The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-10-15
The Port Townse nd Southern R. R.

AnO AOTt lOWnSe nd southern X. X
A few weeks ago The Times contained prett,
complete resume of current railroad gossip con
corning the Port Townsend Southern Railway
AT present this property is the most peculia.
railway system in existence. 1t had its origina
nearly quarter of century ago in heroic de
termination OF the people of Olympia to hay,
railway communication with the outside world
The Northern Pacific Railway Company in 1871
entered into an agreement with an organization
Oh olympia property owners to locate the Puget
sound terminus on designed site near thai
city. when it failed in It's agreement and passed
Ii miles to the south of Olympia the citizens o.
the Capital commenced building a narrow
gauge road from there to Tenino to connect
with the Northern Pacific. They met with
many ANNOUNCEMENTS, but in 1873 their effort.
ended In success, with the aid of $4,000 voted
by Thurston County.
In 1880 the Oregon improvement Company be-
came the owner of the property, widened the
track to the standard gauge and made it part
OF the Port Townsend Southern Railway. at the
same time commencing at Port Townsend to
build south to Olympia. Only about twenty
miles of the Port Townsend end was completed
when the bottom dropped out of the times
work was suspended and the subsidies tha,
Olympia and Port Townsend promised upon the
completion OF the road were forfeited. TT G
company still holds the $4,000 of Thurstou
County bonds and in order that it may preserve
It's equity i'll these has been running a daily
Train from Olympia to Tenino since $780, at a
loss OF about $500 month. The road is a cart
OF the assets of the Oregon Improvement Com
pany. The entire property of that company is
advertised to be sold November at Seattle.
rumor emanated from San Francisco and
asserts that the Southern Pacific was negotiating
for the purchase of the Port Townsend South.
ern, the plan being to complete the line to Port
| land, thus giving the Southern Pacific an outlet
| to the Sound and enabling 1T to put on a line OF
steamers to Alaska to compete with the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company. later rumor is tc
the effect that, under the plan OF reorganization
OF the Union Pacific, the Port Townsend South
| ern 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 sys-
| tenn. Had finances not gone to pieces in 1892 s
this scheme would probably have been consum
| mated. 1t was under this plan and expectation
| tnat Elijah Smith, at that time president of the
Oregon improvement Company, began the con
| structlon OF the Port Townsend Southern
Recently W. B. Dennis, president of the Por
| Townsend Boare OF Trade. was in Portland and
spent several days in interviewing merchants
| bankers and railroad men concerning the pro
ject of completing the Port Townsend Southern
To an Oregonian reporter he said: "The com
| D1QfiOO M fhiS &c +lo
ton of the problem of the Klondike business fo
Portland. 1t will be great advantage to thi
city in other ways also. 1t will be worth more
to Portland than any direct steamship lin,
which might be put on from Portland an(
would cost less than the plans comprehendeC
| in the proposed million-dollar Alaska Steam
ship G. Trading Company, which learn is now
being seriously contemplated by Portland capt.
al The water route for the Alaska business j
from the Sound, and the principal business vii
be done there. The only way for Portland t.
get that business is to come to the Sound by rail
| Ii Portland had a railroad of its own to Por
Townsend, with such fine barbor as is here al
forded, it would get the lions share of the bust
ness away from Seattle. 1t would at least b
the gateway for all the business from the Soutl
and Southeast to the Missouri River.
| SAT present all of this business goes RICH
| past Portland to Seattle. Besides, the railroad
would be permanent outlet, not only to Alask,
business, but for Puget Sound business and t.
China and Japan in competition with the Grea
Northern and Northern Pacific influences. The
only way Portland can successfully compete
with Seattle is to go directly into Seattles terri
tory, and, having the superior capital, Portland
will get the business"
Mr.. Dennis was not asking Portland peopl
for any subscriptions or financial help, bu
wanted only that the Oregon metropolis shoult
understand and appreciate the great opportun
ity which today is knocking at her door, Ate
that he wanted their moral support, inluenc,
and energetic assis lance in presenting the mat
| ter to railroad people. With Portland's back
| ing, he thought the capital could be had fo
building the road. Only 20 miles of new roat
are necessary to form thorough connection
Seattle Times.