The Seattle Way: How Local Businessmen Built a Railroad
A Walla Walla newspaper praises Seattle’s 'All pull together' motto after local merchants successfully pressured Henry Villard to finance a new coal-hauling railroad.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
No better or better example of the truth of the saying 'The Lord helps him who helps himself' can be found than in the recent action of the businessmen of Seattle. Extensive deposits of coal had been found in the Green River country, about thirty miles from Seattle. To reach these coal deposits, and to reap the benefit of their development and the shipment of their products, the Seattleites had struggled for a year or two. Among other efforts made by them was the creation of the Seattle, Walla Walla & Baker City Railroad Company. The result was that they demonstrated to the world that they had faith in the enterprise. So strongly was this faith exhibited that a real estate agent of one of the great corporations of which Mr. Villard is the head visited New York to confer with that gentleman about the proposed road. Not only did he do this, but he again visited Mr. Villard as soon as that gentleman arrived at Portland and again urged the matter upon him. So successfully did he work that on a hint from him to the businessmen of Seattle, they dropped their scheme of building a railroad themselves and proposed to Mr. Villard to give one of the corporations he represents $150,000 to build the road for them. He agreed to do so. By this action they have secured a road which will cost a half million dollars. The actions of the Seattle people are examples to be followed by all communities which wish their trade, influence, and importance increased. The Seattle motto in all matters affecting the general welfare is 'All pull together.' Let us imitate them.
“The Seattle motto in all matters affecting the general welfare is 'All pull together.'”
The story highlights the early days of 'boosterism' in Seattle, where private business groups acted as the primary drivers of infrastructure development. This collaborative, aggressive approach to securing rail and transport links defined the city's growth in the late 19th century.
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