The Cedar River Siege: How a Power Mogul Tried to Steal Seattle’s Water

The Star has been the only paper in Seattle to give to the public a statement of the true inwardness of the strife over the location of the intake for the Cedar River water supply system.

On Wednesday, March 19, the following editorial appeared in The Star:

"There is an intrigue between Baker's company and the Washington Power Company, which should be clearly understood. Baker's company has spent a half million dollars in drilling and preparing for the installation of an electric plant. One of the Baker boys is reported to be in New York at the present time, seeking to raise money for the enterprise. In the meantime, an eagle eye is being kept by the Bakers upon the promoters of the Washington Power Company, which is trying to establish itself up near the head of the Cedar River, and which threatens, if it may obtain foothold, to become a dangerous rival for the power business of Seattle and Tacoma.

The Bakers are determined to throttle the Cedar River enterprise at any cost. Let it be understood that the Washington Power Company claims to be the successor, by purchase, to the rights, titles, and interests, whatever those may be, of the man who raised such a ruction in this community a few years ago—the noted Mr. Amos Lowen.

Within the last ten days the transfer of interests from Amos Lowen to the Washington Power Company is said to have been made, and the new owners state that they have no connections whatever with the thrifty gentleman who wanted to sell water to the city in days gone by. It may be that pollution of the water supply would follow the building of the electric plant at the head of Cedar River. That matter must be carefully considered.

The Snoqualmie Falls Power Company has been doing a prodigious amount of editorial work for some weeks past, advertising the troubles that will overtake the city if it is not decided that abutting property along the Cedar River is not promptly condemned as soon as purchased by the municipality. It has been pointed out that the water supply will be polluted in years to come unless the city owns all of the mountain tract from Cedar Lake down to the valley. Copious references have been made to 'refuse from towns and hamlets, from sawmills and other sources,' and the city has been urged to buy up the property along Cedar River in order to prevent such unsavory pollution.

Not one word was said, however, about the division of business and profits that would result from the establishment of the rival Washington Power Company on Cedar River. The effort was to choke off the opposition enterprise... and to make the city draw the Snoqualmie Falls Power Company's chestnuts out of the fire by buying up the land along Cedar River, so as to cut off for all time the possibility of competition by a rival power company.

In carrying out this plan the promoters found it necessary to attack City Engineer Thompson for saying that the proposed condemnation and purchase was unnecessary, and would entail an unjustifiable expense upon the city. Thompson's motives could not very well be impugned, as he was seeking to save money and not to spend it, but his professional judgment was held up to criticism.

The campaign was carried on vitriolically and cleverly... Finally, however, the Mason hand of the Snoqualmie corporation was discerned, and the Star brought the matter to public attention. While members of the city council were investigating for themselves, a resident of Seattle, Tracy H. Robertson, brought an injunction proceeding yesterday to prevent the award of the contracts on the Cedar River water supply system, presumably in the interest of the power company.

As a result, the council last night unanimously passed the following resolution:

'Whereas, It is our opinion that the Snoqualmie Falls Power Company, by its agents and employees, has instituted proceedings in the courts for the purpose and with the intent to delay or prevent the city from entering into a contract for the construction of the Cedar River water system...'

The Star wishes to emphasize the statement that it was it in the first editorial on this subject, that the question of the possible harm of the water supply should be considered on its merits. Independently of the interests of any power company, either at Snoqualmie Falls or on Cedar River.