James J. Hill's Railroad Ultimatum to Seattle

President Hill of the Great Northern railroad spent the greater part of yesterday afternoon in discussing with the railroad committee of the council the plans for the construction of freight and passenger terminals in this city and approaches to them, and made the encouraging announcement that, when the matter of franchises for the approaches had once been adjusted, work would begin right away, repeating the last two words with emphasis. He expressed his readiness to accommodate the tracks of the Great Northern to the necessities of the city, if possible, and thus this long-delayed matter is in a fair way to an early settlement.

About a year ago city councils granted the Great Northern railway a franchise to construct two tracks from Railroad avenue across Commercial and South Third, Fourth and Fifth streets, and decided to vacate the south one-half of South Second between Jackson and King. A third track was to start between South Second and South Third and cross the latter street further north. The franchise expired about three months since, the Great Northern having failed to avail itself of it.

About two months ago the Great Northern submitted a new ordinance, asking the right to run four tracks across South Third street, on which City Engineer Thomson reported unfavorably, on the ground that such ordinance would make Commercial and South Third streets impracticable for teams by interfering too much with the grade. President Hill looked over the ground yesterday morning and as a result a special meeting was held at the city hall in the afternoon to hear what Mr. Hill had to urge on the subject.

Mr. Hill reminded the committee that if the railroads did not have proper facilities to do business they could not successfully perform their functions. If a neighboring city had a cheaper place to handle freight it would take the business. Mr. Hill then called attention to how West Superior had grown up opposite Duluth, until it had become one of the most prosperous cities on Lake Superior, simply and because it had adapted itself to the wants of the railroads, while Duluth had refused to do so. He spoke of the terminal problem in this city as the knottiest he had encountered at any place he ever saw unless it was at Duluth. Before anything had been done in the matter he warned Judge Burke about the danger of the city's getting into a complicated system of terminals. He instanced the case of Chicago, where the Illinois Central had secured the whole water front, and in consequence the terminal situation had been complicated ever since. The railroad companies claimed that it would cost $400,000,000 to straighten out the situation there, while Mayor Washburn's commission reported the cost at $700,000,000. Where was that money to come from? He warned the commission against putting Seattle into such a position.

What he wanted was not particularly for the Great Northern, but he wanted to put all the railroad companies in as good a position as possible. He then discussed the relative merits of the several plans for joint freight terminals on the tide flats submitted by the several railroad companies over a year ago. It will be remembered that the Great Northern proposed a one-end yard, which all trains would enter from the south, while the Northern Pacific railroad and Oregon Improvement Company proposed a two-end yard, so that trains could enter from both ends. Mr. Hill pronounced the plan for a two-end yard too complicated and expensive for this city, and argued in favor of a one-end yard. When he first began the discussion of his one-end plan the other companies did nothing but find fault, but he considered that a two-end yard would involve too much danger to teams and pedestrians in crossing it, and that such a yard with a broad street running through it could not be had at this time.

Returning to the subject of the right-of-way into his Jackson street depot site, Mr. Hill said the Great Northern wanted to conform to the necessities of the city, yet he wanted to get all the tracks he could into that site. If he could not use those grounds so as to use them, he would sell them and pocket the loss. He wanted the city engineer to make out a plan and send the figures to Mr. Hill, and he could tell in ten minutes whether he could come to it or not. 'We will come to it if we can,' he added, and if he could not use those grounds without detriment to the city he would look up grounds in some other portion of the city.

At first he was inclined to scold the city engineer about the difficulty, because he was too exact, but since he had seen the grounds he was rather inclined to scold Judge Burke. With the city engineer's help they would put the depot on the Jackson street site and would put it where it would do the most good.

Asked by Alderman Daulton for what purpose he proposed to use the grounds, Mr. Hill said he had a hope, or was vain enough to hope, that he would be able to do a large business with the large agricultural firm of Walter A. Wood & Co., which he thought they could locate here, and he wanted an extra track to run into its warehouse, to be placed at the southwest corner of Jackson and South Third streets. If this firm could not come here it would go to Spokane and then would draw the business of Washington, Oregon and California to that place, so that Seattle would lose it. This firm would employ a large number of men to pack and unpack, load and unload goods. He thought the site he had mentioned was a good one for the purpose.

Being asked how soon the Great Northern would make a move towards the construction of its terminals, Mr. Hill said as soon as the question of franchises was settled, he would put them in right away, 'right away,' he repeated with emphasis. The country would hail the site, as it is not a bad harbor under its terminals and wants a good foundation as a protection from fire, and a great many things would go in which would be permanent fixtures.

Mr. Sweeney, on behalf of the committee, said the people of Seattle wanted Mr. Hill to feel as much at home as on the first day he arrived in the city.

Mr. Hill, in thanking him, said that when he came out here, he thought there was some error in regard to the adjustment of the franchise matter, but after looking over the ground, he thought he had been mistaken.

City Engineer Thomson said he would go into the matter thoroughly, and endeavor to reconcile the necessities of travel on South Third and the parallel streets to South Fifth, with the railroad, and submit his plan to Mr. Hill for acceptance.