---------------------------------

Owing to numerous protests received from patrons of the Highland Park & Lake Burien R.R.

It has been decided to withdraw the Winter Time Schedule effective Nov. 1st and to continue the present time schedule for the winter or until another more desirable can be put into effect.

Approved Oct 22
Sec
Pres.

=================

TIME SCHEDULE
Highland Park & Lake Burien Railroad
Subject to change without notice also subject to interruptions and delays.
--------------
Leave Spokane Ave
6 AM
8:30 AM
11 AM
1:30 PM
4 PM
6:30 PM
10 PM

Leave Lake Burien
7:15 AM
9:45 AM
12:15 PM
2:45 PM
5:15 PM
7:45 PM
11 PM
--o0o--

Sunday Schedule One Hour Later Than Above.

===========
(pasted over with above notice)

WINTER TIME SCHEDULE
Highland Park And Lake Burien Railroad
Effective Nov 1 1912
-----------
Leave Lake Burien
7 AM
9:30 AM
12:30 PM
3 PM
5:45 PM

Leave Spokane Street
8:15 AM
10:45 Am
1:45 PM
4:15 PM
7 PM
-------------

Including Sundays

Take Alki Point or Fauntleroy Cars to Riverside Junction
Fare to city limits 5 cents
Fare to Lake Burien 10 cents

-----------
Seattle Commercial Club
Incorporated
First Avenue and Columbia Street
SEATTLE, U.S.A.

October 15, 1913

Honorable City Council,
Seattle, Washington.

Gentlemen:

There was submitted to the Seattle Commercial Club at its regular meeting held July 22, 1913, a report from our Municipal Affairs Committee on the matter of the acceptance by the city of the Highland Park and Lake Burien Railway. The report was thorough. A copy of the same is herewith attached.

You will note that the committee recommended the adoption of the report and the acceptance, by the city, of this line, and the report of said committee was unanimously adopted and the President was authorized to appoint a committee of three to appear before your honorable body, expressing the view of the Commercial Club on the subject above named.

Any consideration you may extend to said committee will be very much appreciated.

Very respectfully,
THE SEATTLE COMMERCIAL CLUB,
By Otto A [Knox ?]
Secretary.

--- ---
Seattle, Washington, July 22, 1913

To the Seattle Commercial Club.

Gentlemen:

The statistics regarding the cost and operation of the Highland Park & Lake Burien R. R., which were referred to the Municipal Affairs Committee, have been carefully considered and we
find the following facts:

In the summer of 1912 a large number of people living in the south part of the city and also people living south of the city limits, united in an effort to secure transportation into Seattle. For this purpose they organized the Highland Park & Lake Burien Railroad Company. By the sale of stock and subscriptions thereto about $100,000 was secured. With this money the company proceeded to build a car line extending from a point at the mouth of the Duwamish River, west of the Spokane Avenue bridge south to Lake Burien, a distance of nine miles. The cost of the line was $124,000. Thirty thousand of this amount was borrowed from the Mercantile National Bank of Seattle for the purpose of completing the work.

Not having sufficient funds to purchase rolling stock a single car was leased from the Seattle Electric Company and with this single car the company operated the line for three months or until November, 1912. At that time the heavy rains caused a slide which compelled the company to suspend operations. As the company was out of funds and the stock non-assessable, a meeting of stockholders was called to decide what was best to do. At this meeting a committee was appointed to see what could be done about leasing or selling the line. This committee, after careful consideration, decided to offer the line to the City of Seattle.

There is now an indebtedness against the company of about $30,000, which the company proposed to liquidate and to turn the line over to the city as a gift, free of all indebtedness.

(For more detailed facts in regard to the H. P. & Lake Burien R. R., we hand you herewith a statement from Mr. A. K. Wylde, written at the request of the Chairman of this committee.)

In view of the fact that this car line opens up a large agricultural country and in view of the fact that the citizens of Seattle have several times recently voted in favor of municipally owned car lines, we believe it would be wise business policy for the city to accept the offer of the Highland Park & Lake Burien R. R. Co., and arrange for the operation of said line at the earliest possible date.

Respectfully submitted.

