The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-11-07

The party broke up at eleven,
As all such parties should, and our dreams
that night were of bright young faces,
and music, and Of gay colors and may
dances, mingled with vocal arias and
many a sweet acclaim.
Friday at 10 A. NJ, and behold US on
the steamer Aida, going out with the
tide, bound for Tacoma and Seattle. All
day we plowed the waters of this mighty
river-sea, mountains to the right of US,
mountains to the left US, and the grand
forests clothing them in a vivid green
Of many varied tints, while torrents
dashed from steep activities and bright
islands rose like smiling oasis from the
watery desert of the Sound, whose bill
lows rolled away-away in the calm
Autumn day like wastes of wind-piled
sand.
SteilacOom, which once could boast
great expectations as q terminus-to-be,
sits, as do all the embryo cities of the
Sound, high upon asuecession Of rolling
hill-sides, and gazes hopelessly out
upon the waters, a monument Of
blighted hopes.
1t is two o'clock when we reach Ia
coma. The usual number of idle men,
who seem forever to have nothing to do
4 but wait for cars and steamers, and gaze
/ from docks or stations, come trooping
down the stairlyays that lead from the
town 10 the bay. a number of rough,
rudely-fnished houses loom up in the
foreground, and great business signs,
proclaiming restaurants, saloons, baker
les and stores, show that somebody has
faith in Tacoma, and is showing faith
by works. We are told that the scenery
back of the town is beautiful, the drives
and lakes and natural parks magnifi-
cent, and we are anxious to go ashore and
see for ourselves. But the steamer only
! tarries for few moments and we stay
on deck and picture the prospects of fifty
years hence, when this miniature New
York shall, perhaps, command the COM
merce of the North Pacific seas. At
present, immense stacks of lumber
crowd the docks, and great piles Of saw
dust are encroaching on the beach where
vessels may not lie at anchor because oi
the great depth Of water in the mighty
bay. The announcement, Free Read
ing Room" is very conspicuous, over a
rudely constructed building, and hard
by, the Episcopal Church, also un-
finished, looms up clumsily against q
background of fire-blackened trees
This was Tacoma as we saw it from the
steamer. How will it look when We
see it again?
Slowly our steamer plowed her on
ward way. The elegant North Pacific
being laid up for repairs, We are plod
ding on in a little packet, which, i
slow, is sure; if small, is comfortable
and neat. The Vivian troupe are oI
board, and jovial, goOd-natured, but
civil company they seem. Old friends
from Albany are also fellow travellers
and in the forward cabin is a Greeley
cIiv Of the Brown, Buys and Picket
,, class, who talks politics and tells lies
and speaks our name sometimes in
badgering tone, saying he has heard u
say so and so in public lectures (whicl
we never said and then retraet the
same in other lectures (which we neve
did. There is but one way 10 ge
clear ideas into the silly noddles o
such models Of morality, and tina
can never be until they're dead. YoI
must cut of their whisky and let thei
stomachs cool, and that would Kill
them outright.
But We are nearing Seattle
now. Dark, leaden clowds hanl
low upon the hills, aud cloud the noun
tains in a veil of gloom. The omni
present numbering mill is sending forth
the merry whirr of active work, anC
men are hurrying to oand fro with lights
The little steamer groans and creaki
and grumbles. After an unlimited
amount Of maneuvering she is mOOreS
along side the docks and we go ashore
and meet dear friends and true, in who's,
CHEEKY parlor we scribble the last line
of this letter, knowing that it must b,
mailed in five minutes or miss insertion
in the New NORTHWEST. a. J. ID.
October 81, 1913.