The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-27
Eneinssss Making . Reconnois-
sanee South Of Tacoma.
PROMOTERS WILL NOT TALK.


The projectors Of the railroad from Seas-
lie TO Portland have engineers In the fieid
eouxh OF Tacoma. They are making
yeconnossanca og the country. No location
nor even preliminary work Is being done,
for the scsaesne has not yet advanced To
anzt stage Very little can be learned
shout the work Of Iass. sngineers There
= n or Of secrecy about tbs work and
very strong dissemination On the part or
those connected with the project 10 say
unything of Il AZ this time.
W. H. I1eweiIyn, who - associated with
Mr. TtnaEy In the sshsfne, was here Sat
urdiAy on his way East. He spent the day
Ut the Hotel Butler and took the afternoon
train for New York 20 meet others who
are interested He had no more 10 say
about the road and avoided public refer
ence 10 it. To those to whom he talked
he said that the matter was In such q con
dittCn tfat nothing could be given out Tor
publication concerning II.
But the work OF these engineers has
aroswed considerable curiosity and inter-
ct. Railroad men have rpecusafed con-
earning il and tfsey are pazxsed to know
whether or not there really win be an
ether railroad between Seattle and Port
land. The peopie who are In this scheme
have not Incorporated. but they have se-
cured oil the rights and franchises Of the
Railroad Company, which was 10 have
built = railroad from British Columbia
10 Portland through Seattle
Would Not Talk.
George W. Dickinson. who has been con-
Eectsd with tho project. said yesterday that
he understood Mr. Tiffany ana Mr.
IIcwellyn would return here within a few
@eehA
Il cannot say anything OF the affairs OF
the company aaid he. ..for there Ii nath-
tng settled. The company may incorporate
m New York within . few weeks
( II 10 understood. in fact settled, that Mr..
Dickinson win be the general manager Of
the road when operations are begun. Mr..
picktnsOn was formerly a prominent OFF
eial of the Northern Pacific and 10 familiar
With railway matters IN the Northwest.
Maurice McAtcksn. OF Strive. Alien.
Hughes = Me1ftcken. who have handled
legal matters for Mr.. Tiffany. would say
nothing OF tho status Of the project fur
Little would be known until Mr.. Tiffany
nAd completed has bus:faess IN the East.
Do far a. can DO gathered from what
seems 70 be reliable authority. nethipg
will be done toward construction OF fhe
road until the money Tor II has been
Satscd The project has not really been
financed Franchises. timber and coal
uafs pSsu tsNutfu. anu t1e proposition
II In SUCH shape that IL can be presented
70 New York capitalists with strength.
The promoters believe that they have a
proposition which VIII attract investors
ard they have II closely In their grasp.
having made arrangements fer terminal
grounds. for the right to build bridge
over the Columbia river and for right
of-way at important points.
Northern Pacific Opposes.
Va
with opposition from the Northern Pa
cinc in their eSfor,s to raise money in
New York. The construction Of this
road. practically raraieiiing the Northern
Pacific, would cut I'm two the business
OF that company between Puget sound
ana Portland. II would break the
monopoly in the business Of Western
washington and would open up to all
the great transcontinentai railroads of
the south and middle part OF the eoun-
try. 6eattte and the Sound country
The great railroads which terminate
NJ Denver are practically shut out from
this field That ts. IL costs them more
TO get passengers In here than IL does
tho Northern roads. the Great Northern.
the Canadian Racsfic and the Northern,
Pacific. There are the Santa Fe. the
Rock Island. the Missouri Pacific the
Union Pacific and the Northwestern ter
minatsns about Colorado and wyoming.
which receive less for passengers they
bring IN Seattle than da the Northern
roads The Northern Pacific forces them
60 pay the local rate from Portland 50
"a compete with the Northern roads they
mtis't sell tickets va Portland 20 the
Sound az the same price. and thus lose
the loca, rate.
With such "A condition shese great roads
de not feel like advertising the Sound
country extensively, and they do NOT n.
81 Ff.ssEF fstzsxs
California and Oregon for BY sending
sssenSefs To tnese places they faak.
nsore than in sending them 60 the Sound
A rev road between Portland .x.s; ga
arsle would opsn this Portland gateway
at once. would make Seattle a terminus
at these i've great companies, 10 say
not hinE Of smaller roads like the Cote.
RAD Midland. the Rlo tsrania Western
and the nsaver 4 Rio Granae.