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

Cost of Promotion and Construction.

3,638.81 Rights of way and franchise expenses

6,601.69 Engineering
36,638.46 Grading and trestles
50,235.69 Track (Nine miles)
18,223.43 Electrical Equipment
3,104.74 Office expenses
1,752.25 Legal and miscellaneous
932.82 Insurance
547.82 Interest
2,200.00 Deposit with City of Seattle
360.00 Maintenance of road bed, slides, drainage, etc.
[Total:]
124,235.72

The above statement certified to be substantially correct as to the cost of Highland Park and Lake Burien Railroad by Mr. F. W. Mitchell, Secretary.

---------------

Highland Park and Lake Burien R.R. Co.
Tools in Shed (Duplicate)

4 Grub Hoes
18 Spike Mauls
14 Picks with Handles
19 Picks with no Handles
49 Short Shovels
8 Burn Axes
4 Pkg nails
10 Bars of Steel
6 Pinch Bars
13 Crow Bars
8 Pole hole Shovels
7 Pike Poles
2 Rail Spacers
7 Pairs of Rail Tongs
17 Cold chisels with Handles
11 Rail Bolt Wrenches
5 Timber Carriers
28 R.R. Pick Handles
10 Spike Maul Handles
1 Part Spool Bonding Wire
2 Part Spool Pole Bacing [?] Wire
1 Hand dirt Car
1 Adze
1 Pair Bolt Snips
1 Brush Hook
1 Piceroon [sic, really picaroon “A short-handled device with a pointed metal end used to move and align logs and lumber inside a sawmill or in confined areas.”]
1 riveting Hammer
1 croscut [sic] Saw
1 Hand Saw
2 Driling [sic] Machines
1 Broken Brace
1 sodoring [sic] Machine
1 Wall Lamp
1 Lantern
2 Burn Peevees [?]
50 Cold chisels
2 Tong Timber Carriers
1 Striking Hammer
200# Soder
2 Doz[en] drills
1 Bbl [barrel] crude Oil
1 can Lubricating Oil
1 Part Spool Troly [sic, Trolley] Wire
1 Extra Switch
1/2 Keg RR Spikes
1 Keg Rail Bolts
30 Arms Rods
50 Insulators
5 lots of different Hangers
104 Rail supports [sic]
25 Extra Rails
3 doz[en] 4 inch Screws
1 dozen Eye Bolts
1 Box cast Wire Hangers
[crossed out]13 Bundles Banding Wire[/crossed out] Stolen
3 doz[en] Gywire [sic] clamps
3 Rail lifting Jacks
About 100 Extra length switch ties

Peter J. Lang RR4
City Watchman

---------
April 15, 1913.

Finance Committee, City Council,
City of Seattle.

Gentleman:

As the Chamber of commerce, through the Bureau of Taxation, has twice expressed its opposition to the acceptance as a gift by the city of the Highland Park and Lake Burien Car Line, we wish at this time to explain more fully some of the grounds of our opposition.

There is no evading or escaping the fact that the acceptance of this gift will entail an initial expenditure of from $20,000 to $20,000 [sic ?typo or bad copy?] for rehabilitation, substation, and other equipment, at a time when we are forced of necessity to save every cent possible in municipal administration.

The proposal to omit any appropriation for the road in the tax levy and finance it by loans from other funds when the time comes is but an evasion of the responsibility which now faces the council. To follow such a plan would be3 simply to pile up a deficit to be met later; to shift a burden upon the shoulders of a future council with no assurance that the city will be in better condition to meet the expense in the future than it is at present. The juggling proposed is exactly the kind of juggling overwhelmingly disapproved by the people in the last election in the defeat of charter amendments proposed to legalize such procedure.

If the council proposes to accept this gift, the responsibility, financial and otherwise, should be squarely faced and the appropriation for the necessary money by made in the 1914 budget.

