Seattle, Washington - History, 1891 (part 4 of 14)

Proobess Of Mining And Shipping The Coal

Much of the coal of these mines was far from navigable water and in so rough a country that the coal was not at first of much immediate value. The Coal Creek mines were regarded as the most valuable to begin on, before the discovery of the Cedar river coal, but even they must wait until a proper time came. In the judgment of a number of the men of Seattle the time was ripe in 1865-66. Conspicuous among these was Rev. Daniel Bagley. Ever since coming to the city in 1860, he had maintained uninterrupted religious work, preaching every Sunday and continuing the mid-week meetings, but in addition to these hibors he was constantly occupied in pubHc or business affairs. In 1863 he liad turned over the universitv to the regents and secured good titles to the land sold and had brought its affairs to completion, so far as th(» elementary work was concerned. In 1864 he had built the edifice of tlie Methodist-Protestant church. In the next year he was ready, tlierefore, to undertake new work of a public si)irited nature.

His attention was drawn to tlie mines in connection with his interest in public lands, consecjuent upon liis rchitions with the university. At Newcastle, as lias been mentioned, claims had been taken on the coal lands bv P. II. Lewis, Edwin Richardson and Josiah Settie, under the general i)re-emption law. But the law withholding mineral lands from entry as homesttnid having been subsequently published, they were liktOy to ])e disturbed, it* not ousted by contestants. On one of his trips to Washington (Mty, Mr. Baglev brought to the notice of congress their situation and procured legislation that the law should not Ije retroactive, and that their titles be confirmed. A company to mine the coal was formed in 1S66. It was called the Lake Washington Coal company, with P. II. Lewis, Daniel Bagley, Ja^iah Settle, John Boss, Rev. (Jeo. F. Whit worth and SelcHicius Garfielde as incori>orators. (Jartielde was a resident of (.)lympia, and as a man of public influence, surveyor general at tlu* time, was of much service in giving prestige and influence to the enterprise. Owing to a disagreement Lewis and Ross withdrew from the company and the prosecution of the w^ork fell upon the others - Bagley, Settle and Whitworth.

To three ends effort must be directed - to open the mine and dig the coal ; to fetch it to tide water for shipping; and to introduce it in the market. In each of these lines much hard work and diligence must be brought to bear. It was all pioneer work - the mine was wholly undeveloped, there were no roads thither of any kind, and the general public knew nothing of Seattle coal. So far as the public was concerned, it could be relied upon to accei)t first the jn-ejudicial reports of the coal companies of other places already in operation.

The first blows, however, were vigorously struck. The coal lying J above water in the hilbide was easily opened, and in a short time a f tunnel was so far entered aa to enable them to dotenniiie the character J of the coal where uitaffect^d by atmospheric influences. Si>ecini<;n coal was brought out in bags - at first on the back»4 of men - and testa of ite quality were obtained at the hands of competent iuithoritivs, ^ Some of these tests were in the first instance unfavnrnble - not from ( inferiority in the coal.but from its very exceptional heat-producing ijuhIities. For instance, a quantity was given for experiment to the United i States Revenue Cutter Lhieoln, then on the Sound, and its officers, 4 using it as they had used the so^y coals of the lower Sound, created ( such a heat in the furnace of the vessel as to nearly melt down the iron | of the stack, and reported that it was so inflammable as to be uiimFd. 1 This was accounted a Pickwickian verdict, since coal was sup)X»od to I be valuable according us it would bum ; and reports from the specimens sent to various points showing that it was quick and !iot, either for I ordinary heating or for steam making, encouraged the company, and the work wa« pressed on. A tunnel between one and two liundrcd feet in " length was dug and the rough cobs piled at the mouth. A wagon road was cut out at much expense through the forest to Lake Washington and thence it was taken by boat and again by wagon to Seattle. There was built a barge of light draught, to be brought from the lake through Black riverand the Duwami.sh to Seattle. Only a small quantity, however, was brought out, only enough, in fact, to demonstrate tlie value of the coal. Difficulties multiplied. The river proved too shallow even for the scow, and this vessel itself was seized by the customs authorities for navigating salt water without registering at the custom house - the coal company not having had in mind the laws on this point. A small fine sufficed for her release. After a few years the company found itself unable to continue the work and consequently negotiated a sale of the property to another company. While the projectors of this movement gained nothing for themselves, they had established the reputation of Seattle coal and insured thereby the future prosecution of the enterprise whenever it could be profitably undertaken.

In a short time the old tlireads were piekt^l up and a new company was organized as the Seattle Coal company. It was incorporated in January of 1870, with Reuel Rohinson, Amos Hurst, Albro M. Pringle, Martin L. Chamberlain, Edwin Eells, Tlios. Flainiagan, Geo. H. (ireer, A. N. Merrick, (Jeo. F. Wliitwortli and C. B. Bagley as incorporators. The company as tlms constituted bought out all the interest^ of the former owners excerpt tliose of I-.ewis and Ross. The claims owned by the new company were in fact tliose of Josiah Settle, Edwin Richardson and C. B. Bagley, 4H() acres. The capital stock was fixed at $1,000,000, in 10,000 shares, and the usual privileges accorded such companies were granted - to open and operate the mines and to build, own and operate vessels, to construct roads of any kind, and to acquire property on tide wat(*r for storing and shipping coals.

with new vigor. The j)r()bleni of t(»sting and selling the coal was felt to be vsolved, and the only i)ractical difHculty was that of transportation to Seattle. The old Black river route was abandoned altogether, and it was decided to move the coal from the mine to Lake Washington by tram cars, thence by boat and barge to the west shore, thence by tramway across tbe ridg(» to Lake Union, across this water bv boat and l)arir(\'<, and from its west sliore bv tramwav through the depression now used as the route of the [jake Union electric motor line, coming to the city front by Pike street, and at the foot of this street to dump it fn^m the cars into bunkers for loading vessels.

The plan called for the expenditure of considerable money in building barges and tow-boats on the lakes and the laying of several miles of tramway. To bring the work witliin the means of the projectors, another company was formed to prosecute the work of transportation exclusively. This was called the Seattle Coal and Transportiition company, and consisted of Reuel Robinson, Amos Hurst and Peter Bartell.

Work began the following season. The coal company left the old opening and made a new one at Newcastle. The transportation company began building its roads and bunkers. In this work the usual old Seattle plan of every man going at it witb his own hands was pursued. Every one who was willing and able to work - and that meant almost all in the village - went ont with pick and slinvel anil «xe and crowbar and diove the work. At the end of the scusou the tramways were constructed ready for shipments. This first Suattle raiirotid liad Bomc novel features. At the inelincs on the lakes the cars were eo joined by steel cables that as one went down it drew another up. The wooden rails were also very wide, having a surfece of as nmeh as six inches across the top, nnd the (iangcj* of the car wheels were so spread as to allow a tread of an ec|ua] width. In addition to these an-angementa fur adrnittiiig of heavy loads, the rails were protected on the curves with aubetaiitial strap iron. The cars carried some two tons of coal eaeh, and were Irnnsporteil bodily from the mine to the Seattle bunkers at the foot of Pike street on Elliott Bay, being run from the tram to the boat and the boat to the tram. Nevertheless, each of these transfers nece.'witflted a separate manipulation of the car.'^ and rotjuired m much time and so large a force of men that the movement was very expensive. Thirteen separate handlings were required, and an expense of some five dollars a ton.

The company sjient about g^.'i.OOO in these efforts - a very large Slim at that sitngo of tln^ city's grnw-th, with ji p{)]iiilnti(in of but a few hundred. After operating for several months they found it impossible to continue with the vigor they wished, and in 1871 they sold to Charles D. Shattuck and S. Dinsmorc of San Francisco, men of enterprise and capital, who acquired the property for the purpose of carrying on the business and did so on an enlarged savle. One of their improvements was putting a small steam engine on the tram road. In a few years, however, they found it advantageous to sell and disposed of the property to Osgood and Remington, who continued in possession until, in 1880, the property was sought by Henry Villard, as one of tlie feeders of the gi-eat railway system that he was at that time projecting, and it passed with the Seattle and Walla Walla railroad into the hands of tlie Oregon Iinprovonient company.

This was the first coal mine opened, and the object held in view by its projectors was attained. The operations in coal made Seattle more than a lumber mill port It kept U[> the commercial life of the town, and it offered tlie eci-tainty of remuneration to the Seattle and Walla Walla railroad for the first section of its line; and finally it rose to such value a.s to attract hither great capital and preponderating financial interests.

No small part of the gain resulting to tlu' place through this enterprise has been the attraction to it of men of force and distinction in con necti(m with its business - notahly Hon. Watson ('. Squire, who was detailed by the house of Osgood A Ilemington to attend U[)on their interests in Washington, and was thus introihiced to the state of Washington with its great possibilities.

The total amount of coal taken from tlie Newcastle mine from its opening has now exceeded one and a half million tons, a value of more than ten million dollars. 1'lic other mint's, as has been stated, were operated by way of the Duwamish and later by the Columbia and Puget Sound railroad.

An important undertaking, of much i)romise to Seattle and showing as much as any one thing the independent energy of the place, was the Snocjualmie wagon roa<l. In its inc(»ption it was an affair of the earliest times, and it has lingiMvd to the present <lay without full completi(m. In its i)ractical results it has been of little account, yet because of its early promise and the hard work done along its steep j)ass, the people of Seattle cut a passable track to meet it above Steilacoom, Imt found this of little use either as a means of t'xit for themselves roads. There were two trails in use at the time, one of which was familiarlv called the " horse trail," and the other the '' foot trail." The former distance back of Seattle. At Rattlesnake prairie it met the Snoqualmie trail from the lower Sound, and tlie two led together over the main ridge, through the Cedar river pass to Lake Kichelos and thence to the Vakima. The foot trail passed up the south fork of the Suoqualmie to a point within about five miles of the pass, and here made the ascent of the main mountain side, crossing directly to the lake. It was by this trail that Lieutenant Tinkam came to tin- Sound in 1854.

