Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-07-26
OBSERVATIONS AND IMPRESSIONS OF
VISITOR TO THE TERMINUS"

prlSlnS how the r1nS location mas sum-
ulated business at that point. One year
ago the place could support but one
saloon and to-day it can boast of seven,
and ull apparently doing good bust
ness! But like all great cities which
excel in some special trade, Tacoma
exhausts herself in the immense traf-
fic that has sprung up in corn. juice.
A sufficient population of the proper
class are not there to support any legit-
innate business over and above what was
formerly done, and there is but little en-
couragement for enterprise of any sort.
Many who go there in perfect fever of
excitement, leave in less than twenty
for investment the general impression
four hours completely cured. AS field
prevails that it is unsafe The owners
of land share this distrust, and decline
to erect buildings or in any manner i'm
prove their possessions, although many
of them are amply able to do SO. The
plan appears to be to induce outsiders
to lease their lots, erect stores and
warehouses upon them, and run all the
risk incident to q change of location at
some future time. They will not even
build wharf to land goods upon, or
bridge to connect the mill company
wharf with the town. The consequence
is that all freight has to be carried in
scows from the wharf to the beach near
town, and then hauled up a steep sand
bank to the place Of business, at a triple
cost to the owner.
1t is impossible to determine at pres
ent the precise point in the township
that will be selected for the town, and
that fact probably creates much of the
distrust that is felt by all parties. The
company will doubtless approach the
shore line as close as possible, and
there build tram-road, or inclined
plane, with stationary engine, to raise
freight and passengers to level with
the the TOWNSHIP, an elevation of about
three hundred feet. Everybody wants
to be as near that point MS possible, and
il may be two, three, or four miles
from the present survey.
The present business, besides that of
the saloons, is confined to one hotel,
one butcher shop, two stables, one
blacksmith shop, one restaurant, one
barber shop, one China wash-house land
prospect Of fifty more.) Two small
shanties are being fitted up for grocer
les, and one large store-fourtee feet
squares in course of erection for the
same business. The ground lease for
this structure, tract just large enough
to hold the building, costs fourteen dol
lars per month. The rent demanded
for lots in what is believed will be the
business part" of town, is one hun
dred and twenty dollars per month,
and six months to be paid in advance at
that. This, it will be seen, is an equita-
BILE arrangement-the owner gets all
his lot is now or ever will be worth, and
the lessee has chance within the six
months of getting his money back, and
if business should be transferred to an.
other point both parties ought to be
satisfied.
The present population is about as
follows: One hundred and fifty sports,
fifty mechanics seeking employment,
fifty land owners wanting to sell or rent,
twenty-five men who want to go into
legitimate business. Boats bring about
the same number of passengers each
day and take a like number away.
Those who manifest any special inter-
est in the place are either spectators,
steamboat owners or saloon keepers.
Take from the Terminus the saloons
and the class who hang around them,
and it would he necessary to put up a
sign This is Tacoma!" to designate it's
quiet resting-place.
The TERMINUS ALREADY UNDER CLOUD.
"A prominent citizen we learn reports
that in the course of a conversation with
Judge Rice, few days ago, the Judge
admitted that the location at Tacoma
does not preclude the company from
selecting any other point for the final
terminus of the Northern Pacific Rail.
road, and that he was not certain but
that another location would be made ut