However, the money required to rehabilitate, equip and operate the existing line is but a small part of the outlay which will be necessary to carry out the ambitious plans now on foot. Already two extensions are proposed; one to carry the road on to the tide water at Three Tree Point; the other to connect it up with the Division A of the Municipal Car Line via Spokane Avenue and Fourth Avenue. The first would be an expensive piece of construction of doubtful financial advantage. The cost of the second is estimated by the department of public utilities at $131,000 exclusive of the cost of additional care necessitated by the longer run There are also on foot plans to build one or more extensions into West Seattle territory. All told, the extensions now planned, all in territory needing development in order to make it pay from the transportation standpoint, would involve an expenditure of at least $200,000 for construction alone, exclusive of equipment and maintenance.

The council has the power to issue public utility bonds for the extension of public utilities of this sort that have been initiated by vote of the people. It is extremely doubtful if the council has the power to issue such bonds for extension of a utility which has not been approved by vote of the people as in the present case. Even if the council ahs the legal power to issue such bonds in this case, our recent experiences give no justification to the belief that such bonds would be salable in the open market. The plan now proposed is to absorb such bond issues with the sinking funds of other public utility departments; a plan repudiated by the people in the last election and subject to attack from taxpayers in the courts.

Even if the funds for this project were realized through the issuance by the council of public utility bonds, the annual interest on $200,000 or more would inevitably be a burden to be met by general taxation for several years, together with such deficit which may accrue in operation of the system.

The argument advanced as a justification for the city to embark on this project is the development of outlying territory. Th3e council at the present time is face to face with the results of development of outlying territory as reflected in a high tax rate. This development means increased cost in fire and police protection, garbage collection, parks, and playgrounds, water and light extensions and contributions to local improvements. The great area over which Seattle has extended its partial developments is largely responsible for the present high tax rate and for the city to go into the business of development [of] outlying areas is but to invite increase in municipal expenses in greater ratio than the increase in the taxable value of the property developed.

We are not opposed to development of outlying territory as fast as it is justified by the needs of the population of Seattle but we are of the opinion that private enterprise will take care of that development as fast as it is legitimately demanded. Pioneering should be left to the pioneers and not be undertaken as a governmental function.

We favor the development of the Highland Park & Lake Burien territory. It is beautiful residential territory. The owners of the property are making laudable efforts to develop their section and the city should co-operate with them but not to to [sic] the extent of taking over, financing, and operation the line which they have started, for should the city take over the road, service to its patrons would always be considered above financial prosperity of the road. The city is irretrievably committed to the policy of transfer privileges on all lines within the city limits and the same pressure which is now being brought upon the council to take over this line would later be brought to force transfer privileges, throwing the long and expensive haul up on the city and the short and profitable haul upon the private company. The result would be to postpone still longer the day when the road would cease to be a burden upon general taxation.

We wish to compliment the council upon the effective work so far done in pruning the 1914 budget and trust that it will be in no wise [sic] minimized by undertaking this ambitious and doubtful municipal project.

Respectfully submitted,
Bureau of Taxation, New Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Perry Polson, Chairman
F.W. Baker
B. Shorrock
P. H. Watt
R. W. Hill

I've recently acquired some new maps from the Seattle Municipal Archives (I'll MapCrunch them soon hopefully). Two of them cover this spot, one when it was built and one when it was dismantled. Both have a "School House Siding" for the tracks right next to a school. On the 1912 map it's called "Riverside School" on Stirrat and Goetz investment company land; the outline of the building matches the one I've pinned in the Local Live map. On the 1933 map the property is referred to as "School King Co Dist #70."

Unfortunately there isn't much information about the Riverside area online (for example, Historylink). It's almost entirely industrial or preserved land now, though there are a few houses left near Spokane Street.

I'm not sure what shape the building is. As a relic of a forgotten neighborhood, it might be worth holding onto.

Oh, the tracks were just to the west. They hugged the edge of the hill on "Detroit Ave" south from a junction with West Marginal/Iowa. Then a bit south of this point the tracks started working up the hill until merging with the later-built Burien Way.

Here it is: the 1917 map from Roxbury to SW 112th, 20th SW to 1th S.

If you like this, you'll love my modest-quality, but one-of-a-kind mashup of the 1911 surveyor's map.

Here it is: The 1923 Use Map for Riverside and Highland Park.