The Seattle party winch exaraiued these trails with the purpose of widening them into roads, consisted of Judge Lander, Dexter Horton, F. Matthias, Chas. Plummer, C. D. Boren, A, F. Bn,-ant, J. H. Nagle, Chas, Walker, Dr. Bigelow and some others. A thorough exploration was made and the quest was enlivened by the dreumstaiice that at a certain swampy mountain prairie, one of the party mistook the rattle of the seed pod of a plant for that of the venomous serpent, and sug- i gested, quite ijiappropriately, the name Rattlesnake for the prairie. 1 As to the main object, however, it should be accounted successful, for ] in consequence a trail was cut by the way of Meridian prairie and i thence acro&s Cedar river by the old pack trail, and by Ituttlesnake , prairie across the range to Kiehelos.

Tin- Indi:ii] wiir, ^c suoii tollnwiiiL-, put nn end lor many months to enterprises so far from the settlements. The trail fell into disuse and was overgrown with forest vegetation.. During the civil war that succeeded the disorders of the Indian war, the people of the territory, although not directly concerned, were enough engrossed to think little of aggressive improvements. It was not until 1866 that the subject was again taken up. It now appeared not only as an interest of Seattle, but of the entire territory, and especially of the Walla Walla country. The desire for an outlet upon the Sound, and for some foil to the monopoly of the Oregon Transportation company which held the Columbia river, was thus early manifested. The peoi>le of eastern Oregon, especially about Umatilla, where the old emigrant road struck the Columbia, and where in consequence the ferry across that river would be, also urged the matter. The matter was accordingly laid before the legislative assembly of the territory, and a grant of $2,000 was made to open a road through Snoijualniie pass. To this small sum King county added an equal amount, and the work of cutting the road began in tlie suninier of IHiyl. Tlie contract was a\var(le<l to Mr. Manchester, who entered u|)on his Uisk as soon as tlie weather permitted, and hoped to bring it to completion tlie siune season. In August some Umatilla men, IVrrins and Fish, passed over the route, making the trip in four days. It was promised to have an express run during the summer season, and the time reduced to two and a half davs. Even at tbat late date the Kittitas vallev was an almost unknown region, and tlie rmatilla men described its scenic beauties and natural fertilitv and salubritv, and the friendlv tribes of natives, with all the enthusiasm of fresli discovt-rcrs, and the Seattle people listened in the same spirit. Wbcn these men returned, two Sound men, Stevens and Mc( aulay, bound to Boise, went with them. The popularity of the new route became sudi that in Si'ptember it was cliosen by Judge Wych(\ coming from Walla Walla to hold circuit court at Port Townsend. He was accompanied by tlie clerk of the court, Mr. Johnson, and the trip was })erformed in Wn <lays, the judge stating, however, that six were suflicient to those desiring to make a quick journey. A call that this be made a mail route was published in the papers.

" At the last session of the legislative assembly the sum of two thousand dollars was ai>propriate<l towards ()})ening a wagon road from Black river l)ri<lge, in King county, by way of Snoqualmie pass, to the Yakima vallev. This, with a like sum raised by tlie pe()i)le of King county, has been expended and a portion of the road cut out. What additional sum is needed to complete the work I am not informed. It is important, nay, almost indispensable, that one direct available wagon road connect by one of the paSvSes of the Cascades the two great divisions of the territory.'^ As to a mail route he said : ** A mail route from the Sound to the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys direct, is much needed l)y the i)eoi)le of both sections. I am advised that parties have proposed to perform this service providing the line be established, and a road practicable either for horses or wagons be made over the Cascades."

following spring a committ** was appointed by the court of King county to examine the work in order to soo how it had stood during the winter and report what further work was to l>e done. KIessr». Denny, Bush and McGiivra were the membera of this body and in June made their investigation. They found trees fallen across the road, but the condition generally was very good. The work necessary was to remove the fklteu timber, change the counte of the road so m to avoid crossing Cedar river, put a number of bridges across dangerous or troublewme i^treams and complete the road around Lake Kichelos and thence to the open Yakima country. To do this there were $1,400 in territorial scrip and $1,100 in money for the bridges from King county. Mr. J. R. Borst, of Snoqualmie prairie, was awarded the contract and by mid-summer had two parlies at work, one at the west side of the mountains near Cedar river, and the other at the lake. This Lake Kicheins was a very difficult body of water to pass, having on all sides towering and ]>recipitou8 mountains. Baflft ' were therefore employed to transfer teams across, a distance of two miles. On a sunny day it was a cheerful sail, but to reach this lonely sheet of water of unknown depth in the heart of the mountains, under a frowning or threatening sky, perhaps with anow on the heights, and find the way apparently terminate upon a rickety raft of logs, as many an autumnal traveler did, was impressive to the jxtint of fearfulness.

The progress of the road was watcheil with interest, and the Trcmscript of Olympia expressed a general wish wlieif it said that not only King county but all the Sound should help to make the work thorough. In October two men from the Black river country, Ciyncr and Hume, went over to the Kittitjis in a wagon, finding no difficulty except for a short distance where wild tire liad injured the work. It was their errand tx> extend their stock range and interests into the grazing country of tlio oast slope of the niountiuhs. Confident predic^ons were made about thi.s time that Hour would be shipi>ed, and beef cattle driven from Wallii Wiilla to Seattle over tliis road during the next season.

Walla, driving a band of sixty -two beef eattle. He found tlie east slope unimpaired, but on the west tliere were fallen timber and (juantities of mire. Perrins, a ehief and enthusiastie promoter of the enterprise, however, looked for two thousiind emigrants and travelers to cross during the summer. His prophecy was liardly fulfilled, yet from that time the road has been more or less oj)en. Early expectiitions have never been realized, and no sufficient labor has ever l)ei»n bestowed upon the road. During railroad times it was allowed to fall into neglect, as soon to be rendered useless; but it has played its part in the work of developing the city and state.

Projected Railroad Enterprises to the Pacific Coast - Object Sought to be Obtained - Political Character of the Project - Governor Stevens' Efforts - Building Retarded by War of the Rebellion - Re-organization of Railioad Enterprises after the War - Struggle for the Pacific Coast Terminus - The Race Between Seattle and Tacoma - Inducements Offered by Seattle - Selection of Tacoma - Failure of Jay Cooke and its Effects - Seattle's Period of Self Dependence - Local Efforts to Build a Road - The Seattle and Walla Walla Road - History of the Undertaking from its Inception - The Difficulties Met and Overcome - Part borne in the Enterprise by J. M. Colman, A. A. Denny, Judge McFadden and others - Celebration in Seattle over Completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad - ^The Villard Era - Seattle's Emancipation from Corporate Influence Completed by Local Enterprise - Present Status of the Railroad Interest.

WHAT may ai)j)ropriately be termed the struggle of Seattle for existence covers a long period in the youtli of the city, before its right to exist was definitely recognized. Seattle became a city for no other reason tlian that it was one of tliose phices where business might be done more readily tlian elsewliere. It was, therefore, simply supplying a public want to build here a city. But, as Seattle began to develop and to claim its proper i)lace as a commercial center, rival points and rival intereeta strove to deny them to it. This might reaaonably iiave been expected, and no &ttll is found with any city tliut tried to offer advantages better than those offered by Seattle. Fault should be found only with false or unfiair meana of rivalry, sucli as misrepresentation or forcible suppression of commercial life. Even of these things, however, it is quite useless to complain. To prove it» right to live a city must endure opposition, both fair and foul, and must show that it possesses the courage and strength to withstand it.

The struggle of Seattle was coincident with the era of railroad building. This could not have been otherwise, for railroads are the most important factor in the commerce of a town, and without then] no place can offer the advantages of a city. But they do not exist naturally, like waterways, and they are not built without effort. Though a certain site might have all the harbor Eaciliti^ in the world, and might even command the natural depressions and passes for railways, it cannot become a city unless the roads are actually built. It might also happen that points less blessed by nature with waterways and access to natural passes would be most eager to obtain the benefits that are derived from rail communication. The fact (hat 8oatllc had such unparalleled advantages as a seaport, and was the natural point for the great railroad lines to meet ocean traffic, was in itself enough to insure a bitter struggle witli other points which could hope to outstrip it by securing the railroads.

The struggle came and lasted twenty years. It may be divided into the following periods : First, from 1864, the time of the first charter of the Northern Pacific road, to 1873, when Seattle was definitely rejected as the terminus ; second, from 1873 to 1881, when Seattle was using its whole strength in building a road of its own to the coal mines and agitating the plan of extending it across the Cascade mountains to Walla Walla; third, from 1881 to 1884, during which Villard had control of the Xortlicrn Pacific and the entire trausjwrtation system of the Northwest Pacific coa-st, and was focalizing all of tills upon Seattle; and, fourth and last, from 1884 to the present, in which it has been shown that the roads must come to Seattle in order to do the business of the state.

In the first the Northern Pacific was inaugurated, its rout^ surveyed, a section of several hundred miles built and jmt into oj>eration on the east end, and in Washington the division from Kalama to Puget Sound was built and put into operation. All this time, about eleven years, Seattle was confidently expected to be made the terminus. Tacoma, however, was founded and brought into prominence during the latter half of the period and at the end of it, on July 15th, 1873, was definitely fixed as the terminus. Owing to the certainty, as it seemed, that Seattle would become the terminus, this was, on the whole, a time of passive expectation, without violent excitement and no great business growth. It was, in fact, rather preliminary to the struggle than a part of the struggle itself.

to it by the subsidized corporation. During this time the Seattle and Walla Walla railroad was projected, its route surveyed and twenty miles of its line built, opening up the coal mines and giving assurance that the line over the Cascade mountains miglit be obtained by the siime independent means.

