Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-16

vertsncy.
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SEATTLE AND TACOMA.
Afriend has translated letter that
recently appeared in the San Francisco
Abe"d Post, German paper, about two
of the Sound towns, and has furnished
Us the result, which appears below:
The two main towns ON Puget Sound,
Seattle and Tacoma, have developed
themselves in a very astonishing man
nef. Real estate In both places has re-
allied such prices as are hardly asked
at San Francisco. In both cities hun
dreds of houses have been built; thou
sands of dollars were spent on grading
streets and building sidewalks. Never
theiess there Is greet difference be-
tween them. Whereas in Seattle two
thirds of all the business houses are
built of stone or brick, calculated to be
used for deoenlumS, In Tacoma they
build exclusively wooden buildings, with
the exception of single very elegant
stone church; otherwise there is scarce
ly airy massive houses. The difference
between the two cities lays in the in
they have in their respective future
greatness and business extent.
Tacoma depends In all her enterprises
on the railroad company, which owns
the greatest part of the land ON which
the city stands, and which, while they
try to sell their lots to the best advant
age, has voluntarily done great deal
to the development of the city. The
railroad company has transformed the
main street. Pacific avenue, from a
former mudhole into a leyel, solid
highway; has put III sewers. built side
walks, etc. If now the railroad COM
pany would light the whole city without
compensation, with gas or the electric
light, the citizens would, with great
pleasure accept it, and her newspapers
would be tireless to praise the gigantic
advance which their city had made.
How little energy and spirit of enter
prise the citizens display, the following
example will show: Every evening be-
tween and o'clock, steamer loaded
with freight and passengers from Port
townsend, Seattle and some more
northern places lands at Tacoma. 1t
should be expected that the landing
place would be well lighted, and that
hacks or buses would take passengers
to the city half mile distant, or at
least few porters with lanterns would
be waiting to carry the baggage and
show travellers the way. Instead of all
this the landing is only lit by two mis-
cradle, dim lamps, and it would be ad-
visable that each stranger would supply
hlmself with lantern and baggage-c
rier if he wants to reach the city without
accident, because the winding (scarcely
3 feet wide) sidewalk II, for the whole
distance, without any light, and only by
risking ones life is 1t possible to reach
the city. A single mlsstep, i'll many
places, would precipitate any one into a
Dottomloss mire, and In few places,
where there is no railing, the stranger
may fall down to the seadam, about IS
feet below, where broken arm or leg
would be counted as a small accident.
Neither one of the large Tacoma ho-
tells. nor one of the livery stables has
business tact enough to send wagon
to the landing when every traveller glad
ly would pay half a dollar to have him
self and baggage conveyed up town. Up
on inquiry at one OF theilarRest hotels in
regard to it,your correspondent received
the answer: 1--WE don't care for any
more travellers; our house is overful,"
and as he declared his astonishment
that the city don't put few lamps on
this main street from the wharf to the
town he received the answer: 1.-The rail-
road company has got to do it; the city
don't care for such things"
1t is entirely different in Seattle.
Without any help whatever from any
railroad company the three principal
streets are graded and leveled at heavy
cost. On Front street sidewalk two
miles lolg leads to the outer edge of
town, and sewers have been laid. All
this the real estate owners have accom-
piished with their own money, guided
10y the deep-r0oted conviction that Sc.
attic must become the future metropolis
of the Sound, aud that the money they
have spent in improving the streets and
massive, lasting buildings, will IN few
years return large interest.
Should it happen, as 1t Is expected
now with certainty, that the railroad
from Seattle across, the Cascades is built
to connect with the Baker City railroad
then even the bOldest hopes of the city
will be realized, because the trade that
will develop between Seattle and the
richest portion of Eastern Washington
Terri ritory, Idaho and Oregon Will. In
few years reach gigantic dimensions.
Those that know the country east of US,
and have seen the wonderfully rich as
ricultural soil, must see that If direct
and cheap transportation Is established
such immense quantities OF grain and
other agricultural produce will be ship
ped as to put California with her boast
ed supremacy in the shade. Besides tue
east needs our wood, coal and other
s. liz
the railroad would have freight both
ways, and it is not saying too much to
maintain that there Is hardly railroad
long, which W )uld pay as large divi-
dends to its stockholders as the line
from Seattle to Walla Walla. 1t is easy
to see how the trade of Seattle would be
increased. Ii from such place the
grain export would be voluunno1s, the
imports would grow in the same proper
tion. Ships anxious to gses& cargo OF
grain will gladly bring cargo OF mer-
chandise at low rates.
Therefore we are justified in asserting
that a large part of the trade that sup
plies Walla Walla VIA Portland would
naturally turn to the Sound. Seattle's
rich real estate owners have subscribed
literally towards the building of this
road, and il Is expected with certainty
that this spring 1t Will be commenced.
Eyen IN the middle of winter when
sea voyage is III this time of the year
none of the pleasantest. the stream of
immigration has hardly diminished.
Every one of the steamers that leaves
San Francisco every l0 days, brings l5o
strangers to the Sound, most of whom
settle In the different cities and adjacent
country. No wonder that business gem
orally IS as good now as 1t used to be
about ths holidays.
Gents furnishing goods speciality at
the sign of the big hat, next to Mont
aomery's.
Myer saws he can discount all the
stores of Seattle, and have some bats
left.
There is not a nobby hat manufac
tured but that you can find It at Myer'
the hatters.
If you do not find elsewhere what
you want, call on Myer, the halter; ne
will supply You.
The only place where you can buy the
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