The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-06

Either the Great Northern ar
Northern Pacific.
The local effects IN business circles of
the recent foods, waShouts, Billiards ana
ali the other ills that railroads are heir to
is becoming felt IN a most unpleasant
manner. Nearly all OF the big business
houses and many of the smaller ones, are
not only running low in the matter OF gen
sral stocks, but special shipments OF holi-
day goods are stalled all along the trans
continental lines between North Pacific
coast points and 81. Paul Connecting
lines are feeling the stress Of blocked tTaI-
fic and general decentralization Is the re-
suit OF those features OF contracts for de-
livery classified as ''acts OF providence"
The immediate effect IS bad, but that OF
the near future promises 10 be worse.
There IS not a single suggestion OF the
rnoutnings of the calamity hoWier IN the
forecast, nor will 1t in any way be a poi-J-
zeal result; 1t Is simply misfortune that
this end of the country must Su1er IN nav
ing been cut off from its base OF supplies
and the markets for its products. In no
department of commerce Is the state OF
Washington, and particularly the western
part OF the state. interested as much as in
the lumber business, that being the pr.n-
cipal feature Of trade relations that Is ac-
dually produced here and which looks for
sts market IN a section OF the country fnat
only the iron rails OF railroads connect IT
with.
The lumber business. domestic and for
etgn, has contributed in greater meas
IRE to the upbEilding OF the cities OF the
Sound than all other businesses put to-
Cether. There are 20.000 men, directly and
indirectly. engaged IN the production and
shipment of lumber and wood products in
nj +FalN~ inc hat
number by reasonable number, four,
representing taose dependent on the 1000,
Il makes $1,000 people.
Lumber, shingles and other wood prod
uCts shipped East are generally made
upon time bass for payment or from
thirty, sixty or ninety days. Any consul
cradle delay in delivery or returned pay
ments necessarily works a hardship on
every one connected with the industry.
and on many Others whose best business
is that of the mill people.
The payments for shipments sent East
in September and October are only COM
mencing to come in now, and delayed
mails, bearing drafts, that are days later
than expected. have contributed 10 more
or less commercial distress. Some esti-
mate of the amounts involved may be adj
dnced from a review OF the figures that
are presented below. showing the business
of September and October, that is just now
commencing to be felt.
For the first month named there were
col car loads of lumber shipped East. aver
aging 1900 feet to the car, at $il per 1000.
That feature makes the value of the ium-
Der shipments for September $ss,l65. Dur
ing the same month there were i,2S3 car
loads OF shingles, averaging sls4 per car.
sent East The shingle shipments. conse-
ouently, for September amounted TO
$236 072
For October the lumber shipments were
5Ss cars, and of shingles l,323 cars. bring
ing the figures up 70 $50. 1875 and S2iS, i32 re-
spectively, making a total OF s674,s64 for
the two months.
Those amounts representing the big ag
gregate are coming IN now slowly. and the
effect of delay is being n a measure neu-
tralized by the receipts of payments. Such
embarrassment a s has been felt was owing
10 ehe few days delay In the mails. but
that in anticipation VIII be attributable
10 the several weeks which have elapsed
between the time OF shipment and receipt.
IL will be fully rhirty days before any ef-
feet of this delay will be felt. and from
that time on for a period of probably sixty
days longer the payments VIII come in
and xhing.eS Cons5gnmenis will be for
warded.
An amount fully equal to that involved
I'm the September and October sales IL tied
up in the December aud November sales
that were affected by the recent foods,
slides and washouts.
Traffic Again Interrupted.
While business men are undoubtedly suf-
ferers en- the matter Of delayed freight the
real losers by the storms and washolits are
the railroads themselves. For more than
three weeks receipts in a great measure
have been cut off. while expenses have
greatly Increased. Neither the Great
Northern nor Northern Pacific Is getting
into the CITY with either freight or pas
seagers. although the latter IS putting
both down n Tacoma. The White river
bridge. or az least A seventy-f0ot section
of the bridge and approach. Is down again.
and the water, which IS not subs.ding In
the least, entirely prevents repairs The
Northern Pacific service on the other side
OF White r.ver. while irregular = through.
TO interference thus far having been en-
couufered east of Puyallup beyond a bad
place AT the second crossing Of the Yell
1oWstone, east OF Livingstone.
Tire Great Northern has cars A. Everett
and a various points between he sky
kouish bridge and Index. a both Of which
places the present trouble * being expert
euced
All involved roads are making heroic cf-
FORTS 10 StrAig}rle,a matters out. each nav
ing construction ard repair gangs a. tha
places that arc n had shape ar threat-
ened. r.eporGs from the Cascade mount-
aims say that every mountain stream ass
become a torrent. and an increase in the
hlga water near the coast would not be
uae expected The Raging river. IN Eastern
hfrE county. - Gov dong ala that is
name Implies. The Snohonssn river mas
risen 60 nearly the ponE marked as it,
/ highest last month. The Duwamish and
SSag-t are bosh very high.
Price OF Beef Affected.
The f--ce o. beef and mutton in -ha f,.ai
n1arkrt has r.ssn s-nce she severe storms
/ - lsich ss~Esa early tn the " inter-. White
fnc w=ateer Was uof eo3d enough ro l<iT
stock grazing east % ere rnoaa.e ms hv
covering the ranges Win sBo& rancaers
were forced - commence feeding cattle
for tae winter tbs causes a Serious de-
I tercrat cu "a &Aa quaijty cf .he stock fa
( past wears ra-fteTuen Rave come 20 East
earn Nasa on ard Oregon frona Mon
tana ans bought young cattle wat~h they
Rave pat CAST IN farten oB taesr extensive.
ranges Fae number and quality 81 stock
50 ncaEst WN NOS BE- Aa4f - great mis-
year as before
Eat5lc are IN 3 way comparable 10 mons.
sa tnaf }5@ prices have caasss4 many 20
G3st trying 10 rafse tneas. A tas zs-ae. Of
fse fasures of corn crops. - e,r-sfy~,sa
several seasons many calttsrren g9rst che
business. Tarer = u5w a sssorsasrs n ,aa
Amer iSs2n ctt.ss -oa<keE. ard CONSEQUENTLY
a ralse 81 prise
WA shesn. eaTsv u nter Nas caused
taern - se1 poor. making a tssss noth 30
Ene ceaeFS ard r1e butchers TgoTs have
sosa wej, tire farmers p th5s safe getting
osTyer pV-csss thar sa TIRE Eas7