During the third period the Seattle road and tlie Northern Pacific passed into the hands of Henry Villa rd and Seattle was promised every possible facility for transportation. The branch to Tacoma was built but not put into operation, and the extension of the coal road in order to pierce the valley of the Cedar river, was undertaken by one of Vil lard's companies, a subsidy of $150,000 having been promised by the citizens. This was a period of great activity and growth, but the main reliance was upon the favor of the railroad king rather than upon independent effort.

The fourth period, from 1884 to the i)resent, has been a time of absolute self reliance, independence of all corj)orate influence, and therefore of a growth heretofore unknown. During this period railway connection has been completed, new lines have been projected, and the last artificial barriers that would prevent trade seeking its iiaUimi outlet at liiio water on Elliott Bjiy have been removed. Seattle Unit vUidii-att'd its right to exist and t<> eiyoy the advantages btwlowed by llatu^t^

Aa to the source of opixisition, it will be noted that it arose at two centres. Ouu of tlitMc was Portlund, in Oregon, which hoped itself to become tlie practical terminus of the Northern transcontinental system, Hiid did all in its power to divert the rout« from its original survey, and afterwarde to prevent the construction of the road across the Cascade mountains. Even so late aa the time of Villanl then? waa some effort there to prevent the building of roads out of Portland, beyond local points, and tlius by force to make that city the terminus. The second seat of opposition wa-s in the Puget Sound Land Comjwny, a parasite of the Northern Pacifie, which desired to reap the benefit of building the Pacifit) C\>ust terminus upon its own land, and therefore ' prevailed upon the company to select as the place a site not yet occupied by a city of accredited existence,

The deVi>lopnient of Puget Sound received its impulse largely from the idea of a Pacific railway to connect the Atlantic and Paeifie seaboards of North America and to supplant the trade of the eastern caravans, diverting the trade of China and Japan and Manchooria across the Pacific and away from the route across the deserts of Asia. A Pacific railway meant, in the older day, a Northern Pacific road, for when the idea was first projected the United States government had no port on the Pacific Coast south of Oregon. The route explored by Lewis and Clarke was naturally regarded as the proper place for the road to be laid. It was popularly believed that the Rocky and Cascade mountains were quite impassable, and that the road must seek the passes of the Missouri and Columbia rivers. It was due to this idea, among other things, that Benton and Linu of Missouri insisted so strenuously upon holding ttie Columbia. It became a part of their political philosophy that the United Stjites must, in order to maintain suprenuicy in the westiTii hem isjihei-e, possess the route to the Orient and the most important harbors on the Pacific Coast

The acquisition of California and the discovery of gold in that state, did not greatly affect the idea of a railroad by the valley of the Columbia. But the project took a curious j>olitical turn. As the question between free and slave territory became imperative, the southern statesmen began to push the idea of a Northern Pacific road with the intention of extending the institutions of the South over the Pacific territories. Under this inliuence a company was formed by Southerners and a survey was orderiMl by the general government. This was to be under the direction of tlu^ secretarv of war, Jefferson Davis. The work was undertaken in 1X5;^^ and as chief engineer was appointed Isaac I. Stevens, who had also been appointed governor of the newly created territory of Washington. Stevens was directed to begin the surve}', or rather exploration, near th(* headwaters of the Mississippi and to look through the mountains to the Columbia. The western terminus wa.^ fixed as a point on Puget Sound, and from this water a second party was to start eastc^rly and make an examination of the passes of the Cascade mountains, and to meet Stevens in the valley of the Columbia. This western expedition was placed in command of Capt. Geo. B. McClellan.

Stevens began operations at St. Paul as early as the weather permitted, having a vast numl)er of obstachs \o overcome, and reached Colville in October. McClellan sailed around bv the Isthmus of Darien in Mav and reache<l Fort X^mcouver in June. It was not until July that he began work, and owing to the lateness of the season, he was able to do no more than hurry through the Xatches j)ass, which the pioneers were cutting out for an emigrant road, and make as thorough an examination of the railroad possibilities as might be. This work he seems to hav(^ j)erformed thoroughly. lie formed definite views on the subject in keeping with his known ability as a military and topographical engineer. As regards results, it has been stated that he differed in opinion from Stevens, holding that the road should come through the Snoqualmi(^ pass to Seattle, while his chief held that it should pass by a more southei'ly route to Olympia, Bv some it has even been said that McClellan thou<i:ht it should be laid through the gap of the Columbia, the mountains being too difficult for a railroad. Stevens, the greater man, however, at once became an enthusiast upon the subject of a northern transcontinental line and threw all his immense influence into the furtherance of the scheme. The report of the party of exploration and investigation, embracing not only the immediate concern of the road, but many other interesting matters, such as related to climate, soil, botany, geology and the Indian inhabitants and their feelings toward such an enterprise, was a voluminous document containing matter of great interest. The entire expedition, conducted by men of marked ability, made a deep impression upon the nation.

In his reports and messages to the territorial legislature and the government, Stevens spoke constantly of the railroad and was fast bringing the matter into definite shape before the nation, but he was permitted to take little part in its development. The Indian war drew ofl* his attention, and for a time deranged all business in the territor>\ A reorganization of the railroad company, however, was effected before the outbreak of the rebellion. Stevens was made a director in this company, but his death on tbe battlefield of Chantilly withdrew his enthusiastic support from the enterprise forever.

During the war the project languished. Nevertheless a bill was passed by Congress in 1864, chartering the company and making a grant of land. The company was now thoroughly loyal, and one great object in giving it government aid and recognition was to develop and strengthen the loyal section of tlie nation. As it was not intended to be an all-rail route, but partly a water route, utilizing the great lakes and some portions of the Missouri and Columbia rivers, the eastern terminus was fixed at Lake Superior.

The Nortliern Paciiic raih-oad was a favorite with the people, but owing to Uio Jwealth of California and the political imj)ortance of Nevada, tlie (Vuitral and Tnion Pacilic system was pushed more rapidly and gained [)riority in time of coni[)letion. The unexamj)led liberality of subsidy to these roads, aniountin<:: to about fiftv millions of dollars in bonds, and an iinmensi' land <2:rant, made it imjmssible to sell Northern Pacilir stock in eom]H'tition with them. The circumstance that the Union and (Ventral were allowed to compete for the longest line and greatest subsidy, led them to [)ut fortli their utmost exertions and to concentrate upon thcniselves the entire attention of the nation. The public craving for excitement wliich had been bred during tlie war was supplied by these vast railroad enterprises, an<l all that the Nortliern could do was to lie by and try to get congressional recognition equal to that of the Union and Central Pacific. Owing to the resistance and opposition of the California interest, however, this was very difficult to obtain. In 1867, however, something definite was done for the Northern road.

To create interest in its l)elialf, men of influence in railroad circles were obtained as directors in the company and the public journals were induced to treat at large upon tlie advantagiv^ of the Northern route. Surveying i)ai*ties were put into the field, Major James Tilton beginning the survey on this coast. Many important facts were elicited by these eflbrts, and the general features of the route became well known. These were thoroughly noticed by tlu* press of the nation. The New York 7V/7>?//ir, the Chicago Adramr, the Philadelphia .l/7<Mind the San Francisco Alia, besides the journals of tlie regions immediately interested, were especially ready to explain these facts and press them upon the country for n^cognition. Indeed, the papers generally felt a deep interest in the enterprise and gave their readers full details of the |)rogress of the work.

Nevertheless such action as was desired could not l)e obtained from Congress. A subsidy in government l)onds the same as to the Central and Union was asked, but when it became apparent that such aid could not at once be obtained, it was dcn-ided to begin active work as a mark of good faith, and to ask certain other favors, which were never granted. The land grant, aggregating some oOjOOOjOOO acres, was confirmed, and also increased by allowing lieu lands beyond the limits of the grant, in case the odd numbered sections within the limit had betm taken bv settlers'. On the western division also the road was allowed two routes, one across the Cascade mountains and the other passing down the Columbia, and thence north to the Sound, the longer of these lines, that by the Columbia, to be called the main line, and the other the branch.

This was an important advantage. By the original charter the company was allowed to build a line to the Sound, and at a point on the upper Columbia to throw otf a branch to Portland, or some i)oint on the lower Columbia. On the main line tlicy would receive the ? alternate sections, twenty-four miles on each side of the track, but no . grant was allowed on the road they might wish to build between tlw 'i two lermioi - that on the Sound and that on the lower Columbia. By J changing the wording so that the charter read "to Pugeti Sound Vih ' the valley of the Columbia," the company would get a Innd grant '; from some point on the Columbia through the length of \VeslJ>nj ", Washington to some point on the Sound, making upwards of four \ ^million more acres of public land, the most of it in the valualdp fon-sls = of Western Washington. ,;

'^- With such legislation Ijegan a new policy on the |Mirt, of the com- \ It no longer exi)ect©d to obtain credit or bonds Inmi thw Rov- |' Iflrpment, but with its lauds swelled to fifty million acn^is, ju-oixisefl to i imild the road out of the land grant. This was estimated as worth one hundredr million dollars, and it was determined to issue Imnda to ** tBIa amount Jay Cooke was induced to undertake to place the bonds a&i this was regarded as the greatest possible assumnec of the i^oundness of the enterprise. Cooke had acquired a nationa) mid even world wide fame as a successfnl banker in placing the bonds of the government during and after the war, and the ba-sis of the Northern Pacific securities was thouglit even better than that of the government at that time.

