The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-16

-. IL =
rn,1r ra;swav. IA houra from Boston 20
vancouver Via American lines. rs hours:
via Canadian Pacific railway foit Al s''"'
gateway. f4o hours
Not the same Discrepancy
From, this II appears tha, the s:rerenee
in time from Boston Is flssssu notts ~ 1a
yor OF the American nses ga sancousef
and twen.y-aine hours in their sAfoI 20 So
attic. The time from New Yc%A "oaia os
stil more in favor Of the American routes
and from Montreal less Er--en ,nss ~.
haps be fairy selected as r. ~
If we turn now TO the 1sss.aces by tAose
various lines we do not fin5 he same dss
erepaney. That from Bossm 70 ,,,e ths ca
madam Pacific, g. 2s mick VIA tanA1la"
Pacific. 2.sS5 miles. Il appears. tnsf.,o .i,,.
that the distance Is not suoss>hsAA1's
against the Canadian line. A..
II Is urged by the Canadian Paeins 1.'a -
relative distance is OF no aecSun.. a -. -
not exactly true. The pubic alc at' -
associate the quickest time with the sHo1 :
est route, and IL is worth something - sc
able to advertise the advantage OF a. >
lance. At the same time. what the pass
enger looks at most IS The time occupied
Twenty-nine hours longer between Bosom
and Seattle means both the loss OF an ad-
diiioEai day and the expenditure or aoal-
t.onal money. II cannot be denied thas
such q difference in time as TnIt eXnlpilSU
is serious handicap
A railroad must not, however, create a
disao iiity for the sake OF obtaining a dsl-
ferential II the Canadian Pacific fairy
can and fairly ought 10 make substantially
the same time as Is made BY the American
lines. then the fact that 1t does elecs AT
the present TO use more time ought not 20
weigh in its favor. The Canadian Pacihc
would not probably admit that its roadeed
or equipment is inferior 20 that OF any
transcontinental line. Why is it. then. that
inquiry was put to Mr.. McNicoll and his
answer was: Owing 10 the fact that II
has comparatively little intermediate bus
mess over the first half OF the journey
against much intermediate business upon
the American routes. For this reason IL
cannot. over the corresponding part 81 me
journey. run trains with the same rapidlty
as do the American lines. Thus the pass
enser who starts from Boston fer Seattle
by way OF Chicago and ST. Pau! rides Tor
the first I.5a3 miles upon an express tram
which is provided, not for him, bu. for
business independent Of transcontinentai
business. while the passenger VINO starts
for the same destination by the Canadian
Pacific passes for the FIRST 800 miles
through country where there is for the
most part little or no intermediate busi-
ness. where train must be run FOR
through passengers mainly, where the
travel during considerable portion or the
distance justities the running Of but sin
gle train day, which must do local az
Well as a through business.
Just how far this may be justified by
actual conditions We cannot accurately de
termine. The local business between Mon
treal and Winnipeg certainly does not
much embarraSs the speed OF its trains.
One circumstance may. be here referred 10
which casts great doubt upon the validity
of this claim.
AS already said. the main line Of the
Canadian Pacific runs west from Montreal
along the northern shore OF Lake Superior,
through Port Arthur. Winnipeg AMI so on
from Montreal about 450 miles, a branch
line runs down 10 Sault Ste. Marie, where
il connects with the Minneapolis. ST. Paul
& Sault Ste. Marie railway. This latter
railroad, which is controlled and virtually
operated by the Canadian Pacific, extends
from Sault Ste. Marie TO St. Paul and from
ST. Paul to the international boundary line
at Portal. where it connects with another
branch of the Canadian Pacific. joining
that main line again at Pasqua Junction.
T 1@s Gsnaa alam R nsse has h ae
coast, one by it's main line through Port
Arthur and the other by what is called the
500 line through ST. Paul. By the latter
at Sudbury, passes through st. Paul and
returns to the main line again at Pasqua.
The distance from Sudbury to Pasqua IS
a trifie greater by the 500 line than by the
main line.
Now the actual running time from Bos-
ton to Vancouver by the way of the 500
line today is 121 hours as against 140 hours
by the main line; the actual running time
from Boston 10 Seattle by the 500 line is
13l hours, SIS against 40 hours by the main
line. This makes the time to Seattle bur
sixteen hours longer by the 500 line than
by the shortest American line.
In making the foregoing comparisons OF
time and distance the American line Sc
iected has been the Boston & Albany. New
York Central and Lake Shore to Chicago.
But this strictly ought not To be- AS
against that line the Canadian Pacific has
enjoyed a d!fferential of SLID first class.
the differental between Boston and Chi
cage. The differential Of $50 first class
and s. second class which the Canadian
Pacific demands is. from New England,
as against the Grand Trunk railway and
ats connections, and the comparison in or
der 10 be of value In determining the jus
Grand Trunk as the initial line between
Boston and Chicago. This comparison
would reduce the difference in time and
give the Canadian Pacific an advantage in
the matter OF distance. Comparing the
time by this route with the time actually
made by the Canadian Pacific over its
500 Pacific route. there would be but little
IL any difference against the Canadian
Pacific.
Now it will hardly be claimed that the
roadbed or Equipment from 5 ifpury via
St Paul 10 Pasqua is better than Via the
main line between those points, nor that
the intermediate business is materially
greater anu IL the Canadian Pacific is now
actually running It's trains upon this time
by the 500 line, It is difficult 10 believe
that it could not by a proper adjustment
OF its schedules and the reasonable opera
its main line; in other words. that IL could.
IL it saw it, do away with the greater
part of the difference in time which now
exists.
Every other consideration except that o.
time Is against the granting Of this differ
entail This is clearly apIsaren- - COM
pairing conditions now with those wn,r
the differental was first allowed In 1856
the Canadian Pacific railway Was a newly
completed route Its roadbed was imper-
feet; it's name but little known II had no
cept by boat from Vancouver. Under these
circumstances IL might very well happen
that il could hot at the same rate obtain
a fair portion OF the business. Today all
this Is reversed. OF all these connecting
lines the tracks OF the Canadian Pacific
alone extend from ocean to ocean Its
roadhed and equipments are equal to any
II has railroad connection with Seattle
Tacoma am; Portland. Il runs through
cars on certain days each week from Bos-
ton to Seattle. and from Boston Ia Van