, 1881-04-23
Tacoma Letter.

!
EbIraE >rArEsuiN: Tveity-O'.e e aga yea:s 4
ti:e h";ne al soar correspondent was ON the
shore of thi- ;'.ia=d sra. Wonderful changes
| have tak.li place during that fifth "f c,n-
tury in t:iis section rs well as in our own
bunch grass re5a1on That graaDUd aaDUl a. Aleveloper
WIZ NGss HAVE SPRUNG Up
| Wh"rr tr Ices hai entire possession; coal
and irun m:',s apd limestone quarries have
been developed, and stave and barrel manu-
facturies aud iron fnunAries are IN full opera
| ton.
New Tacoma child of the n. r. Il. II.
IS situated at the head of Commence ment
fay-mouth OF the Puyallnp The land is
owned by the Tacoma Llnd Company. The
town is on the ''bluff, about hundred feet
above the railroad depot and ship landing.
At the landing are a large saw mill, the rail-
road company's warehouses and offices, a
hotel, also 4 number Of small franz houses
mess and lodging houses for the mill and
wlarfhands- number OF Chinese house,
All these buiiins are bull. on piles. The
hotel is a good one and Wei kept; the beds
and rooms are clean and comfortable and the
fare excellent A Grade of half mile brings
Won to the town. The first tier of blocks
running north and south-is on level ground
apd here is the business street. The other
part Of the town Is upon pretty steep hill
side AMI has been
HEwED OFT OF THE FIR TIMbEE,
The s:umps standing and the fallen trees ly-
ing :hickly upon it. From the summit OF
this hill locking westward the land is level
AMI it is here that the future city will be
built. The town faces eastward, looking up
the valley Of the Puyallup river. The COM
pany have machine shops here and build
their own cars and cnaches, and there is also
an iron foundry iu active operation. In the
bay, Just below the great wharf, there is the
coal dump. where vessels take carsoes OF
coal. Cars run direct from the mines and
dump the coal into a chute that carries the
coal right into the hold Of the colliers-
l'rhere is also dump OF Tins description at
Kalama where boats and barges are loa,led).
By the Census Of June last there we.e
about 700 inhabitants in this place. An es-
innate made week ago places the number
at ll00, and if the construction OF the Cas-
cade branch of the n. ?. gees on, land there
is little doubt but that it will, in the minds
of the people herel, this will soon be a
CITY OF SOME THOUSANDS.
The prosperity Of this section and OF our Own,
Villa Walla particularly, are identical and
,,eperd upnn the trans -moutane railroad.
Indications are that construction will begin
as soon as the '.pass," that is 20 be used, is
determincd. Surveys are beng pushed vtg-
oruusly at great expense. Provisions are
packet twenty-five miles on mems backs
over the snow IT, the parties working on the
summit and every effort is beng made to
have the pass determined by the first Of June.
karge quantities of ties are bciig delivered
on the Iakama, party are 1t work .ocat-
Ing" up that rIver ami altogether 1t doat
look much like the \. p. would stop at
Alnsworrb, Willard tn the cnrtrary notwlth-
standing.
From this place to the coal mines-about
40 miles-.he cars make daily trips bringing
long trans
LADEN WITH COAL
The road is the beginning Of the new Gas
cade branch, it'passes up the valley OF the
Puyallup river t, the village of Wilkenson,
then abou, miles to the coal mines. The
village nf uyallup is on tine road about nine
miles from here The hop crop so far is very
promising. The young vines are now D feet
high. Labor is sca:ce, owing 20 the number
OF men emp'oyei on the railroad surveys.
The people here haze been very much
| excited ahout this Willard ''fasco." The
! impression is now tint Mr. Billings is ION
; top" Viilzrd's letter certainly showed an.
ger and spite, such as are produced By dis
appointment Mr. Billing was cool and
dignitied and shovel business and confidencs
and ssti,fisi the people generally. Mr.
| Patrick thinks yonr idea Of ship railroad
hence to Portland Is good.
| The harlo- At New Tacoma Is capAcious
and entirely -heI,ersd by surrounding bluffs
The rery larsest >,.ips aarat can hnd plenty
Of vat an,l >sfr anchorage here and can he
| br' u i. -i,ht from tic ucrsn TO the wharf oy
any eoi.p-t...t s---nan, running entirely by
| tar chart Pilo:s are not necessary. How
| is il a, Portland. Til next time.
\ c. H. A.