Seattle's $100,000 Night: The Armory Meeting That Sold the Ship Canal

THE OLD SPIRIT. Appeared at Armory Last Night. THE GHOST WALKED. Over $100,000 Raised for the Canal Subsidy. AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING.

A Lively, but Good-Natured Tilt Between William H. White and J. T. Ronald—Almost a Scramble to Contribute Toward the Subsidy—It Is Felt Assured That the Remainder of the Subsidy Will Soon Be Raised and the Canal Built.

The meeting held at the Armory last evening in the interest of the subsidy for the Seattle Lake Washington Canal Company was one of the most enthusiastic ever held in this city. The Seattle spirit was never more earnestly shown than on this occasion. The speakers were in rapport with the audience, and the sentiments expressed by the speakers were rapturously applauded. This was evidenced by the fact that $100,000 was raised, and the success of the subsidy thereby assured. The contributions were made from all classes of society—the mechanic and the laborer vying with the merchant, the banker and the professional man in the general scramble to subscribe. A feature of the meeting was the good nature which prevailed. The business feature of the occasion was relieved by badinage and jokes. Chairman Ellis C. Hughes was in a very happy frame of mind, and his vein of humor kept the audience in a roar. One of the diverting features of the meeting was the humorous tilt between William H. White and J. T. Ronald, during which the latter objected to being classed as a doubting Thomas, and made Mr. White raise his subscription by raising his own. The meeting demonstrated that the people of Seattle are in earnest and that the canal is now certain to be built, as with the start made last night it is sure that the sum asked for will be raised.

A GREAT GATHERING. Although the meeting was advertised not to commence until 8 o'clock, by 7:30 o'clock fully 2,000 men were present, mostly workingmen who were anxious to hear what was to be done, and by 8 o'clock fully 3,000 people were present. Between 7:30 and 8 the business men—merchants, bankers, brokers and lawyers—crowded in and every chair and bench was occupied in short order.

Shortly before 8 o'clock D. A. McKenzie, of the Seattle and Lake Washington Waterway Company, arrived with several thousand copies of the agreement, the subsidy note, and the original contract between the state and ex-Gov. Eugene Semple for the filling in of the tide flats. Messenger boys distributed these documents among the audience, and all were eager for any kind of literature tending to more fully explain the proposition. As the opening hour drew nigh the increasing crowd grew enthusiastic, and when the twenty-five vice presidents filed into the building and took their stand on the platform cheers and applause were deafening.

When Henry Semple Ames, of St. Louis, who is vitally interested in the success of the enterprise, made his appearance the applause was almost deafening. Mr. Ames, though ill with the grippe, was prevailed upon to attend the meeting, and he did so, but his physician charged him not to attempt to make a speech.

At 8 o'clock E. O. Graves, John Leary, William H. White, Samuel Hill, E. C. Hughes, J. T. Ronald, William P. Wood, Judge Orange Jacobs, E. R. Friend, F. K. Durie, J. R. Metcalfe, Capt. W. T. Symons and others came on the platform, and the audience applauded them as they appeared.

E. O. Graves called the assembly to order and said: 'It was expected that Gov. McGraw would be with us tonight and act as chairman of the meeting, but he has been unavoidably detained and he has sent the following dispatch to explain his absence: "E. O. Graves, Seattle: I regret that my duties here positively forbid the pleasure of being with you tonight. I predict the prosperity of your important undertaking, for I believe that St. Louis conservatism and cash united with Seattle courage, energy and enterprise will compel success. J. H. McGraw."'

Mr. Graves then introduced E. C. Hughes, who would act as chairman. Amid loud applause Mr. Hughes stepped forward and said it was an honor to be chosen as the substitute to the governor, and also an honor to preside over so magnificent a meeting. He spoke of the patriotism of the people of Seattle and said no better evidence of the degree in which the people loved their town could be produced than the splendid gathering present. He spoke of the grand harbor of the city and dilated on the benefits to accrue to the city and state generally by connecting the Sound with Lake Washington by ship canal, and gave a brief history of the proposition from the time ex-Gov. Semple secured a contract from the state for the filling of the tide flats to the financial backing promised by the capitalists from St. Louis. He explained that all the St. Louis people now wanted was that the Seattle people should give some evidence of a desire to share in a small degree the expenses attached to the enterprise. In concluding he introduced Mr. Durie as one of those gentlemen who were personally and financially interested in the waterway company.

WHAT MR. DURIE SAID. Mr. Durie then spoke as follows: 'I suppose that most of you know me well enough to know that I am not a public speaker. Therefore you need not expect an oration from me. I shall endeavor in a few plain words to tell you what we have done and what we intend to do in regard to the canal. The plan contemplates two ideas. One is to fill up the tide flats from materials taken from the canal excavations, and the other the digging of a canal from the bay to the lake. We have in Seattle a great element of progress, and that is its enterprising citizens who believe in helping themselves. We have a city made by ourselves. We have built up the city without outside help. This is a time of great competition, and what does Seattle lack most in the keen competition for business? We lack level land on which to do business, on which to locate factories and to maintain railway tracks and switches and warehouses. We also need better harbor facilities. The teredo is an active enemy of wharf properties and it costs Seattle thousands to replace wharves destroyed by them. Therefore another thing we need is a fresh-water harbor. We have a splendid body of fresh water if we could only get into it with big ships. We have tide lands, but still twice in every twenty-four hours they are overflowed with from six to twenty-four feet of water, although they have been appraised and are soon to be sold. The state of Washington owns all of these tide lands. It therefore seemed possible to pass a law to have these tide flats improved, so as to make them useful and to increase the public revenue. The state of Washington, as it owns the land, is competent to make a contract, and this is what has been done with our company. If there had been no tide lands to fill in, you may be sure there would have been no canal company.'

