Railway Facilities and Traffic.
TACOMA HAS THE MOST EXTENSIVE RAILWAY TERMINAL FACILITIES AND HANDLES MORE FREIGHT THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. The Northern Pacific railway has expended many millions in improvements on the Tacoma waterfront. The official figures furnished by the railroads showing the number of cars of pay freight consigned to each of the three leading cities of the Pacific Northwest during the year 1903 are as follows:
| Cars of freight received at— | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Railway System. | Tacoma. | Seattle. | Portland. |
| Northern Pacific | 58,779 | 47,219 | 8,463 |
| Tacoma Eastern | 10,074 | ||
| Commercial Dock | 155 | ||
| Great Northern | 9,837 | ||
| Pacific Coast Co. | 11,020 | ||
| O. R. & N | 35,815 | ||
| Southern Pacific | 17,281 | ||
| Astoria & Columbia River | 896 | ||
| O. W. P. & R. Co. | 193 | ||
| Totals | 69,008 | 68,070 | 62,648 |
The Northern Pacific railway operates several distinct lines which radiate from and converge at Tacoma. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy operates through trains to and from Missouri River points and Tacoma, over the N. P. tracks from Billings, Montana. The Harriman system is to be extended to Tacoma from Portland. The Tacoma Eastern railroad is now in operation from Tacoma to Ashford, with a branch to Electron, 57.5 miles of track being now in operation. This railroad taps the rich timber, coal and agricultural lands on the southerly and westerly slopes of Mount Tacoma. The company owns and is developing extensive coal mines. It is about to extend into the “Big Bottom” country, as the rich and fertile valley of the Upper Cowlitz River is called, from three to twelve miles wide and sixty miles in length, one of the most desirable sections for settlement in the State. The Tacoma Eastern railroad is the gateway to Mount Tacoma and the National Park. The federal government is now constructing a wagon road to Paradise Valley and the Camp of the Clouds, which will connect with the railroad. Paradise Valley and Mount Tacoma are destined to become a great resort for tourists.
A City of Beautiful Homes.
- 1—Residences of Col. C. W. Griggs and Henry Hewitt.
- 2—Residences of L. D. Campbell and L. R. Manning.
- 3—Nelson Bennett’s Residence.
- 4—Residences of Stuart Rice and Chester Thorne.
- 5—S. R. Balkwill’s Residence.