The Great Terminal Feud

Judge Thomas Burke, counsel for the Great Northern Railway, has launched a scathing critique against the Oregon Improvement Company. Responding to General Manager C.J. Smith, Burke argues that since its arrival in Seattle, the company has consistently obstructed public improvements. He points to the 1881–1884 period—often cited by Smith as the company's peak—as evidence of their obstructionist behavior. Burke claims the public was forced to subsidize the extension of the Renton to Franklin coal road, only to have the company later refuse to operate the line, calling it 'two streaks of rust' in the town of 'Rustville.' Burke alleges the company and its partner, the Northern Pacific, intentionally ignored public need for a broad-gauge connection, bringing the region to an indignation meeting at Kent where locals considered legislative action to force the road's operation. Today, Burke asserts, the Great Northern is acting in the city’s interest by providing terminal facilities and fair payment for property, while the Oregon Improvement Company continues to prioritize its own obstructionist agendas.