Great Northern Insists Seattle Won't Be a Branch Line

The Portland Oregonian of Tuesday, April 2, contains an item with a scarehead. The headlines say that Seattle is to be left out; that the Great Northern will put it on a branch line, and that by the change complete trains will run direct to Portland, instead of to the Sound.

The text of the article is as follows:

"The Great Northern proposes putting into effect about May 1 a new time card, by which the time between Portland and St. Paul will be shortened twelve hours. This will be agreeable news for the traveling public, but another change is contemplated which will be of far greater benefit to Portland. Since the connection was made between the Oregon Railway & Navigation and the Great Northern, the latter's road business out of Portland has rapidly increased. It is now proposed to run a complete through train between St. Paul and that city, instead of between St. Paul and Seattle. The line between Spokane and Seattle will thus become a branch line, as the business over it does not warrant the running of a full train. The train which will then roll into Portland will consist of buffet library cars, first and second class sleepers and express and baggage cars, and drawn by Great Northern engines. It is not yet known when this change will be made, but it will probably come with the new time schedule. The Great Northern is going to make a strong bid for business from the Coast the coming summer, and the officials realize that they can do far more with the terminus of the road at Portland than they can do at Seattle or any Puget Sound point."

Passenger Agent Richard C. Stevens, of the Great Northern, was seen in relation to the above, and he declared it to be untrue. He said: "It is true that the Great Northern railroad is to run trains to Portland via the Oregon Railway & Navigation tracks, but it is not true that we are going to sidetrack Seattle. Our trains will be run into Seattle just the same as though we were not sending trains out of Portland. Our business on the Sound is too important to be neglected or slighted. We are after business, however, and will give the people of Portland all the necessary convenience for the transaction of the same, but we do not intend at any time to slight Seattle in order to secure this trade."

P. P. Shelby, assistant general traffic manager of the Great Northern, was emphatic in his denial of the canard. He said: "There is not a word of truth in the whole item."

A denial was received by Judge Thomas Burke, counsel of the Great Northern, from C. H. Warren, general manager of the Great Northern at St. Paul. The report is said to be utterly false.