, 1879-09-11
NOTEWORTHY SIGNS.

years sllCe business anu uWellluS nousds
were as rule, ilimsy and cheap structures
The business adventurer, whether man
of wealth or not, attracted to the shores OF
our beautiful inland sea, was undecided as
to location. Leaving family and friends
on the Atlantic coast or elsewhere, he
would-tor years, while engaging In en-
terprises here, continually look forward to
''making q stake" and returning to the
scenes of early days. As the years length
ened into decades, however, he would build
up a home, acquire a competence, and
new associations and attractions would
supplant the old-so that he would soon
make up his mind to live and die here.
All the older towns Oh the Sound have
citizens who have passed through the ex-
periences above indicated, and who are
now erecting business and dwelling houses
OF substantial character.
In this city, the residences of our older
citizens, who are getting "well fixed, " are
assuming an air of comfort aud refine
ment suggestive of social enjoyment. The
neatly painted fences, the nicely arranged
gardens and yards, the elegant furniture,
carpets. musical instruments and "inc-
dentals to match" all bespeak not simply
a cessation from an inordinate strife for
money-getting, but indicate, as gentle
man remarked the other day, that "tolks
here are getting ready to live" A short
time ago Capt. Tibbals removed the fence
enclosing his yard, and replaced it with
an article of durable character. Stone
posts were brought from the Chuckanut
quarry, holes were drilled in them and
rails were fastened by means of bolts,
neat pckets were nailed on and painted
and ''sanded"-so that the fence is now
credit not only to the owner but to the
town. In the business portion of the
place start has already been made to sub
stitute stone buildings for the wooden
structures that have proved them
selves so expensive for repairs, and
at best, necessitate great risk against fire.
The example set by the late, lamented,
Capt. Fowler in this respect, and more
recent enterprise shown by Mayor Eisen-
bels are worthy of emulation and will be
followed by Others ere many years pass.
The last named gentleman has followed
up his first move by laying stone piers UNI
der the building lately erected by him,
above tide-water-thus inaugurating the
era Of the decline of pile.driying under
wharves and buildings along the water
front. The stability of the foundation
under what is now known as the "Custom
house building" will soon demonstrate
the wisdom Of discarding perishable wood
en- supports where water and worms can
come. The Central Hotel building, an
imposing, commodious and creditable ad-
dtion to Port Towdsend, is one of the ev-
licences, vouchsafed within the past few
years, that capital can here find profita-
bic employment. The Marine Hospital
building, Oh the hill, places us ahead of
all other towns on the Sound in that line.
A telephone, connecting the hospital with
tile Office of the Managing Surgeon,
"down town." proves that ''onward and
upward' is the motto OF our leading citi-
zens. Dr. Hills drug store building,
standing fire" three years ago, when his
warehouse just back of it was burned, has
afforded him constant source of gratifi-
cation since then on account of It's fire.
proof nature. Our commodious and dura-
bic church buildings amply demonstrate
the upward tendency of the place. The
large stores Of Messrs. Rothschld & Co..
G, c. Bartlett, Waterman & Katz, Ger
rish, James and Others, supplying not on
ly the town-people but large portion of
the citizens In this and surrounding coun-
ties, are centering n trade here which is
gradually but surely building the town
up In numbers, wealth and importance;
and it is this outside revenue, together
with that derived from fitting out vessels
runnIngin the foreign and coastwise trade,
that accounts mainly for the gratifying
condition of nearly every business hereto
fore established in the place. Thus, while
other towns have suffered more or less
from business depression, and while many
Of our people complain OF dull times, there
is permanence about trade hare which
proves depression with us to be more fan
cied than real.