Cooke, in 1870, began ojK'rations on a grand scale, issuing the bonds in denominations from $10U to $;)0,000, and sought purchasers in all parts of the United States. Tlie road was represented as a kind of patriotic movement to bind the states of the North in commercial bonds, and make seeui-e the supremacy of the loyal states. Great inducements were held out to small investors, and it was understood that the company ]>referred to give tiie benefit of its securities to Americans rather than to foreigners. To still further secure the bonds of the company, Cooke laid out a great colonization scheme. The lands were to be divided into tracts of 40, 80 and UtO acres, with certain [wrtions feneed, and to be furnished with buildings ready for use. These little farms were to be sold on easy terms to the laborers along the line, an<l thus the teiTitorv wa,i to be populated as fast as the road was constructed. It was popularly represented that with the construction of the road a belt 48 miles wide oecuj)ie(l by the best and most industrious people would be thrown across the continent. This appealed to the imagination of the people, particularly of Republicans, who saw in the rapid growth of the North the assurance of the unlimited dominance of their j)olitical faith. It was reported that Cooke had made arrangements for a great force of Swedish laborers who would bring their families and settle on the railroad lands. This was the somewhat romantic form that the enterprise took, and Cooke was reported as saying that he was prepared to devote the rest of his life to i\w work. He was, no doubt, quite in earnest about building the road, and lie very likely had a dream of making his road a i)eculiarly etlicient agent of civilization.

This vast undertaking which was to project upon our coast the f>opulation and enterprise of tlie the East produced its legitimate fruit of excitement in Washington. The point selected as the terminus on the Sound must inevitably, it seemed, become thi^ great city of the coo^t, rivaled only by San Francisco. Seattle justly regarded it^self as the most probable objective. The survey of McClcllan brought it neixrest as a point on tidewater to the mountain pass. The Snoqualmie pass was also well known as one of the lowest in the range, and had, before the revival of the road in lS()7-7(), been opened as a wagon road to Lake Kichelos. If the raih-oad crossed the mountains here it must inevitably touch tidewater at or near Seattle. Olympia, or ix)ssibly Steilacoom, was thought of as tlu' only probable rival. Every popular description of the route spoke of Seattle as the western terminus. This seemed to be taken for granted. It was one great I)oint in arguing the utility of the Northern route that the distance to Asia was less bv some two hundred miles than bv the Central. Distance was therefore regarded as the determining factor in the location of the terminus. It would certainlv be unreasonable to build a road on the ground of saving distance and then to so place the terminus as to greatly diminish that advantage. Seattle, then»fore, felt perfectly confident that it was here that the terminus would be located.

In 1867 the excitement began to ris(\ The Tutdlif/rnccr was started as a weeklv, and its initial number declartnl all that was known of the status of the enterprise. Week after week it made this the subject of every leader, giving its iiifommtiou from the most reliable sources. So indefatigably did it follow thiw object tliat it was accused of tmnfj in the pay of the company. Ttie citizens exhibited like fuilli. A new hotel opened at that time wan named tlifl -'Terminus.'' Major James Tilton mudi? liere the heiidmmrt*'rs for his surveying party. Strangers began to apptuir, and the demand for houiws brought iviita up, and created such u deumiul sis to make a dwiided building booiii- Yesler's mill whm unable to iurnisb a supply, and other millH were drawn u{>oii. In 1870 the population had risen to 2,000, and Seattle WI18 by all oddi* the metro|Hjlii* of tiie .Sound basin. The city sixMued secure, and only waited tn have greatncHs thrust upon it.

But it is not so etiay to achieve sueceas. Natural advantages uiaku a place groat only when the men in it do their part. Sfattle must Iw [)Ut up toils higlitist s)n.'(.id to maintain itseir, even though it hud tlio grpatest natural advaiitag(«.

To note the cHeet of the Nortbi'm I'acilie u|k>u Seattle, we must notice the iiwces.'*itie->i of that miul. To carry such n work lo ttompletion involved many interests. The company must look out for their aulffiidy, for on that it deiJended for security for ita bonds. To he sure i nf thi.s it most gain tlie whole support of the party in p<iwer in coi gress and in the administration. It must have almost the entire support of this party, becimse by the very fact of seeking it at all it antagonized the minority bo<ly in congress, and this heavy opposition would need but a few votes from the majority to defeat the subsidy altogether. But in the majority at that time in congress - Republican - were senators from states jealous of Wasliington who would not vot« a great land grant unless their state was to receive a share of the benefit. These bad, of course, to he gained. A few in congress who were naturally opposed to governmental favors to corporations, must be persuaded of the public or political or the pecuniary advantage to tliemsclves of the measure. This involved untold labor in keeping the matter before the people through the newspapers, and before congress through the lobby. Besides all this the immediate object of making the ends meet must be looked after, rather than the remoter object of building the road ideally Ijest for conunerce or "the Asiatic trade." Grandiloquent ."peticiics must be made and i)atriotic editorials must be printed, but, cbiof of all, the road must be brought up quickly to i)ay interest on its bonds. To do this the eompany felt that it must follow the policy of building its own citi(»s. The advantages of this were two. Fii*st, it enabled the road to g(»t, without cost, all the land necessiirv for its own d(*|)ots and round houses, shops and sidetracks; and second, it (Miabled it to acquire land at a mininnnn price, and tlieii, through its own agents, sell town lots at an immense advance. A few well located cities would bring millions of dollai's to tlie ccmipany or to the agents who aided it politically or otherwise. From the head of Lake Superior to Puget Sound the road might build a lunidred towns, some of which would become impoi^tant places. Here w(»re fortunes, not so nnich for the company as for the tlirectors and their friends.

But the most important of all the places to be thus created was at the western terminus. The compjiny would most assuredly not rest without creatiuij: a citv on Putret Soun<l. It would make one new from the bedrock. Jf Seattle luid been a wilderness, its siti' would no doubt have b(vn seized uj)on. But the fact that it was already occupied and was anticipated by all as the ternn'nus madi* it certain that it would not l>e chosen: at least, not at first. The policy of making cities was, naturally, c)ne to Ix^ worked under cover. It wjis, therefore, altogether wise for the company to let the people iA' Seattle su|)|)ose that that was to be the favored place, and thus withdraw attention from their true objective. Nor was there need of haste in making a selection.

The first occurrence to awaken distrust in Seattle was the passage of the bill making the line by the Columbia the main one. This was clearly a deviation from the straight path of connncrcial necessity, as laid down In' Stevens ; and the true object of the act, to get more land and to Siitisfy the Oregon delegation in ( ongress, was well enough understood to create uneasiness. But it was said that it made no difference which was the main line and which the branch, i>rovided the road across the mountains was built ; and the statement of J. S. Smith,* then representative from Oregon, that the branch would prob-

* I have just had an interview with Jay Cooke, who is engineering the Northern P^cifip enterprise. He informs me that the money is already raised to complete ubiy never be built, was justly ridiculed. Before many months, ' moreover, some point near Seattle, if not tho town itself, seemed certain of tho terminus, This was deduced from an autliority no leas ] reliable than the land office at Oiympia. It W)W ordered by the land i commLssnoner that a traet the widtli of the land grant, be withdrawn ] from settlement on tho odd numbered sections from a point on the ' Ck)himbift river to a fwint sis miles north of Seattle. This seemed eonclueive. This act only meant, however, that this was as far uortii "' as the company cared to keep the country open. It .still had a right to atop anywhere south of this place, whether at Seattle or Steilacoom. '

The survey of the Suoqualmie jmiss was eompleted by Maxwell ill g October, 1871. The announcement of the withdrawal of the land twenty miles on oaeh side of a line ending on the Sound six miles north of Seattle, wan made about the same time. These two things together were received by the most conservative in Seattle as a tinal decision of tho company. The people of tlie place even at that early day, when tho city had not quite three thousand inhabitants, were not easily deceived, and had previously been apprehensive that the high profit of making its own cities would lead the company away froml Seattle. So strong had become tiie impre,«sion that such a jmrpose was in view, that speculators were advised jocosely to buy up all the townsites on the east shore of the Sound, so as to be sure of hitting it somewhere During the autumn of the year sporadic towns began to spring up, claiming to be the chosen terminus. One such was a little place on Camano island near Utsalady, known as Holmes' Hole. It had a few months of feverish existence.

