A Coal Baron's Ultimatum: Finish the Railroad or the Black Diamond Mine Stalls
P. H. Cornwall says his King County mine has spent more than $60,000 and is ready to ship coal to the world—if the Oregon Improvement Company completes its Cedar River line to the pit.
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.
P. H. Cornwall, principal owner of the Black Diamond coal mines in this county, arrived from San Francisco on the Queen last evening accompanied by his wife and son. In a brief interview with a Post-Intelligencer reporter last night, Mr. Cornwall said:
"We have expended a large sum of money in developing our Black Diamond mine in this county—considerably over sixty thousand dollars—and I cannot do much more until the railroad is completed to our mine. We have a contract with the Oregon Improvement Company for the transportation of our coal to Seattle, and are very much disappointed that the Cedar River extension is not being pushed ahead. We have made all our arrangements for the shipment of our coal from this city to the markets of the world, and all that is keeping us back is the failure of the Oregon Improvement Company to complete the road. We are willing to advance them sufficient money, with what they have, to complete the road to our mine, and we are waiting to hear from New York now. I shall be on the Sound several weeks, during which time I shall visit Whatcom, to look after extensive interests at that point."
“All that is keeping us back is the failure of the Oregon Improvement Company to complete the road.”
In 1884, a coal owner could not move his product without a rail line, and one company's delay held an entire district's prospects hostage. Today's fights over freight rail, port access, and the infrastructure that unlocks rural industry echo the same bargain: private investment waits on public works, and the places left off the line pay for it.
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