recent
~ published several interviews with lum-
heruen. and they are all directly 10 the
point. They furnish the real reason why
!. =. necessary for the road 10 cut down