He then told how the committee went to St. Louis and there secured the necessary capital for the great work. The money obtained provided for the digging of the canal, the construction of waterways and the filling up of the tide flats, but it did not provide for the construction of the locks. The locks must be of a substantial nature, because Uncle Sam would not trust vessels in a canal where the locks were of a flimsy nature. It will also be necessary to provide several bridges for the railroads and streets which the canal will intersect. For the bridges and locks the sum of $100,000 will be needed. This expenditure is not provided in the plan and represents the subsidy which we desire to raise.

There are a great many advantages which will accrue to this city by the carrying out of our plans. One great thing will be the filling in of the tide flats, which will remove a menace to the public health. Another advantage will be the providing for a big main sewer along the tow line of the canal. This will be of inestimable value to the city. The mouths of the waterways will be the mouths of the Duwamish River, and the water will be diverted along the water front in such a way as to protect the wharves from the ravages of the tide. Along the tow path of the canal will also be a wide roadway, which will provide level tracks for a car line from the bay to Lake Washington. This will also be a boulevard which can be extended to form a splendid roadway along the lake and around the city.

The capitalists of St. Louis and the Seattle and Lake Washington Waterway Company have reached the following stage: The means for building the locks and the bridges must be provided for by a subsidy. Then the work will be proceeded with. We do not ask you to give anything at present. We will go ahead with the work, spend $7,000,000 here, and so help you to make your property more valuable and enrich the city and those in it. All we ask is a promise to pay something in five or six years from now. Not a cent of this money will be collected until a ship goes through the canal from the bay to the lake. Then we will ask for our pay.' (Loud and vociferous applause.)

JUDGE ORANGE JACOBS' ADDRESS. Mr. Hughes then introduced Judge Orange Jacobs as a man who never spoke but that he said the right thing. Judge Jacobs said that, being fearful lest he would put his foot in his mouth by saying the wrong thing, he had come prepared, having written his speech in advance. His speech was enthusiastically received. At one time during a peroration the judge got his manuscript tangled up and, stopping short, he exclaimed: 'Hold on, I've lost my place!' The amusement which followed was intense. Finally he found the lost page and soberly remarked: 'It's all right, I've found it again!' Then he went on, occasionally interrupted by vigorous applause. His speech was as follows:

'Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: I arise to address you briefly on a very important subject. As I stand in this presence I recognize the fact that the Seattle spirit that has led us to so many glorious triumphs in the past is not dead, but yet liveth; yea, more, it has extended itself beyond this municipality to other states and cities and exerts itself with a sublimer faith in our future than exists today in our own citizens, if that were possible.

'A company has been formed, a binding contract entered into with the state to open up a grand waterway from Elliott Bay to Lake Washington. A capital amounting to a sum in the millions has been promised and now awaits our action for its investment. Briefly stated, what is the offer made? We answer it is to open up and maintain a waterway from the navigable or deep waters of Elliott Bay into the navigable waters of Lake Washington, of sufficient width and depth to float the largest ocean-going steamer or other vessel, and to equip the same with locks and bulkhead and to span the same with necessary bridges, and to maintain the same forever. All the money necessary for any and all of such purposes, including the right-of-way, is in the first instance to be furnished by said company and the capitalists behind it. All the work necessary to be done is to be done and paid for by said company.

'Now here comes in the subsidy. The amount is placed at $100,000. It is payable when the work is fully completed, without interest up to that time. The work will probably be completed within six years. If not completed within that time, it must be completed within such further reasonable time as the state may grant. In either case the subsidy is only payable when the work is completed. It draws no interest in the meantime. I am particular and emphatic in this statement because there seems to be a misapprehension on the part of some in regard to this matter. Under the terms of the contract upon which your subscription to this subsidy is based, the proof of the full completion of the contract must be shown by the actual passage of an ocean-going steamer or vessel from Elliott Bay into the waters of Lake Washington. The bridges and right-of-way are integral parts of the waterway, but are not made necessary by its construction. Now this subsidy is to reimburse the company for the expense arising from the construction of these accessories of the waterway proper.

'On its face this is a fair proposition. It fully appears from the statement which I have already made of the conditions relating to the payment of this subsidy. If the waterway is never completed and the proof of its completion as required by the terms of the contract is never given, then no claim for any subsidy, or any subscription therefor, ever becomes due. If the terms of the contract are fully carried out, then the subscribers to the subsidy will have received all the benefits of the vast expenditure and the full completion of the work before a single dollar of their subscription becomes due.

'I would not subscribe a dollar toward any such subsidy, nor would I advise you, my fellow citizens, to subscribe a dollar for any such purpose unless, after a full and calm deliberation of the whole matter, I was convinced that it was a good and sound business proposition. Now let me briefly state the considerations that present themselves to me in favor of the granting of this subsidy: First, as I have already shown, your subscriptions to the subsidy are not due until the work is fully completed and the proofs provided by the terms of the contract have been made. Second, the work is to be commenced presently—fifteen or thirty days after the subsidy is secured—thus giving employment to the multitude of idle men, and thus relieving the congestion of labor. Third, the distribution of about $1,000,000 a year, all, or nearly all, to be paid out for labor or material in this city. With a population of 60,000 this would give $100 per head or per capita to every man, woman and child in this city.'

A subscription list printed with the report included pledges ranging from $50 to $10,000 from firms and individuals including the Seattle Press Dock and Ship Building Company, William H. White, John Collins, John Leary, J. T. Ronald, E. C. Hughes, Seattle Brewing and Malting Co., Frank Hanford, Amos Brown, Fisher Bros., the Newell Mill Company, and D. C. Brawley and George Kinnear at $10,000.