The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-10
PREDICTS GREAT TRAVEL,
#. !. whitney. General Passenger
and Ticket Agent of Great
Northern Here.

r. 7. Whitney, general passenger and
ticket agent of the Great Northern rail-
way Company. arrived in the city yester-
day afternoon from Vancouver, b. c.
He Is making a regular tour Of inspec-
ton and will remain here several days
before returning to st. Paul.
J. W. Blabon, of this city. western
traffic manager of the road. came with
Mr.. Whitney. Mr.. Blabon has been East
for the past five months, having taken
an extended vacation on account of i'll
health. Other members OF the party
were w. G.. Collins. former general man.
ager of the Chicago. Milwaukee & ST.
Paul, and still the holder of large rail-
road interests, and Max Bass. general
immigration agent of the Great North
ern.
The party made the western trip in Mr.
Blabon's private car. coming by invita-
ton OF the officials of that road over
the Canadian Pacific. II was the inten-
ton OF number OF high officials of the
Canadian line to be of the party, but
press of business matters at the last
moment prevented.
Because Of the many rumors of i'm
pending trouble among the transcontin-
entail lines over questions of freight and
passenger rates. MIR. Whitney is at this
time an individual of considerable in
terest. When seen at the Rainier-Grand
last night. however, he declined to ad-
nit that there was any prospect Of
trouble.
las there are no difficulties TO be adj
1usted. ! fail to see the need for any
settlement" he said. ut has been a
long time since the transcontinental lines
are today Between the western roads
there is not the slightest sign OF trouble
In the East there Is, as usual. little
friction, but II is not bothering us and
Is not interfering with transcontinental
rates.
The passenger business is so heavy
and the indications for the immediate
future are SO good that there Is no need
for the roads to cut rates to get bust
ness. The immigration this fall prom
isea to be the heaviest for several years
Thousands of people in Iowa. Indiana,
Nebraska and several other central
states are preparing to move westward,
and / believe that from even the far East
VIII come many immigrants to the Pa
enc coast. Both Eastern and Western
Washington will get more than their
share.
Seattle will, of course be the destina-
ton or an exceptionally large number
this fact being largely due to the general
recognition given this city in the East
because. of the prominence 1t has OBJ
tained from the Alaskan trade.
With this immense westward move
ment In prospect. the people of Seattle
ought 10 do more of that thorough adj
verusing that proved so valuable when
the klondike rush first began. At that
time, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle and even
san francisco were in competition for
the northern trade. Seattle flooded the
hast with good convincing literature
and the result was the turning OF prac-
ucatly allstha business to this city and
the acquisition of a precedence that has
secured Tor Seattle recognition as one OF
the great cities OF the country. II an
pears to me that another thorough dis
fIibution OF advertising would be yalu-
able In the East. Seattle is now recog-
nized as the great city OF the Northwest %
Concerning the depot controversy Mr.
Whitney declined to talk