The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-25

Last sDeing a agitatten vas started. In
which u 49, made = appear that tbs
1aFtnonse VS. aiding down hill and that
eny moment the expensive and fnastistic
pni'dtng mixnt toppis over the edge Of tbs
nAi ana bury the lever part Of the tswn
n orieka. mortar and bad deiaiix II vas
one a the periodical vixisations at ths
caiamify howiers and psssiHisss Of the
vtfaient type. and by most people wzs for
gotten That the hill was sieugHing ITSELF
6ova Into Yesler avenue. as II MAS then
eAiied, AID had been doing so for years.
Vas fact well known. bar the Idea Of
seeing the galvanized iron goddess Of JUS
lscs tAreenIng over the hiun VAS "a. or
ixinai and striking as an idea that Tiers
~ere serious-nlinded people who visited
the eishoerhsad and added volumes AZ
unprofessionaI and unimpoytant opinion
a. TO the safety Of the eir6 as an Abiding
place Nervous felix moved away. and
sought houses further up the hill or down
the Hill. In which 20 live.
Ihs city considered the ease serious
enough 10 investigate, and City Engineer
Thomson sunk some rits. discovered that
the surfaes soil reposed al . sub-stfata OF
blue clay that bad springs OF water run
Ming In every direction II was then be-
heved that the courthouse was menaced,
and Mr.. Thomson devised scheme to
drain The hill Of the springs. and save
the pile OF ugis construction that Is called
the courthouse. While the system of
drainage vas being established, Jai,er
DICK Burkman announced that the
springs had been discovered In q brck-
en- water supply PipA underneath the
basement door OF the courthouse Every
body laughed, and Dick WAS hailed as
discovoreF. The leak vas mnnded. the
springs ceased flowing, the courthouse
settled down on rs foundation. deeiiiag 10
stay where II was. bur the hill kent right
% sieughinx. night and day, iesn INTO
Tester asenus, BY this time called Yesier
~sy- An attempt at placer mining to set
ria Of The sell was INDUCED In and for a
number Of days irs engine did its best
g make things worse on yeslar way
Whaie this vas geing on. the employees of
the seattle city railway we're working to
Keep the dirt out Of the slot, g that the
operations OF the road might be continued.
etiii the hin kept sliding down, and the
people on top Of 1t kept en- making up
their minds 10 quit housekeeping, AMI 20
70 boarding. The employees OF the cable
road worked so as 10 keep the track clear
untl patience ceased To be virtue. and
A. r. Haas, the superintendent OF the
nsad. addressed ths following letter to
tae street commissioners.
nSeattle. Wash, Nov. =, ISL.
=. Little, Esq. ssreet Commission
g Seattle, Wash.-DeAr Sir: I beg TO
to recent rains or other causes. Yssier
way, near Seventh street, and below. is
rendered impossible owing to large
smounts Of dirt which are allowed TO sc-
neesssary. In diseharging my trust and
operating the Seattle city railway. 10
s5gd.e large quantities Of this dirt my
ytment to the trust estate which / repre-
sent ! therefore request Of you ana the
city OF Seattle through you that this
s STE DC kept clear 20 that ! may b
wbeh am sn,isa s e una ss the the
laws Of this state and the ordinances OF
this city. And l desire further to notify
e sns' .n:,s tn. duy o. the part q
to look 70 the city for such damages as I
may sustain In consequence Of its neg-
iecs In this rssReet- Yours ssrn .ral 1,oon
Receiver Seattle City Railway Co.
By a. r. HAAS. Superintendent"
Three days passed. during which time
the picks. shovels and wAeelbarfows OF
the cable company were kept at work
keeping the dirt out OF the slot. At the
end Of the three days Mr.. Haas received
the following reply to his oommuaica ton;
M, Sea aI iIls; wsss. s No.. 9 ~
Proper notice was served upon your en-.
pioyes at work upon yester way. near
rsctins them to cease plscsns cath or
other distractions In the Travelled road
way 10 the sou;n portion Of said yesier
way. investigation shows that your em-
and other obs auctions along said road
way. You are therefore notifted that I'M
less such employees Immediately cease
placing the same upon said street. and
HrirSg 1l and harefn.
fore placed upon said roadway are re-
moved within twenty-four hours, that
you and your. employees viii Be prosecuted
according TO law for said acts very Ts-
- = "I qApps q r gss lie. WORKS
In spite Of the corrsspondence. the hin
kept sliding down into Yssler ways threat-
ening the tracks and the slot Of thf Seattle
City Railway Company.
In addition 10 his .etter. Ny. Thomson
says that the board Of public works has
done all that /, can do to stop the hill
from coming down, bur Il VIII net stop
/; keeps on sliding down. The employees
o. the cable road must. however. 30 says
the board OF public works. refrain from
interfering with tranac on the south SIDE
OF Yesler way, or some arrests -
made. The charge Ii made that the road
takes the Dirt a. Il sips down Into the
street and dumps II over into the road
way. while the cable road people claim
that the art IL no, theirs; that II 10 the
city's, and the city must take care OF II.
In reference 10 The statement made that
the company no longer has franchise.
been douhle-t-acked. Mr.. Haas, the su-
owing 20 the fact that the road has never
said 10 Post-tnseltgencer
rerresen "a tive last night:
The statement II absurd on the face
Of s. The last board Of equalization as
sess-d the value OF IL franchise - the
company a. 4 par, Of It's estimated valu-
alton Another thing-iae orss franchise
h2s never expired, nor has II at any time
bsen reseindsd. repealed. modified or
amended. A second franchise was granted
81 the time the route OF the roads return
to the city was changed yssier way orig
tnsry stopped al the top Of the hill. where
the company's tressse work commenced.
furnishing the grade 10 the power house
A continuation OF the street would have
led Il down into the gulch. subsequent TO
the frs: franchise the street was plated
beyond the h.lrs edge, and fellows. As ]
said, me prosiles OF the guioa- Our trestie
work simply stands n fesier wey ana
does nos form any portion Of IL By cur
SPECIAL permission the city butt . foot
way attached 70 our fres'.e work con-
s;rpct.on- AT A. times our signs have
warned people that Inc property was pr3-
vate.
AT the tine OF the arst srsochsse the
road led around close 70 the AXE and re-
turned 90 the city By Jackson street
When the second franchise ~as drawn q
gave Us q rasAt Of wzy frcGa rssi<r Az
enue TO Jackson street On Rainier street.
ard stipulated that ire road should dog-
Sle-track when It's resources would admit
Of suca expense Ther. was nothing COM
rO.sory uE.er existing circumstance We
clam that re are living Up 20 our part OK
the agreement. and ~s eannoE run taronsa
Ye~.er way unless q IS cleared for cur
bus. ness Ore % the conditions Of our