The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-12
HILL BUILDS A DREDGER.
GREAT NORTHERN BROOKS No DE-
LAYS IN IMPROVEMENTS.
President Hill Shows Grit i'm u Little
Deal Over Bowers DredGers-
Work ON Terminals Well Under
Way - Local Labor Preferred.

Presiden. James j. Hill, OF the Great
Northern. has lately furnished another IL
lustration OF the fertility OF resource and
determination q purpose which are mark
Ell characteristics Of the man. Failing IN
ar attempt to purchase at what vas con-
sidered reasonable figure the two dreGg-
ers OF the bowers Dredging Company. 10
De used In the work ~ excavatug the 2,pup
foot ship canal at Smith cove. Mr.. Hill i'm
medately let a contract for the constFuc-
ton Of q large and powerful dreiger by a
Milwaukee firm and mas given instructions
for the work 10 lie rushed on It 2S fast as
possible.
GU; at Smith cove a corps of worknlen IS
engaged In building the wooden part of the
new dredger. II Is expected taat II VIII be
finished by October 20. The machinery VIII.
IL Is understood. be forwarded from Nil
waukee the attsr part q ne week BY last
Work Oh the tern4Ba! grounds. WharyeS
and elevators Of the Great Northern Is pro-
crossing rapidly. In few DAYS the foun-
dations for the large warehouse VIII nave
been laid. Two pile drivers nave been
steadily ST work for weeks past driving
piles for the sea wall and for the elevators,
warehouses and wharVes
How Mr.. Hi came TO build his own
dredger is an interesting story as !llustrat~
ing his inflexibe Viii when his purpose Is
fixed and his refusal ia gr4nt faVors where
he believes none Is due. Several months
ago Receiver Campbell. of the EoWeTJ
Dredging Company. placed the two dredg-
ers, Anaconda ard Python, on the mar
ket. II Is said that parties Interested as
creditors OF the company were quite will
ing at the time TO have the receiver dis
pose If the drsdgers fog 81 90.
When Nix. Till completed his plans for
the erection Of wheat elevators and ware
houses his water front property here,
he instructed Judge Thomas Burke 10 puT-
chase the dredgers of the receiver Judge
Burke offered the receiver SIS, $50. AZ soon
as Il was understood shat Nj Hal was
after the GredgeEs, several bidders appear
ed against him including a coterie Of Ia
coma capitalists. headed by w. u Tyler,
the San Francisco Bridge Company, and
the Pacific Coast Company.
Judge Burke raised the Great Northern
bid to $3l etA, hot the San Francisco Bridge
Company went him s. aCo higher, and So
cured the dredEcrs. The purpose OF the
San Francisco firm. II was understood. was
10 force HiN into awarding them the con-
tracts for the work al Smith cove
Mr.. Hill refused 10 deal with the pur
chasers If the dredgcrs 50 the story goes.
Instead he Immediately gave orders for the
construction # large and very powerful
"a for the work which Mr. fi1i has in
mind \ contract was let Tor the CON
structian Of the wooden part Of The dredg-
err aud work was begun several days ago
on tho hull at Smith cove. II IS expected
that the dredger viii be in operation IN ten
days or two weeks.
Mr.. iii has issued an order % his con
tractors I'm Seattle inStructing them to en-
p,oy local Labor except where r IS a}&s3-
! lutely necessary 10 procure help else
where.