The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-05-03
THE QUEEN CITY OF THE NORTHWEST.

THE QUEEN CITY OF THE NORTHWEST
SEATTLE, WASH, April 26 1900
President James J. Hill, the Great
Northern Railway magnate, was in
Seattle April 21st, and addressed the
business men of Seattle on the possible
future Of the Queen City of the North
west. On the subject of transportation
Mr.. Hill said Washington's great pro
duct for many years was in its lumber
industry; that an acre of Washington
timber was more valuable and furnish
ed more valuable freight for shipment
than an acre of wheat with annual
yield of rs bushels to the acre for
100 years! To provide cars for cheap
transportation, it was necessary to pro-
vide freight to the coast, to supply cars
for returning shipments. The trans
Pacific steamships now building were to
supply the need, and each one of his
vessels will require from 1000 to 1900
carloads of freight to make cargo for
the biggest ship atiOat-of $50. 900 tons
capacity, and with a dock space equal
ing five acres
Mr.. Hill said the first two of these
monster steamers would begin opera
tions in the fail of 1901, with month
ly service, and he expected that week
ly service would ultimately follow. To
make room for this transportation. IS
to 20 miles of trackage will be necessary
and vast dockage privileges Mr.. Hill
believes that Seattle has the advantage
over all other Pacific Coast ports-be
cause Puget Sound is hundreds of miles
nearer the Orient than is San Francisco.
This is easily demonstrated by the fact
that Seattle is nearly on the direct and
shortest route from Frisco to the
Orient Examine your globe and prove
this to be fact.
Concerning the proposed new depot
at Seattle. Mr.. Hill said he-believed a
Joint arrangement would soon be effect
ed between, not only two. but three
trans-continental lines. for the imme
dlate construction of a Union depot.
This undoubtedly means the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific and the
Mon Pacific-meaning another trans
continental terminus for Seattle.
Mr.. Hill is most optimistic concerning
nnt 1A'S NJ,
in the East predicted that within fifteen
years her population would reach 100
600, an increase of $4,000 per year.
Before leaving the city, Mr.. Hill en-
tered into arrangements with the local
owners and managers to open the big
Denny Hotel, situated on an eminence
overlooking the Sound and surrounding
mountains. The local manager went
East April 9th to open negotiations for
the furnishing and opening of the mag
niticent new hotel When in operation,
this hotel Will be to Washington what
the Hotel Del Monte is to California,
the Mecca for tourists and pleasure
seekers. While the surroundings are
not equal to the Del Monte the scenic
splendors are unsurpassed in America
f. l.. Sternberger, a large coal opera
tor and banker Of Jackson, O., recently
visited Seattle. On his homeward jour
ney he stopped in Cincinnati, where to
the Enquirer he had the following to say
regarding Seattle:
Il stopped in Seattle two days on my
return, the guest of the hotel managed
by Mr.. Horace b. Dunbar, formerly of
the Gibson house. His hotel was full
and he is doing well, already acclimated
and enthusiastic over the coming North
west country. | sincerely believe that
am safe i'll predicting that in less than
twenty-five years Seattle will have a
greater population than San Francisco
and three times the commerce 1t is a
much shorter route to the Orient than
the California metropolis, and is catch
ing the trade from both directions. Mr..
Hill, president of the Great Northern
railroad, has made Seattle the terminal
point of his splendid system, and has put
on a large line of steamers between there
and Japan. Ships from all quarters of
the globe unload and reload at the Seat
tie Wharves." o. NJ. MOORE.