, 1879-04-05

wealth of the future terminal city. Not
only were there plenty of woull be
settlers, but alsn innumrrable land sharks
who were willing to take any advantage
they deemed necessary tn carry out their
schemes and secure to themselves all the
advantages that were to- be reaped by
the location OF the western terminus of
the great Trans continental Railroad on
Commencement bay.
Most OF the settlers were poor mrn,
these spectators were men of the world,
some men OF means, nearly all used to
pulling the wires, and knowing how to
shape thi ngs 50 us TO influence the
Judgment, decision and actions ol
wealthy corporations, should the road
terminate ON Commcnment bay, yet for
nearly five years after this first q eat cX
citemcnt it remained undetermined MS to
the exact location Of the future terminus.
This kept up astate of anxious uncertain
ty, with frequent periods ot more or less
intense excitement. which was much
more bene eicial to the speculator than to
the settler.
Anthony P. Carr first located where
the Tacoma mill now stands. Howard
Carr located west Of the mill grounds,
where the present town Ol Tacoma now
stands. In 1868, Hanson, Ackprman s.
Co. Of San Francisco, l.ought OF Anthony
p. Carr, 81 acres of land Tor mill and
grounds around it.
Job Carr located where Tacoma city
now stands, north ot Howard Carr's
claims. During the excitement of 1860,
and the grabbing that then took place
to secure THE most advantageous
position in reference TO the expected
terminus location, many rival town plats
were surveyed ana filed in the recorders
office OF Pierce county; to understand
the location of affairs there it is only
necessary to refer to a few of these rival
town plats.
In June 1869, Anthony p. Carr, filed
the town plat ofthe Town OF Tacoma.
This was located on land bought by
Anthony F. Carr of his brother How
ard.
In November, 1860, Job Carr, L. NJ.
Starr, James Steele and NJ. M. McCarver
filed the town plat of Tacoma city.
This was on land located back of and to
the north east of the town of Tacoma.
These two town plats having monop-
olizcl the name OF "Town Of Tacoma"
and "Tacoma City," the Tacoma Land
Company, when they selected the name
for the real terminus town in 1873, were
compelled to prefix the word New" to
the word Tacoma" to distinguish it
from the prior locations.
The original location ofTacoma by the
settlers was prettier il not better one
for n town, than the terminus actually
selected, unless very large city should
be built, when the present terminus is
perhaps more appropriate site. Should
a place of over 10000 inhabitants spring
up at the railroad terminus, all three of
these townsite locations are SO near to
gethcr that they would then grow into
one towl and there would he no rival.
ries or cause for local iealousies LETT.
When the location was actually made,
the question of the special fitness or
otherwise of these different sections had
much less to do in determining the
final selection of the terminus made, than
did the fdncied interests of group Of
speculators who had but little interest
i'll the railroad, and still smaller bona
fide interests in either OF the towns seek
ing the honor on Commencement bay.
The principal reason assigned TO: not
finally locating the terminus at the
original town of Tacoma, was that the
Cnrrs were not piable enough to acceed
to the claims and demands OF irrespon-
sible speculators who claimed to control