The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-24
G. ]. Smith Thinks Corporations
Committee Rather Unkind.
WAITING FoR a FRANCHISE.
Seattle Railway = Navigation 10
Begfn Coastructten a. Soon n
Council Grants Right-of-Wsy-
Claimed That the Company 10 Ia
Aepenaent Of Any Traascen-
mental Line or other RailroaA.

The promoters OF the Seattle Railway =
Navigation Company are very mucn sur
prised at the spirit manifested at ,hs
meeting Of the corporations committee Ok
the city council on Friday evening, wnsn
the question OF a franchise was before II
fer consideration.
G ]. smith. who Is concerned IN the
company spoke Of the matter yesterday
afternoon. ou. he did not say wnetner or
not the company would make any mod
ficat,ons in its application for IRAN
ch;se According TO his statement the COM
pany has made a perfectly legitimate re-
Quest and the projectors believe ,ha; they
should be given franchises without delay.
Oaly favorable action by the city council
Is now needed and the work Of construc-
ton will be Immediately begun. The COM
pany holds an option upon site Tor coal
hunkers which cannot be taken up or. at
least, viii not be taken up until the ques-
ton OF right Is settled. Mr.. smith
would not say. where the bunkers were to
be located nor name the property that has
been. bonded.
Kindly Spirit Not shown.
Regarding the action of the corpora
lions committee he said:
I'VE expected when We asked for fran
chses here 10 have the council examine
and TO satisfy itself of the responsibility
of the undertaking: We expected when II
was SO satisfied. as ii can easily be, that
We would be received by the people OF Sc
attic In most kindly spirit and with
desire TO have the headquarters of the
company at this point and We believed
that facilities would be readily granted.
Looking on the council as an executive
body representing the people of Seattle,
We expected to be met In a business way
as a business proposition should be met.
and If our proposition in any way should
not be in accord with the views OF the
council 1t would be the endeavor to sug-
geSt changes without burdensome condi-
tons which business people could hardly
meet without extraordinary expenditure.
II do not say that such spirit will be
shown when the matter comes to a final
adjustment, but from the report of the
meeting Of the corporations committee l
feared the council either did not appre-
ciate the value of our undertaking or that
IL 1t did appreciate 1t. Il did not care about
II. have known many enterprises. COM
mercial and otherwise, brought to the no.
tice OF the council and the Chamber OF
Commerce. involving far less money and
OF far less benefit to Seattle. which were
received with promises OF subsidies and ia
ciiities as Inducements to come here. This
company has asked no favor of any kind
nor does 1t ask anything now but fran
chise In the least busy part OF the town
and over streets which are at present only
waste OF water. We trust that the re-
quest when brought TO the attention Of
the council and submitted to its business
sense VIII be granted as a matter which
is as much to the benefit OF Seattle as to
the parties asking II.
The investment OF the company will be
over 100000. and the monthly expendi-
lures will be $4,000. That ought to be
quite an inducement to have the company
begin operations at once
Origin Of the Project.
THE coal fields are 1900 acres that were
owned by John Leary and Bailey Gatz-
ert." said he yesterday afternoon six
teen years ago there was a project to de-
velop them and bring the coal into this
country. and during all this time Mr.
Leary has endeavored to interest Eastern
capital, go that use might be made OF the
coal He finally interested Mr.. Guerin
who was president of ll4e Columbus 4
Hooking Valley Railroad Company. and he
in turn had Philadelphia and capitalists OF
other Eastern cities interested. An exper.
was sent out here some months ago to
look over the property. and he reported
very favorabiy upon IT. He found there
could be produced from 600 TO 2.0c0 tons
OF ceai per day. Upon that report and
other information. they have put up their
money TO carry on the project.
at Is the intention to build road into
Seattle TO construct coal bunkerr and TO
have steamships carry coal to Ban Fran
cisco, which would ultimately become the
large barket The land has been secured
and we are now ready To begin construc-
ton Of the railroad and the bunkers. I'm
III the franchise ia granted TO Us nothing
can be done at all"
Regarding statements that have been
made that one OF the 'ranscontinental
railroads was behind the scheme. Mr..
Smith said.
mo transcontrental line. neither the
Northern Pacific. the Burlington nor any
other. has put one dollar into this conn
,,any. nor owns a cent OF Its securities. II
IL an entirely independent company. whose
business Il will ne 10 produce. transport