The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-19
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


promises, we failed, in the short time
allotted us during our visit, to halfway
"do" Seattle.
1t had been long since we had taken
even brief holiday; and when the
temptation to linger in the society of a
dear sister Overcame so much of our
usual energy that the days of our al
lotted probation drew near to close,
and yet the canvassing for the Journal
of Peace was indefinitely postponed, we
found at last that Procastination, arrant
thief that he is, had gotten away with
our time, and the few dozen subscribers
we had received were mostly voluntary
ones. We found number of merchants
selling goods at ruinously low figures to
close business and get away, while
there were many others on the lookout
for opportunity to take their places, in
the hope that "better luck'' was in
store for themselves.
Railroad is the principal topic of con-
versation, all Seattle being determined
to complete fifteen miles, to the Renton
coal mine, in very short time. J. w.
George, Esq. and Hon. H. L. Yesler are
leading spirits in this important enter
prise, and the energy with which they
pursue it gives evidence of speedy sue
cess. Once let railroad connect the
agricultural interests of Eastern WASH
ington with the commercial facilities of
the seaboard, and the world shall see
such progress here as will astonish it.
The corner lot speculation yet RACES, but
we incline to the opinion that property
will fall fifty per cent. within two years,
as the mortgage record is a fearful one;
and, with interest accumulating at one
and two per cent. per month, present
holders will be taught the same sad les
son that real estate buyers have learned
to their cost within the last five years
in Portland. Nothing but experience
will teach them, though, and it is well.
Whether Seattle is to be the city of the
Mediterranean-of-thePacific remains to
be seen. Despite the deferred aspira-
tions of erewhile arrogant Tacoma, the
citizens of the former have ardent faith
in its future, and therefore struggle
.ceaselessly to pay the constantly accru-
ing interest on*their corner lots. Ger
tainly, if one is to judge the future
prospects of Seattle by it's comparative
beauty in location, and the superior ex-
cellence of it's harbor, Tacoma, despite
the Northern Pacific land ring (which,
by the way, is no worse, except in size,
than any other circlet of the kind, Seat
ties not excepted), will fail in its aspi-
rations, leaving it's rival in possession
of both throne and crown.
Did we write you concerning Port
Blakely? One afternoon, accompanied
to the dock by friend who volunteered
to show US the way, we went aboard an
accommodating little packet, bade the
friend adieu, and, taking a seat in the
cabin, gazed abroad over the blue
waters of the Whulge, toward con.
notwithstanding columns of smoke
and steam that indicated our destina,
tion, some dozen miles away. The ride
was long and stupid one. We ven
tured to ask a few questions of the mar
at the wheel, but the monosyllatic an
swers discouraged US, and we read the
Police Gazette that lay at hand, anC
"wanted to go home" A fat German
woman and her lean-visaged lord sa
near us, the latter filling the little
cabin with the rankest smoke imagina
bic, which he constantly exhaled from
fetid breath, through the stem of {
nasty pipe, surcharged with the ac
cumulated nicotine of half a century
On and on we steamed, and when a
last we neared the Blakely mills, anC
the little steamer settled herself unde
the piles that loomed above her likt
mainmasts, and ladder fifteen feet il
length was placed at an angle of fifty
nine degrees, leaning at its base agains
the side of the rocking boat, and at it!
top against the slippery piles, and W.
were hidden to climb, we acknowledg,
that we couldn't see where the fun camt
in. The fat woman tried the ladde
first. How it did stagger under tn,
load But she scaled it, and our turn
came. The thought of an accredited
life insurance policy alone reconcileC
us; but we made the venture, and wer,
soon standing alone upon the quay
as disconsolate as Robinson Crusoe, ant
earnestly praying for a man Friday
who didn't come. We'd have vel
coined James O'Meara, or even w. Laf
Iljust then, five had met one of them
A little half-breed girl directed us t
the hotel, where, after half-hour's sol
itary waiting in the chilly parlor, al
amiable landlady, who was being sup
ported and protected in her mission o
motherhood by doing chamberwork anC
ironing, came in with child in he
arms, made our acquaintance, and re
lieved the horrible monotony of tht
place. God bless that woman! Despit,
the fact that, except herself, the few lie
gal wives at Port Blakely are set o
suspicious, abnormal libels upon wom
anhood-for that one righteous LADY,
sake-surely the Sodom of darkness il