A place regarded in much the same light was on Commencement bay. This had been scanned by the people of the Sound but was ruled out as a harbor owing to the alleged depth of water, which was regarded as too much for anchorage. A sawmill had long been in operathe section of 240 miles from the west end of Lake Superior to Red river, and that the work will be commenced next month. The sum raised is ^5,000,000, and m<MT was offered than was required. Cooke is very enthusiastic alraut the matter and says he is going to nialte it the business of his life to build that road. The company ask Congress to allow them to bnild the main toad clown the Columbia and the branch to Puget Sound. Leave will no doubt be given, and most likely the branch will never be built - Letter of Hon. J. S. Smith to Oregon Bullelin, Feb. 1870.

tion there. Rutin 1863 there came thither one of tliose singular eharacters who see things as no others are abl(» to see th(»ni. This was a man from Iowa named Jol) Can*. H<» eaine to the* Sound with the expre^ss purpose of locating at tlic terniiinis of the Nortliern Pacific railroad. Not l)eing satisfied that either Olyinpia or Seattle would he this point, he madt» an examination of tlie cast shore of th(» Sound with a view of finding it. At Connnrncemcut hay he was s^itisfied, and here set his stakes. It was then an utter wiMerness, an<l the land was not yet surveyed. To secure^ liis claim ( arr made an etfoii: to get a survey run, and paid most of the expenses out of his own pocket. It was not until lHf)7 that he succeeded in getting the survey through. In the year following there appeared the tirst arrival to second his endeavor. This was (ieiK^ral ^[. M. A[((arver, a pioneer huihler of cities. He was a Kentuckian hy birth, hut soon after ))e<-onnng of age went out to Iowa and took a hand in the Hlaek Hawk war. After the territorv was thrown open to settlement l)v the whites ]w went into Iowa to found a citv and as a result heeame the tirst settler at Burlington in 18;^. In 184.*^ he came to Oregon and after living a short time on the Tualitan plains, went helow Portland and with Peter Burnett began the building of I.innton. This effort, however, proved abortive and he removed to Oregon City, but soon w(Mit to California and with Burnett laid out Sacramento. Returning to Oregon in 1800 he engaged in various undertakings, making a return trip to the ea.st to .secure settlement of Indian war claims; and afterwards (»ngaged in mining operations. But losing his property by Hrc, he returned to Portland and engaged in business with L. M. Starr and James Steele. In 1868 he formed the project of establishing a city on the Sound which should be the terminus of the now reviving Northern Pacific railroad. He was still to remain in company with Starr and Steele, and thev were to share in his citv. Bv examination of the map of the Sound he concluded that at CV)nnnenccm<Mit l)av was the most available place, and makinga horseback journ(\v to Olympia he .scrutinized the maps in the land office. Being much encouraged by what he there discovered, he i)rocee<led to the s|)ot, and, finding Carr, bought out his claim, except five acres which the older pioneer nvserved, and filed upon it a pre-emption claim in his own name. His original intention was to call the town whicfa he proposed to found Communceineot City, but this name waa dropped as too cumberaome and Tacoma waa substituted.*

About sixty acres was laid out on McCarver'e claim, including Carr's five acres, by the company, Starr, Steele and McCurver, hut Steele, soiling out to his partners, left the property in the hands of the other two. McCarver at once went to work to interest the railroad company. Gaining the confidence of railroad men of influence, he bought for the company large tracts of land adjoining. Ilaumn, Ackersou & Co. built a sawmill here, and settlers begun to gather and residents came in. Neverthelees, before 1873 the place was but the barest beginning.

During the years 1871 and 1872 the subject of the terminu-s was allowed to lie without much agitation. It was generally conceded that the company was in no h&ste to determine this, and Seattle felt

ToTBH Editor: I have recently seen a number of statemeuts, in tbe public prcw end elsewhere, to the effect tlial Ibe present name of the city of Tacoma was given by Mr. C. P. Ferry. This is a mistake, as every one who is personally conversant with tbe facts can testify, and as tbe old settlers of Puf;et Sound well know. The name of Tacoma was conferred upon the city on Comniencctnent bay by John W. Acfcerson, for many years a member of tbe firm of Hanson, Ackerson & Co., proprietors of the Tacoma mills. Mr. Ackerson settled in Tacoma in 1868, and, not being satisfied with the name by which the place was then known. Commencement City, gave it the name by which it has since been known. In support of this statement I quote from the (fw/SAow of October, 187H, as follows:

"The place now known as Tacoma, with its railroad, ocean steamers and other signs of modern civilization, was then almost a wilderness. Mr. Job Carr, with his two sous, bad taken up some laud with great hopes for the location of a future city at that place. Previous to the location of the mill. General McCarver, believing that Carr was right, settled there and named the place Commencement City. Aflerdeciding to locate the mill at that point, Mr. .\ckeniOn did not fancy tbe name and therefore renamed it Tacoma, after the Indian name for Mt. Rainier, the beautiful snow peak back of the city. The General protested, but Mr. .Ackerson was firm, and as Tacoma it is known yet."

Tlie above statement was never contradicted or disputed, and, as I have said, there can be no question of its correctness. I repeal these facts only in order that a grave mistake may not Ije perpetuated in history, and that credit may be given where it is properly due. S. LOUISB ACKBKSON.

reai5onably sure that its advantages would at length compel its choice. Diwing the latter part of 1S72, liowever, it l>egan to appear tliat there was a difference among tlie nienil>ei*s of the company. Like all great corporations it liad l)ecoine divi<led into a number of distinct departments, and one of tlie most powerful of these was the townsite company, which went under the name of the Lake Superior and Puget Sound Land company. It was learne<l from one of the officials of the railroad company that the (Migineers wished one terminus and the land company another, and he saw no way out of tlie muddle except to make two termini. This Pickwickian conclusion was not regarded as solving iho difficulty, an<l the* report that the land company would build two hundre<l and lifty miles of the road on payment of l)onds for thc^ amount only led to the fear that it wouM be allowed to select the site of the terminus.

As the road was built to Tenino bite in ]X72, and as the next fortv miles would bring the roa<l well down the Sound, the subject sprang into great im[)ortance. In the <'arly months of 1<S7;5 the most conservative in Seattle considered the chances of the place good an<l reasoned that^fhe company must select the s[>()t best adapted to a road and most convenient to (1(h»|) water an<l \\w mountain passes. Jn June Judge R. I). Rice and J. ('. Ainsworth appeared on the Sound to s(;ttle the matter finally. The* Northern Pacific had bought the Oregon Steam Navigation company's steam(»rs on the Columbia, so that Ain.sworth, as the president company, ha<l been a))sorbed into the Northern and took a leadmg part in its councils.

Upon their arrival Seattle was aske<l to mak(» ple<lges of a subsi<Iv to the railroad in consideration for the location of the terminus. It was now believed that the <lecision of the ([uestion depended oidv upon the liberality of the people. At the final reckoning an enormous subsidy, for a phufe of scarcely two thousand peojde, was promised. A. A. Denny led the way, an<l, aft<M* a large sum had been secured privately, a most enthusiastic public meeting was hel<l and the following amounts were pledged : 7r>00 town lots, »*U)00 acres of land, ^oO,- 000 in cash, $200,000 in bonds and the use of the city front above King street - in all amounting to a value of over $700,000. It was understood that Tacoma was offering 2000 acres of land, and it was believed that Seattle's pledge was greater in value than the whole of the assessed valuation of Pierce t-ounty. Ansuretily no fault coald be found with Seattle's subsidy, which was about $:J50 ffir everj- man, woman and child in the place, or upwardH of ifl-'iOO to the voter. This was a sum sufficient to bnild and pqulp twenty-five miles of roiid.

After such an unparalleled ofit-r Sfattle felt sure of the result. It was therefore a great surprise when it was announced on July l-'Jth i that the teniiinus was fixed at Commencement bay.

The disappointment was bitter, but the spirit of the people ' manifested at once. The town must have a railroad. The sain>| promised the Northern Pacific must be trebieil and a road of Seattle's own must be built to Walla Waila, or a connection miijit be made] with the Columbia river and Salt Lake road.

Probably no city showed more instantaneously than Seattle itS^ pluck and darinj; and its willingness to appeal fn)m the decision o^ the great corporation to its own advantages and enterprise. In iM than a week the policy was formulated wliich has been the controlling principle of tlic city ever since. It was tliis : Let Seattle rely on itself, build and run its own railroads, and by force of its position compel commerce to recognize it. The columns of the city papers were filled with bold declarations and the people showed the utmost courage in sustaining them. A mass-meeting met at Yesler's Pavilion, and numbered among those present all the business men of the place. The principal speaker of the occasion was Seleucius Garfielde, ex-delegate. Although Mr. (.Jarfielde as a politician iiad not the unanimous support of tlie voters of the town, at this time he outlined a plan which commanded the hearty approval of all. He expressed the belief that the Northern Pacific would not build the branch across the mountains, since it had combined with I lie Oregon Steam Navigationcompany, and therefore wished to bring the trafhc of the upper country down the Columbia. This, under the circumstances, was all the better for Seattle. Tacoraa must in that event be only the end of the road from the Columbia. But if the iiroduee of the interior were brought down the Columbia, little of it would be shipped over to the warehouses of Taeoma for lading on the sea vessels; it wouM i)ass out of the Cohnnl)ia. A road across the mountains could, however, l)rin^ the surplus of the Walla Walla valley to tide water much cheaper than it could be brought thence by the river with its two portages, and four extra handlings. Indeed about half a million bushels of wheat was said to be likely to lie in the warehouses of the upi>er country from inability of the steamboat company to handle it before the winter ])lockade of ice. Wheat was dull at Walla Walla at fortv cents a bushel, while at the Sound it commande<l one dollar and twcnty-tive cents. Here, then, was eighty-five cents on a bushel to l)c divided between a railroad company and the Walla Walla farmers, as an inducement for a road between the two point^s. The action of the Northern Pacific was most o})portune for Seattle to construct a road of its own.

How this might be <lone was then eonsi<lered. A broad gauge road was estimated to cost eight million dollars - more than Seattle could obtain or pay interest uj)on. But a narrow gauge could be built for half that sum. To raise this amount, the peojjle of the whole territory should be interested, particularly along the line of the road. Land should be given, which at government valuation should be Avorth a million and a half or two million dollars. On this there might be obtained a loan s.ufHcient to build a large part of the road, and the rest upon the increase in value of the lands; or the roadbcxl itself might serve as a basis for the completion of the work.

As a result of this extensive projiosition and large design a company was formed at once, with A. A. Denny as president and J. J. McGilvra as attorney. Books were opened and stock was subscribed. Land at a certain valuation was taken as an equivalent for money and paid up stock was issued for it. Some of the stock was paid for in money, and some stock was subscribed, subject to assessment. To the feverish anxiety of the peoph^ the necessary business formality, such as examining land titles, seemed slow and tedious, but the company actually made astonishing progress. In two months they had half a million dollars, mostlv in land, subscribed.

of their endeavors a meeting wiva caliod ami resolutions favoring till' scheme were passed. Tlie Walla Walla papers, with but one exception, fully indorsed the undertaking. Indeed, the pajiers iu all parts of tlie territory, except those eonnected with tlic Nortlicrn Pocitit^ | lauded the enterprise.

