Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-11


for anchorage-600 feet, they say.
Here are two other claimants for the
honor and business Of being the ter
minus OF the Northern Pacific rail-
road ,-Tacoma and Seattle Seattle
10 the older and larger town Taco
ma is q new point which hat increas-
ed 10 the last three years from 1000 70
about 1000 inhabitants. The bill rises
abruptly from the Sound and the site
requires a great deal of filing TO
adapt i. TO commercial purposes.
Tacoma ia at the month Of Puyallup
river, Q glacial stream from Mt. Ia
coma, or Rainier, whose alluvial Is
one OF the bes; soils for hops in the
world. We took the cars and after a
run Of nine miles alighted 10 the hop
fields OF Ezra Meeker. who marketed
last year l42, 900 pounds Of hops. and
claims 10 be the largest hop raiser in
the world. Indians from the Puyallup
reservation were in the field picking
hops at 81 q box The yield is from
1900 to 300 pounds to the acre, and
the price 10 bales to the producer
from 10 to 80 cents. In other words
one acre will readily produce $500
worth of hops. The Puyallup reser.
walton will readily sell today for S5o
an acre. Tacoma is also largely 10.
terested 10 the coal traffic. and has
an open road to the Carbonate
mines. II Is the first point at which
the direct line of the Northern Paci-
fic will reach the sound, when 1t has
been built across the Cascade range.
and the point which will feel the di-
rect effect Of die trade TO which the
construction will give rise. Tacoma
Is Of course very ambitious OF being
the great city OF the Sound. 1t has
lust taxed Itself to build $20. OW
schoel-house and the town Ii growing
rapidly. Gen. Sprague OF Ohio. Mr..
Smalley's old colonel in the war, il
its leading spirit.
About 40 miles further down the
Sound is seattle, its present largest
city, aud contesting with Walla Wal
Ia the first place In Washington Ter
ritory. 1t probably has about 1000
inhabitants and is growing rapidly.
Il has q fine location and harbor,
pretty steep grades for its streets, but
is spending $4,000 on them and
has residences under construction
costing go, coo. The university Il
here, fne schoOl-house are erected
and more are in process Of building
and the town evinces wealth, liberal
ity and go-ahesd. II has no debt.
neither has the county or territory
The lumber mills, furniture shops
and other manufactures OF Seattle
pay annually $3.50, 600 for wages
some idea of the magnitude OF thu
business may be got from the size Of
the docks. That Of the Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company il
800 by 600 feet and has . warehouse
225 by 1876 feet. The new railroad
dock under construction will DO 7O(
feet long. There are numerous pri
vate wharves of ample dimensions
Citizens of the town have subscribed
$50, 900 toward a railroad to thu
Green and Cedar river coal mines
which Mr.. Willard has agreed to built
a. Q branch to the Cascade range line
Mr.. Willard purchased the road from
Seattle to Newcastle, over which
heavy production OF coal IL brough
to this port. even before be secured
control of the Northern Pacific
This Is q narrow gage road, but i
has brought l, 600. 600 tons of coal t
the wharves of Seattle since its com
pletion ia 1877. Seattle Is thus as
sured q great future. based on coal
iron and lumber, TO say nothing oil
CONNER ial and agriculturalin interests
The men OF Seattle are men OF pluck
and push and In the main OF native
stock.
Mr.. Willard says he shall make ont
rate to oil points-that Is, TO Port
laud, to Tacoma and to Seattle
Thus he will make them oil termin
on equal terms and let them fign
out their riYalries by the tests of tim,
aud growth. Each place has its pc
culiar advantages, each Is assured o
becoming considerable city. Port
land has the advantage OF prestig'
aud existing business and already
center Of population. Seattle has tn
advantage Of proximity to the mine
of coal, iron and copper and to tn
forests, aud Of Q considerable start
Tacoma has the same advantages
except that 1t has less start, and les
favorable agricultural countr!
around 1t. The great drawback
which the whole region must feel to
. long time to c me Il the lack OF Ia
Dor supply. Wages are high. Thu
Chinese abound, but diminish rathe
than increase the labor supply, .
they occupy the ground and throw I
certain stigma on cheap labor. The,
work well In droves. and at ligh
work, but when heavy work fall
upon men singly. q upon the settler
telling trees and clearing land. tney
are OF little value. But perhaps thi'
obstruction to the growth Of the Pu
get Sound region, arising from thu
dearness Of labor. ID no more thar
consistent with Q healthy and sole
growth. Value Of real estate In thes,
towns 10 inflated almost TO Springfield
prices. and = chill to their expecta
tions would produce .. tremendous
collapse.
DADv q DaAD.