Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-10-15
PORT TOWNSEND SOUTHERN.
A scheme Said to he on Foot to
Finish The Road and Connect
Portland with the EntrePort on
Puget Sound.

Finish The Road and Connect
Portland with the Entreport on
Puget Sound.
Orcgonian.
W. b. Dennis, president of the Port
Townsend, Wash, Board of Trade, is
at the Portland. He had spent several
days in the city, interviewing leading
merchants, bankers and railroad men,
concerning the project of building a
railroad from Portland to Port Towns
end. The Port Townsend Southern
railroad has been the subject of
good deal of recent newspaper gossip.
This road is part of the assets of the
Oregon improvement Company. The
entire property of that company is
advertised to be sold November 6, at
Seattle.
A rumor emanated from San
Francisco and asserted that the South
ern Pacific was negotiating for the
purchase OF the Port Townsend South
ern, the plan being to complete
the line to Portland, thus giving the
Southern Pacific an outlet to the
Sound and enabling her to put on a
line OF steamers to Alaska to complete
with the Pacific Coast Steamship Com
pany. The rumOr was credited in Sc
attic. The papers of that city came
out in scare headlines, warning the
merchants to wake up, lest Portland,
by means of this line to Port Towns
end, would give Seattle sharp race
for the Klondike business.
A later rumor was to the effect that,
under the plan of reorganization of
the Union Pacific, the Port Towns
end Southern was to be gobbled up,
and the old original scheme Of Charles
Francis Adams carried out. This
scheme was to make Port Townsend
the Puget Sound terminus of the
Union Pacific system. Had finances
not gone to pieces in 1923, this
scheme would probably have been con-
summated. 1t was under this plan
and expectation that Elijah Smith. at
that time president of the Oregon I'M
provement Company, began the con-
struction of the Port Townsend South
ern.
Mr.. Dennis said yesterday: "The
completion of this railroad is the inn
mediate solution of the problem of the
Klondike business for Portland. 1t
will be great advantage to this city
in other ways also. 1t will be worth
more to Portland than any direct
steamship line which might he put on
from Portland, and would cost less
than the plans comprehended in the
proposed million-dollar Alaska Steam
ship & Trading Company. which
learn is now being seriously con-
templated by Portland capital. The
water route for the Alaska business is
from the Sound. and the principal
business will be done there. The only
way for Portland to get that business
is to come to the Sound by rail. If
Portland had railroad of its own to
Port Townsend, with such n fine
harbor as is there afforded, it would
get the lions share of the business
away from Seattle. It would at least
be the gateway for all the business
from the south and southeast to the
Missouri river.
"At present all of this business
goes right pass Portland to Seattle.
Besides, the railroad would be
permanent outlet, not only to Alaska
business, but for Puget sound business,
and to China or Japan in competition
with Great Northern and Northern
Pacific influences. The only way
Portland can successfully compete
with Seattle is to 60 directly into Sc
attle's territory, and, having the
superior capital, Portland will get the
business"
Mr.. Dennis stated that he was not
asking Portland people for any sub
scriptions or financial help. He
wanted only that Portland should I'M
derstand and appreciate the great OPP
portunity which to-day is knocking
at her door. After that he wanted
their moral support, influence and
energetic assistance in presenting the
matter to railroad people. With Port.
lands backing, he thought the capital
could be had for building the road.
Only 70 miles of new road are neces-
sary to form through connection.
Mr.. Dennis is ample supplied with
maps and fund of convincing argu-
ments in support of his contention
that Portland would derive great
benefits from a railroad connection
with Port Townsend. He will
remain in the city several days, pur-
suing his work among the business
men and members of the Chamber OF
Commerce.