It was suljscquently asked hy the i>eople of W^allu Walla that the ' road bo extended to no point beyond their city, that the money they raised be spewt oii tJie section from their city to Wallula, and that a certain number of the din-ctors of the road be of their own i-osidcnts. These conditions were readily grantwl by the Seattle company. There ' arose h-om this souie opiiosition in Walla Walla from those intt'rested in Dr. Baker's road to Wallula, who naturally did not wish to see a rival and claimed that their rotid was eiiuugh. There were also those at that city who ndvorateil, instead of ii road across the mountains, the . opening of the CoUinibia by locks and cwnais at tlie Cascades and ' Dalles. Nevertheless there was almost entire unanimity for the road i at both cities. The movement naturally carried the strength of the I whole people iu its favor, Washington territory wanted a railroad ' and was disappointed in the hope of seciug the Northern Pacific speed- J ily unite the eastern and western sections. The legislature, then in session, wa« therefore ready to dn iill in its jiower to furtlier the interests of the coiii[Ntny. An act wtis pitsi^ed permitting the counties through which the road was to pass to give bonds to the extent of $500,000, conditioned upon the indorsement of such a policy by three-fifths of the voters at a special election held in the counties concerned. Such ataion made it jxtssiblc for the four counties of King, Yakima, Klickital and Walla Walla tentatively to provide interest on two million dollars. All these efforts were ambitious, and some, as bonding the counties, unwise ; but they showed the enthusiasm of the people.

In the meantime - from July to October - the afiairs of the Northern Pacific were falling into such siiape that Seattle had the sympathy of a majority of the people. The company was showing unmistakable -signs of financial weakness and a resultant moral weakening. Its choice of Tacoma was a symptom that lack of resources was making it subservient to the speculators who were its camp followers; its union with tlie Oregon Steam Navigation company of Portland showed plainly that it was needing the ai<l even of comparatively small organizations to helj) it through, an<l tliat it was using every eflbrt to avoid building a road where it might make the. excuse that there was a waterwav. But most distinctlv was its moral weakness as a public highway shown by its shamel(\ss etibrt to run its line so as to seize public land rather tlian to serve the interests of commerce. It was now changing its surveys so as to hoop the territory - running a line down the Columl)ia, thence across to the Sound and Bellingham bay, through the Skagit pass, and back to the eastern l)order of the territory. It was figured that this would give it upwanls of twenty million acres of land in Washington alone. It had shown its disposition to charge all it could get lor such lands, an<l the whole complexion of the corporation was chiefly that of [)rivate land speculation with railroad building as an nltogether secondary matter. So long as the Nortliern Pacific road promised to be of ])enefit to the country, tlie people were willing to wink at the atten<lant evils, but the moment it became clear that the benefit was to go to Oregon rather than to Washington, and to Kastern specuhitors more than to either, the spirit of the territory rose in rebellion, and Seattle led the attack. Truly tlu* struggle* that the city then began was a struggle for liberty and the right to exist. The toils of railroad speculation and railroad domination were being woven tight about this young commonwealth. It happened most opportunely for Washington that this immense monopoly did not select S(»attl(» as its tiTmiiuis, for, with the interests of Seattle united with those of the Northern Pacific, the issue of the struggle would have been disastrous for the commonwealth.

The fight was therefore betwi^^i a free and independent community and a government monopoly. It was of tlu^ same nature as the war of American Independence or the confliet of the Americans in Oregon with the Briti.sh monopoly of the Hudson's Bay company. It was a significant struggle. It would seem to l>e most unecpial with everytljing in the favor of tlu* corj)oration, with its millions of acres, its Eastern bankers, its European connections and its influence in Congress. Seattle was a mere pigniy in comparison, a simple village in the woods. It had no capitalistic or political connections and no reiiresentntioii in Congress. The only thing to command re9i»ect was its iiaacrtion of the right to exist and its dehance of the power which would treat, the territory and its people as its property. It would exist and flourisli despite the mandate nf the Northern Piicifie railroad to the contrary. It had itself U> rely ujmn and ho much of the synipatliy and aid of the people of tlie teri'ikiry ii.s it could eoTiinimid, Thus it entereil ujion the contest.

The first movements were to the advantage of Seattle. The active co-operation of Walla Walla and of the territorial legislature was gained. Still more important was (he sudden financial collapse of the hankers of the Nortliern Pacific, Jay Uooke & Co. This occured in , Soptember, 1873. It threw the companyinto great difficulty, as Cooke had some wix nn'Uion dollars of its bonds as his sole reserve or assets, i and from his relation t<j the company his failure threw discredit on the company itself, hringing its outstanding bond.-: almost to zero in the market and making new issues almost ini]x)ssihle. So great waa the stringency that it was doubtful wbether the road would bo completed to Tacoma in the time specified, the charter thus becoming jeopardized. Indeed, the contractor, one Monlgomerv, 1'i.voniiiig unable to pay his men, suddenly left the country, leaving the men to whistle for their money. These toilers rose in their righteous wrath, and, making a barricade on the line of survey, determined to hold it by force and to prevent further ojwrations until they were paid. By the appearance of Ainsworth with ?500 and the promise of $5,000, they were induced to leave their fortification across the track and resume work ; but on the failure of the $5,000 to appear, new disturbances arose. There were threats of destroying the track and bridges, and the public were warned not to risk their lives on the cars. The company was, in fact, on the brink of ruin. Cooke's failure proved to be more disastrous than was at first supposed and was the beginning of the great jianic and business depression attendant upon the contraction of the currency and return to specie payments. The company had to he reorganised and wouhl have failed but for the action of Congres.s in forbearing to declare; the land grant forfeited. There was a new directorate chosen, and a careful and steady movement was begun under President Billings, to get the work ready for completion. Seattle, therefore, had time to see what it could <lo au<l to make its endeavor without the full weight of the Northern Pacific opposition.

The fiist concern was the railroad. This meant to get a nucleus of capital, lo push the survey tlirough so as to begin work in the coming spring, to get congresssional action as to right of way over the public domain, and to secure whatever else in the way of government aid might be obtained, and above all, to gather the capital from outside to actuallv do the work. It was felt bv all that it could be done if all the people in the place stood resolutely together until it was accomplished, although it was also regarded as a severe test of their fortitude and fidelity. Nevertheless they proceeded on the assumption that there were none of influence in the place who were likely to turn a public enterprise to personal or private interest.

The survey was promptly undertaken in order to be completed so far as to decide upon a route and to obtain an (\^timate of expenses and probable traffic when conn)lete<l, in time for active ojjerations at the opening of the season. Seattle was extremely fortunate in enlisting the sympathy of General Tilton, who had made the Northern Pacific surveys, and in obtaining the services of T. B. Morris, who lia<l surveyed the Snoqualmie route. Through these gentlemen permission was obtained of the Northern Pacitic to use the old survev and field notes, thus making it possible to begin at once, with the diflieult work of surveying the Cascade mountains alreadv done. The survev of the eastern end from Walla Walla was undertaken at once, and before May, 1874, a report of a route was made. Mr. Morris did the work very carefully and reported it as a j)erfeetly practicable route leading through the most fertile sections, and having the promise of great traffic.

The climated cost of the road - narrow gauge - was a little over ^14,000 per mile, making the total, if the road was built by what was termed the lower Yakima route, ?4, 170.91 0 ; or $3,677,902 if built by way of Priest's rapids. Estimates of traffic were l>ased upon what the Kittitas, Yakama and Walla Walla vallevs and the Blue mountain foothills would export in the way of grain, fruit, and live stock. Freight was reckoned at $8 a ton from Walla Walla with 100,000 tons of grain to be exported. The total product of wheat from the Walla

Walla and Umatilla valleys was entiniated iis likely to rise to 7,500,000 ' buslnjlf* for i'X[Jort. Otlicr sliipping jKiitils wtTi? rt-L-koni'd at Prii!et's rapidw, and in tho Yakimu oouutry. Traffic from tin- cool niiut'S ne«r ! 8cuUU* was also reckoned, and freight east, making a totiil biimii(!ee o£] some $1,600,0110. Dividing this by two ns tlie w-t-ffleienl of safety, I Morris showed some $»U0,000, aa the possible earnings of tniffic and ]w!tf)engers jier year. Interest on the outlay he Kstinmted at some ! JfiOO.OOO ptT aiiniini. A safe margin, tlien-fore appeared, and it was \ with the best jirospeett that tlie roail could go before the Siianciul world. To prosoeutt^ the work, the company had ou hand 6,500 acres of land, ineludiii^ two or thitie miles of water front on the bay, 600 town lots and Huliscriptions of 100 stoekholdere; allof whieh would uol pmbably foot up more than a quwtiir,or at most half, a million dollara. All necessary legislation liad, howevnr, been pa.sis(.'d by tho territorial U'ffislatui-e, although some of it would need to be confinned by Cougress. Such was the condition in April, 1874. Although the enter- ] prise was yet on a slender basis, it was detuned that much had hG«i ' done siuce the last Octoher, and that the boldest course was the best. When ground was once broken, it was thought, the hesitating and J doubting would join in hojiefuljy and lionil.'^ niijrlit be issufd on the score of work already begun. The first day of May was set apart as a day to break ground. This was a monumental day in the history of Seattle.