If you like this, you'll love my modest-quality, but one-of-a-kind mashup of the 1911 surveyor's map.

Here it is! The December, 1911 Survey of the Highland Park and Lake Burien Railway.

It ends up that the Delaware Public Archives has a selected sample of the J&S archives, but most of it went to the Smithsonian Institute.

From DPA I received a copy of an after-delivery photo of Seattle Electric Company car number 114, J&S Collection folder 5, photo #23. I'm a bit confused about when and where the photo was taken. The ice and snow seems more appropriate for Delaware than Seattle, but the bodies were shipped without trucks, assembled in Seattle. Car 114 didn't reach Seattle until late March or April 1900, so this would have to be taken the next winter if it's indeed Seattle. Unfortunately advertising in the background is obscured or too small to read and isn't helpful in identifying the location.

From SI I received the purchase book records for SEC's 1899 orders. The original record is in Order Book Electric Number 2, which references order pages 106 (#9924) for 12 cars and 118 (#10331) for 8 cars.

The order book provides a timeline of communication and agreements for each order of cars.

Order 106 came from pre-built J&S vehicles, and included 6 finished with oak interior and 6 mahogany. They were numbered 100 to 111, painted "medium green and white" with Seattle Electric Company painted on the sides, and included "plush Boston elevated type" side seats. The side and end route signs were electrically lit and rotated to show Broadway, Beacon Hill, Rainier Heights, and Madrona Park. The trucks were ordered from Brill (plan 9792), with a 7' wheelbase and 33" wheels, and were shipped directly to Seattle and mounted there. Other details included vest fronts, platforms with gates, monitor roof, canopy hoods, 4 sand boxes, 2 electric headlights, curtains over the end doors, and birch ceiling. The dimensions were 18'6" body length in frame, 6'2" car width at sills, and 7'6" car width at belt rail.

The order was officially placed December 1st, 1899 based on communication started on October 23rd. On January 24th of 1900 a Mr. Rodgers of Stone & Webster (S&W, Seattle Electric Company's parent corporation) visited J&S's facilities in Wilmington Delaware to inspect the streetcars. Interestingly, Rodgers attempted to have the shipping changed from Northern Pacific (NP) to Great Northern (GN) railroad. J&S were unable to cancel the shipment through NP so it went ahead on the 25th. Each car's cost was $1025 with shipping, insurance, etc included.

I'm curious if Rodgers was in fact a Seattle native working for S&W, because Seattle had a long, bitter rivalry with NP. I recommend reading the book Orphan Road for more details, but in a nut shell NP originally terminated its trans-continental railroad in Tacoma, spurning Seattle. Through grit and determination Seattle eventually became the western terminus of the GN forcing NP to build north to Seattle as well. Seattle loved GN so much that a major road, today's Martin Luther King Boulevard, was named Empire Way. Empire Builder was the nickname of GN's founder James J. Hill, today used for the Amtrak passenger route to Chicago.

The second order was submitted on January 26th 1900 after communcation begun on December 9th 1899. The cars were the same price and same specs with a few differences in detail. The colors would be "dark green and white" and have all oak interior finish. Only four cars were detailed with Seattle Electric Company on the sides. The route signs rotated with the destinations North Seattle, Cedar Street, West Queen Anne, and East Queen Anne. These cars were numbered 112 to 119. Four of the cars (112-115) were from existing stock and were shipped on March 19th 1900. The other four (116-119) were built to order and shipped on May 8th 1900, and did not have SEC written on the side. All of the second order were shipped via Great Northern.

My goal in gathering this data was to find out what the first car used on the HP&LB looked like. The specs are above, but in summary 104 was a bit lighter in color than photographed 114. It had either oak or mohagony interior. In 1900 it was decked out and fancy, but 12 years of use may have had a noticable detrimental effect.

Puget Sound, T. L. & P. Co.,
City.

Gentlemen:

After several months of continuous effort on the part of the property owners along the line of Highland Park & Lake Burien R.R., the Council of the City of Seattle has finally agreed to accept the property of this company as a gift, the same to be operated as a part of the Municipal Ry. System, provided the Company will deliver the same free and clear of all indebtedness.

