The Cable Car Wars of Seattle

The Seattle Railway Company has filed articles of incorporation with the county auditor. The capital stock of the corporation is $100,000, divided into 1,000 shares of one hundred dollars each. The trustees for the first six months consist of William J. Fife, of New Washington; George A. Pinder, of New York; Francis Peabody, of Boston; William Collier, George W. M'Graw, Addison Smith, and I. Lettrall of Seattle. The objects of the incorporation are to build a street railroad, but it is well understood that it is the intention to build the Madison Street franchise granted to J. K. Murphy by the city about four years ago, and begin construction of a cable line. The length of that franchise is the entire length of Madison Street from the harbor to Laurel Shade, a distance of about five miles. This is to be a double-tracked and substantially built line. Meanwhile, the Seattle City Railway Company has shut down its cable line for major repairs. Mr. R. R. Heder, president of the company, says the road will be shut down for about two weeks to lower the tracks in some places and raise them in others to get rid of steep grades. This will cost $100,000, and our payroll is $10,000 per month, which during the time the road is shut down will amount to $5,000.