It was claimed and believed that in case of necessity Seattle could herself furnish enough laborers, who would t;ike stock for their work, to build a suHicieut portion of the road to insure its completion. The breaking of ground was therefore to be, not merely a form, but a solid day's work by the whole city. When May Day dawned, therefore, the city was astir. All the steamboats and steam mills hailed its approach with long blasts of their whistles. A few pieces of artillery added their thunder to the shrill screaming of tlie steamers. The church bells and scliool bells added to llie <lin, the latter, however, not summoning the whining school boy to hi.s books, nor the former the women to their ilcvntiou, for ciiildren and ladies were to go with the men to the rendezvous ou the Duwamish. Business was wholly suspe nded, and at an early hour the whole city was aboard steam- boats or barges, making their way to the point of beginning on the road. There was much of good natured jollity on the way, and one craft, the Cbmet, with a schooner in tow, stuck her nose in the mud of the flat*^, much to tin* mortification of the men and women on board. Many of the people took the wagon road to the scene of action. There were three hinidred men to manii)ulate the pick and shovel and roll the barrows. An encouraging piece of road to work upon was wisely selected, and before tin* noon hour a stretch of the grade quite visible was thrown up. Mr. Morris was there to direct, and many who had not done a stroke of manual labor for years were proud to show what they coubl do.

The expectation that tifteen miles of the road would Ix? finished and in operation by Sept<^mber proved (piite rash ; there were barely twelve miles graded by October. Interest turned on th(* election of delegate to Congress in November, and a point of supreme importance was to secure the election of a frieiul of the road. Judge Jac()l)S was

Aaidp from the work on the rniiroa(f,the other plmis oC the citizens, for opcriiiig the wuvl riiiiii-sdii Cudur rivL-r, miil t-sljiblishing » ship- ' yard ami iron works, were gotten nmier way. Captain Battcraby, of San Frmic'iftco, reprnscntinK Culiforriiu cupitul, wan leil to make (immgemeiits for each of tlirae int^Testa, undertaking to build ship ] yards on Elliott bay, for wiiicli lie was to rweivt- a subsidy of one ] liundred acres of land, with four hundred ft-ct of deep wnt^r fmnt o tide water, upon completion within two years of two bIujw of at least 1 1000 tons burthen eiurh, A like subsidy was to he given for ectiiblishing within three years a blast furnace on the line of the railroad. The I capitalists represoiitwd by ButtiTsby wore also to mine tiio (Axlur riv(» 1 coal to the extent of three hundred tons per day, for a subsidy of I twenty at."r<!8 of tide land, fronting deep water. Tliey werualsfj toiiiigo^ \ tiftte a loan of $20l),0UO for the Seattle Jind Wtilhi Wtilhi railroad.

For a private enterprise of a small eity without capitalist-^, much 1 had now been done. But it was not nil t« be plain .sailing. 'Phreio I great obstacleH were found in the way: Congresflional diaatfeclion, ojiposition foment^'d at Walln Walla, and dittieulty in raising funds nt ; home.

* The plan outlined by Seleucius Gar5elde and published by the InUltigenar was the general idea of the people of the territory as to what should be done. At the request of Judge McFadden, deleRate to Cougress, Mr. Denny went to Washington. The former felt a deep interest in the success of tbe Seattle road, and also had a bill for the benefit of Olympia in reference lo the branch road to be built from Tenino to that place. This bill was to allow Thurston county to assume bonds of the company. Delegate McFadden thought that if with the bill for this county there could be coupled the interest of King and the other counties on the line of the Walla Walla road, the whole would he stronger. It was, liowever, defeated on the ground of impolicy and the (juestionable right of a majority of two-thirds, or of any proportion not the total of all voters, to tax the others agains-t their will for a private improvement. As to right of way. it was found to be too late in the session to get a bill through for any specilied road, but a general bill was passed authoHzing any road that had filed a survey of route, tile right of way over public lands, and the use of a limited number of acres of the public domain for depots and terminal grounds.

The gift of such immense tracts of land as had been bestowed upon the Pacific railroads was denounced as extravagant and dangerous to the nation. Neither party, therefore, dared to show favor to any new railroad enterprise. It miglit easily besliown that tlie Si'attle & Walla AValla road was projected for the purpose of neutralizing the i)Ower of ix monopoly create<l by former legislation, but the senators and representatives dared not risk anv new action whatever. In realitv they were no more opposed to dangerous monopolies tlian before, and were vising this ultra virtuous })ositiou toward nrw railroads in order to ^ive still further aid to the Northern Pacific. They represented that "they were in hbnor bound to help that road through to the extent of the subsidy first proposed, esj)eciall3' as the failure of tlie comi)any ^vas due to the general financial crasli and to no fault of its own. They must sustain tlie honor of the government so far as old grants were concerned, but not a dollar for anything more. Such was their cunning excuse for not d(H-laring forfeited a vast land grant tliat was actually forfeited, and had liindered rather than helped the construction of the road, bringing in s|)eculative rather tlian l)usiness interests. These were the two things that Judge McFadden, as delegate, and Denny, as i)resident of the road, asked of Congress - right of way and an act to allow the counties along the line to guarantee tlu* interest on the bonds of tlie company. TIic latter was refused, the former but covertly granted.

The failure of Ccmgress to give th(^ road any standing was taken as a final disposition of the whole thing. It was so announced by the Walla Walla Statitsman. It was generally so received by the people, and it was, of course, useless to ask loans on a road that had no financial security. This led in part to the disaffection at Walla Walla.

While the Northern Pacific was embarrassed Portland was doing its utmost to get through a road to the Union Pacific. It was an undertaking of Colonel W. W. Chai>man of that city, who had, largely at his own expense, surveyed the line and had fought htn-oically for the enter})rise in the lobby of Congress. Senator Mitchell had identified himself with the cause of the Union Pacific, and he and Cliapman were doing their best to gain the i)eople of Walla Walla. The ^'^/^wvimi of that city had from the first oj>j)osed the Seattle road, and at thwip overtures from Oregon (raiiie into the ascendency. The ShII Lai road of Fe red coram iinieation to thusoalioHrd iiy Portliind tind Miftnoui of llitt Columbia ond rail loiiiimniifation with the eust. Se Mitchell gut a large npim)priatii>n for ihf improveinont of the Cohnn'- bia river, nnd it was repK^soiiteii Uitit in n short time the Wnlla WallanJ country would enjoy both rnil and water comniuniwitiou with 1' land. Furtiiermorc, WulU Wallw wuukl lio on a dinvt tmiiseontinenl route, iuid must therefore become the nietro|iolis for all lime of Iiihiiiii Enijiire - whereas by the nmd ^A^ Seiittle, it wa;* represented, it would siniidy be tiie terminuHof ii local mad, iind the Ininswintiiienltil line, swcejnng iiortliward, would buiiti the ehief eity fur to the north - as has proved to he the case, To join itn interests indissohihly wH those of Portland and tlie Columbia, it wu« proiwswi that WuUa Wall county, then embracing nil south of Ihc Hnake river, lie united wil Oregon by annexation. In addition to sil! iIuh, an elFort wiw niadv Portland to induce Congri'-ss U> ileehiix- forlVitiil the unonnied lands the Northern Pacific in Washingt(jn and togtvetlioni to tla> C(duml liiviT A Salt Luke road, Wnsiiington. being u territory and withoi repriv-enlalion in (ViigresK, wan regnnled as spoil for any niilnii eorpoi'iilion or political t-ombinafiiai powerful enough to nianijinli Congress. Thus it is seen what powerful interests were opposing Seattle. It would not have been surprising if its }X'ople had given the battle up as hopeless. They were face to face with a hostile terminal city, a hostile Northern Pacific, a hostile Portland railway backed by the Union Pacific, and a hostile political combination denying their enterprise government recognition.

Nevertheless, though three years had passed since the terminus was declared to be at Tacoma, Seattle had no thought of giving up. It had been claimed that before this she would be deserted and that her business men would be found at Tacoma. On the contrary, her population increased at about the regular i-ate - a hundred or two per year.

In lS7o Imt little progress was made on the railroad but a favorable arrangement was made with the lieiiton Coal company, who at their own expense built a i"<>ad from their mine to a point on the line of the Seattle <k Walla AValla roail, which wa,s also a jwint on the

I obt-ained. This portion of tlie track was somewhat out of repair, uwmIing ballasting, and the rails had become so worn as not to bear tlie

The people of Seattle, and the railroad company in particular, felt something like the Norse god Thor, when lie struck the face of the giant with bis hammer - it did not wake the sleeping monster but it made a dent. Like Thor, too, they were ready to strike the .second and the third time, and to grip the hand so tightly over their hammer as to turn the knuckles wliite. They had made a dent, and though they heard a scoffing Forthind newspaper saj' that at their rate of progress it wouM take them about two hundred years to get to Walla Walla, tliey coniideutly expected to go at a faster rate. Tlie Yakima