To enable the Company to comply with this requirement, it will be necessary to realize about Thirty-five Thousand Dollars ($35000.00) by absolute donations.

If this cannot be done, the road will be torn up by the parties who now hold it, under judgment foreclosure, and the stockholders and creditors will suffer a loss of about One hundred and twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($125000.00) while the territory benefited by this road would be without transportation facilities for an indefinite time, probably many years.

You are one of the creditors of this Company, we desire at this time to thank you for the credit extended, and it will be necessary to show the City Council full and complete satisfaction of your account, before they will accept the property. This committee has been appointed by the Board of Trustees to secure a release of all such claims, and feeling that, you will waive your claim, as a donation, in the event we are able to make the delivery to the city.

We are enclosing herewith a satisfaction of the same for your signature and return in the enclosed envelope, and trust you will see fit to help the cause by signing the same at once.

We might state further that the Company is hopelessly involved, and any accounts against it are absolutely uncollectible.

Regretting the necessity of asking this of you, and thabking [sic] you in advance for your compliance with the request, we remain,

Sincerely yours,
Jas. F. McElroy, Chairman,
W. H. Murphy,
F. A. Ausman,
Committee on Claims
Highland Park & Lake Burien R.R.
(Signed) F W Mitchell, Sec.

Highland Park & Lake Burien Railroad,
633 Pioneer Building,
Seattle, Washington.

Gentlemen:

At the request of Mr. W. H. Murphy of your company and your Secretary, F. W. Mitchell, we turned over to you on June 2, 1912, one single truck closed passenger car #104, fully equipped for service on line of your company, at a daily rental of $5.00; it being understood that car when turned over to you was in good condition and that all repairs or maintenance which may be necessary in the operation of this car while in your service should be made at the expense of the Highland Park & Lake Burien Railroad.

It is further understood and agreed between the Highland Park & Lake Burien Railroad and this company, that this company will not be responsible for any damage to property or injury to persons which may occur while this car is under rental by the Highland Park & Lake Burien Railroad or in operation on your lines, either by reason of faulty handling, mechanical failure or defect, or any other cause.

It is further understood that at the expiration of sixty (60) days from this date if the Highland Park & Lake Burien Railroad purchase this car or any other car from this company, that any sum paid as rental on said car during this period of sixty (60) days shall be applied to the purchase price.

If the foregoing terms are acceptable a reply indicating acceptance will be considered as binding this agreement.

Yours truly,
(Signed)
H. T. Edgar,
Manager

Correspondence #27309

Highland Park & Lake Burien R.R.

Seattle, Wash, July 12, 1912

Puget Sound Traction, Light & Power Co.,
City.

Gentlemen:

In response to your favor of the 8th by Mr. Edgar, regarding the rental of the single-truck passenger car No. 104, beg to advise this letter is in accordance with our understanding, and we hereby agree to the terms and conditions as outlined in your letter of July eighth.

Yours truly,
HIGHLAND PARK & LAKE BURIEN R. R.
(Signed)
W. H. Murphy,
President

WHM/H

Blanchard apparently erred in the text of the book when she mentioned that two dilapidated Hammond cars were leased from SEC. In fact, letters between HP&LB and SEC clearly state that one car, #104, was leased. I always found it suspicious that there was no concrete information about the Hammond cars in Blanchard's detailed book.

When the line was put back in service in 1914, the Seattle Municipal Street Railway tranfered "several" (Blanchard) cars from Ballard's Division A. These were Cincinatti Car Company cars, from the series numbered 100-111 purchased by SMSR in 1913. These were used until the the purchase of PSTPL in 1918, when the whole series was renumbered 730-741. Blanchard's book contains a picture of #110 in use in Burien.

In 1916, SMSR took possession of one logging car from J T Krumm, as part of an agreement to haul his logs to between two private spurs from Burien to the Duwamish.

After acquiring PSTPL in 1918, SMSR transferred several J G Brill cars to the Lake Burien line. These were part of set numbered 350-359 ordered by SEC in 1900. SEC had another concurrent order with Brill of 8 other cars. The Brill cars were used until the line shut down.