Nothing eouM hotter deserihe tlie rai]roa<l situation of Seattle in Mareli, 1877, tlian the following written at the time hv IMnlip Ritz of Walla Walla : ''The road is now completed and running to the coal mines, with one twenty-one ton locomotive, and with ten first-class eight-ton eoal eai"s completed and ten more nearly <lone. Also twelve flat cai*s, and one first-class passenger, baggage an<l mail car combined, which will seat thirty-six persons nic(*ly, besi<les which eight or ten more <ran be acconnnodatcMl comfortably in the l)aggag(M>r smoking car department. The company have also one light eight-ton locomotive for work on the upper part of their rna<l. The road will b(» formally opened on the third of March with a free ri<h' an<l excui'sion of the citizens. We of Walla Walla have been looking upon tlu* building of this road as an imaginary vision, but, mark my word, if James M. Colman lives, he will build this road over the mountains alone, unless some capitalist comers forward and takes it off of his hands in order to build it faster. lie is one of the most remarkable men of this coast. A man of active ])rain an<l a splendid mechanic, he is always etjual to any emergency. He has ma<le everything that has Ixvn rcfjuired for the road on the groun<l, excepting the locomotives and railroad iron. All the car wheels an<l castings for his passenger car have been made here. About a year ago, when it seenu^d as if the whole thing would die, Mr. Colman came forward and proposed to the company that, if they would' furnish $;i(),(H)(), he would put up §()(),()()(), and take hold of the road and build it. He has done all that he proposed to do, and now has a road well built of .*^f>-pound iron, fully e<|uipped, with fine wharves built for the cars to run on, discharge the coal at either low tide or high tide into the largest Pacific Mail Steamship company's steamers, that draw twenty-five feet of water - at a cost not to exceed $125,000. To give you an idea of tlu* possibh* earnings of the road, I took pains to get all the details of Mr. Colman. He says that in a short time he will have his arrangements so completed that he can bring down 1200 tons of coal per day, i)ut at present the mines do not furnish more than 400 tons. Next summer the Seattle Coal and Transported ion company will change their }>resent route so as to send tliL'ir ooal OVLT this roud. IIu uHtimakw Umt lie am [Hit coal alxwrt vessels lit $2,7ii per ton. This will I>e a regular biisinwis every day inj the year and nt tifty wiits a ton must realize ti very large protit. MfJ Colmaii will lomlo tifUjen miles more just as wwn an thisia in complet working order, and, as thnre m but littlp more rolling stock rcquirt aiid no new whiirviw to build, he thinks he can buihl it for $6,000 ]ie mile. This will take them in the vicinity of very extensivo and va ualilc iron mines, which will add very largely t<i tlie profits of th« road. He is fully determined to pnt all tlie carningo of h!« mill alia ovi-ry dollar that Uie ruad earns into thu work until he gete it over thd mountains, ami J believe he will make it."

Such evidence of the steady purpose and business force of Seatt - for Mr, Colinan, though a leader, was but' a leader of men eipialljl as determined - shows what a young city of ibrce thousuml people! could do.

The activity of the Norlliern Pacific company in building a noolfl road from Tacumu to Wilkusou appeared threatening to Seattle jui on tlie eve of the completion of her own coal road, and afforded ample indication that the former city was ready to cnnlost vigoTOUsIy the tiiide in this staple which was finding such demand in San Francisco. Seattle felt the contest for the control of the coal market to be a considenible threat to her suiiremaey and a great card for her rival.

At this Juncture, however, there apiK'aretl one of those divei-sions which mark epochs in the historj- of places. This opens the third period of the struggle.

The characteristic feature of the struggle as hitherto narrated waa its local nature. It was a manful conti-st of a mere village, without financial or political iriHnenee, to maintain its rights in the face of the ellbrts of a powcd'nl and unscrupulous corjinration. The next phase, however, was marked by tlie sudden transfer of the contest from this local area to an alnmst national field. This was brought about by the rise of that financial gcnins, Ilt-nry Villard.

by the German boiulhoMers of tlie Hen IloUadav railroads and steamship lines in Oregon and California to examine the property and report npon what was hest to be done with it. (.'oming alone and unheralded, he not only examiniMl the eondition of the roads but made a thorough serutiny of the vast North Paeitie eoast as a field of enterprise and speeulation. There seems t<> liave been something j)cculiarly attraetive to him in tlie west slope. Making glowing re|)orts and maturing elaborate plans for aecjuiring eontnd of all the tninsportation eompanies of tlie Cohimhia and Puget Sound basins, as well as of the Northern Paeilic- railroad, he i"eturne<l to his CJerman friends and diselosed his plans. With his phenomenal eapaeity for gaining eonfidenee in linaneial circles, he was tendered tln^ use of almost unlimited cajjital. With this he lugan buying u]) as many as possible of the transjjortalion com|»anies of the Northwest. The Oregon ifc California and the<)r<*gon Central rnilroads and the steamships of the HoIIadav line were already under his control, and the Oregon Steam Navigation company, which had been a<-ting with the Northern Paeilic. came abo to him. booking to the Sound and seeing the importance of the Seattle and Walla Walla, Ix^th as a possible road over tlie mountains and even more as a coal road, he hought this, aeciuiring also the coal niines. The great j)ri/.e, the NortluTU Pacific, he secured bv buvini:, without tlu^ knowled<re of President Billings, a controlling interest in tin- stock on the market. To Billings this was a most severe disappointment, for he was just upon the eve, after a laborious straightening out of its allairs, to take final steps for the completion of the great enterprise.

Villard was iri an incredihiy short time master of ev(M*ything from the Missouri to the Straits of Fuca. As it was imj>ossibl(» lor the Northern Pacific to actually ahsorl.) all these minor comi>ani(\*^, thev were organized under various names, sucli as the "Oregon Railroad ife Navigation company" and the "Oregon Improvement company." Botli of these were to be l)uilt into th(^ Northern Pacific svstem ; and as the Northern Pacific could not furnish nutans to buihl r()a<ls not its own, there was organized the Oregon & Transcontinental company, with jK)wers the most general, its real ohjiH't being to act as banker, as Villard expressed it, for the Northern Pacific and the other roads. On tile whole tliPve wiis forniwl oin; of tlie most complicate*! milroiul syetem* 1 ever on recoi-d, and the public found it difficult to keep the nin of itij all.

Tliese plans were consummiited in theaummornf 18S1. They seemed to be a triumphant solution of the question of terminus in favor 0 Seattle. Villard, by acr[iiiring the Seattle road and coal mines, it waff-l argued, must intend to eonnect tliis place with liis transcoiitiucntalll line. The fight seemed to be over, the victorj' virtually won, and all J thitt Seattle had t<j do wus to IiK>k on while thiiHt? great orguiiizatioiitf-B earved out it-'^ destiny.

In Septemlrer and Octolwr, ISHl, Villard and hia party [)aid theirT posfleflsions an ioiiKirtant visit, \'illurd was acronipauicd by m«n of 1 conaiderable diHtinction from Germany, England and New YnrJc. Being a man of eulture and rofineniunt, he uiyoyt-d surrounding bimaelf with men of intelligence and thought. He had a boyish fond- , ness for showing to bis frit-nds the resonrros and wondL'rs of tliej utmost west. But, Upsides all this, he knew very well (he effect upon I public credit of the reports of men of recognized iibilily. AmougJ those who accompanied him on tJiis tour were Baron Hertzog, of G«r- 1 many; Prof. Bryce, M. P. of Engliiiid. and .Junius Browne. Their route was by way of California, ami in tlio last days of September Portland was readied. Hero \'illarii stilted in a public address that he had f60,000,000 with which to build the Northern Pacific road from Montana to tidewater on the Pacific, a distance of eight hundred miles, and that the road would certainly be completed by the autumn of 188a.

Coming over to the Sound early in October, ho passed quietly through Seattle on the way to Victoria. On the return, October 7th, he was accorded an ovalion, and there was given to his entire party a banquet at which the chief citizens of Seattle also sat. A graceful speech of welcome, made by Mayor Collins, wiis gracefully answered by Mr. Villard. PrnleHsiir IJryec iilso Hpokc most agreeably. In the evening tliert^ was a reci'jition at thr upcra house, and Villard gave a somewhat extended accnunl of the ]iur[M)scs of his eom]iany. He affirmed that Seattle would not be neglected. A i-oad to Portland would be built. Seattle would have rail connection to Oregon, and bv the road thence to Walla Walla. Bv this route he believed that wheat could be profitiibly shipped at Seattle. As to the building of the branch across the Cascade mountains, he made no promise except that it would sometime be built.

This speech was, on the whole, regarded as exceedingly satisfactory to Seattle. His remarks at Olympia were substantially the same. He stated that the branch across the mountains would be built bv whatever pass was found most practicabhs regardless of what city it reached on the Sound. At Pcjrtland, on liis return trip, he rebuked what he termed a spirit of narrowness - \hi\{ Porthmd did not wish the road completed to California on tlie Oregon and California route, or from Portland to the Sound.

During his stay in Seattle Villard urged the [)eople to prej)are for shipping grain. As a consequence, Sehwahacher ct Co. pn^pared to build a flouring mill of a Cii])ncity of ^OO l)arrels per day. The railroad asked right of way sixteen feet wide along the city front to their property at the chute, and in return promised to huild tracks to the warehouses and docks that they were urged to build for shipping. Nine lots were also announced as bought by th(» company at §.'50,000. The most important move, however, was in February, 1S<S2, when a survey was begun for the extension of the coal road from Kenton for twenty-seven miles up the Cedar river. Seattle coal was then worth $7.50 a ton in San Franciseo, and the total amount sold there in 1881 reached 140,1 2o tons. Washington was at this time producing annually 1,921,522 bushels of wheat. The lumber cut of the Sound was about 250,000,000 feet.

The year following the fii>;t of September, 1882, was a period of great expectation and enterprise, as well as of actual growth, all over the Pacific Northwest. Villard added a few more companies to his combination, such as the Rocky Mountain railroad, of Montana, and the Pacific Coast Steamship company, and Ix^gan putting new iron vessels on the coasting route and to run regular colliers from Seattle to San Francisco and Portland to extend the sales of his coal. On the main line of the Northern Pacific the work of construction was pushed with great energy, re(iuiring an army of men. The road from Portland to Riparia, on the Snake river, a distance of two hun-

(livd and sixty miles, was brought to completion through one of the most expensivt' routes to work in the entire experience of railroad enterprise. Work on the branch from Portland to Kalama was begun and carried nearly to completion. On the branch to Seattle, from Tacoma, which was of most interest to Seattle, an armv of men were at work the entire year, but the work was not (juite finished by St^ptember. On the branch across tlie Cascade mountains work was detinitely laid out, with the intention of bringing it to a finish within three years, the great tunnel nec(*ssitating this much time.