Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-07
SEATTLE, W. T.. SUNDAY MORNING. ocToRER : ,sss
Correspondence Hesperian.l

BELLToWN. ". r.
Correspondence Hesperian.l
BELLrowN, Sept. A.-Possibly some
| of the readers of your valuable paper d.
| not know where Belltown is situated
therefore deem it best 10 give some OF
its geographical bearings. Imprimis. il
is bounded on the south by Seattle, on
the north by Seattle. and on the south.
west by the deep blue sea. In short, il
the growing Octopus of Puget Sound
That others must follow its fate is in
the nature of things. and it would not
take violent stretch of the i'm iginstiOn
to fancy Seattle some day reaching out
on one of its tentacies to embrace even
the naughty and pre- ID Tacoma. But
Tor the present We are dealing With Bell
town. Its name indicates its founder
one OF the lucky individuals of the vicin-
age who were suddenly rsilro ,ded into
priacely affluence by the extension of
the Northern Pacific railroad and con-
sequent growth of Seattle. BY settling
here at the right tins, and holding on
10 their acquisitions, the favored ones
have struck bonanza which even the
kings Of the COmstock might view With
inward envy. Dame Fortune has q
very indefinite, not to say eccentric, sys-
teIa for the distribution of her awards.
What many persons would call fool luck
Is accepted by the world at large as the
only true test of real ability. Nothing
is 30 successful as success" says a saga
clous writer; and be who fails, it might
oe added, gets kicked for his failure
al going to Justify the exclamation !:
what shadows We are, and what shad-
ows We pursue
Oar kind uncle has been very liberal
IN the disposal of his domain. but he
could not give US all town sites. Let Us
make loose calculation of the present
value or such beueficenoe. The old do
natlon claims amounted to $40 acres.
That amount Of land, divided up into
lots OF four lots to the acre, would make
AoO lots. worth, at u low estimate, $1,000
each, or the snug little total of $780,
w; ls not beyond the limits OF
PROBABILITY that some Of the real estate
owners here will realize double that
amount from their possessions. Mr.. A.
a. Jenny at one time appropriated ten
acres to the Washington University
right IN the heart of Seattle. The va, ne
OF that ten acres today is probably not
less than 100000. Not bad endow-
ment Tor such an instisuti IN in a new
country.
But let's get back to Belltown. One
OF the best drives in this region of bad
tnoroughfares. when yOu leave the
liquid way" and one that every yis-
itOr to Seattle should take, is that along
Front street, little back from the
beach and extending over two miles
along the shere, in full view of that in
desoribably grand and magnificent
sheet OF water, which 30 many writers
and takers have eulcpized of late.
FROM the very start you get tOlerably
clear idea of what the term "a busy
mart OF commerce" means. MOOred on
Elliott's Bay are leviathans of the vastly
deep:
Steamboats, go up, steamboats, go
down,
Like busy tradesmen in a town"
borrow from Joaquin ct al Miller
while the hundreds of fishing smacks
and tillicum canoes that infest the
waiers Of the Sound, at this season of
the year, help out the maritime piano.
rama with varied and pleasing effect.
ihe hum of industry resOunds along the
shore, where sawmills, sash and door
factories, iron f0Qndries, canning estab-
!ishments, cooper shops, shina1Sx
blacksmith shops and ship ya6
ousiness activity to the scene. xx
arriving ut Belltown, one Of q n1n|
ooJects to greet the sight is the
hotel structure Mr.. He'll is build :
% large en0ugh-90x96 and fod
niRn-and elegant enough in NUp poIp
ance 10 nave accommodated Henry Vii
lard and all his aristocratic guests. As
the top story is covered with tin il pres
sents dazzling sight to the beholder.
at lenR distance ON the Sound. OF
course there are great many stores
and business houses close by to back
such large hotel enterprise. In fact,
belltown is better site for city than
that portion of Seattle called Yesler-
Vile. A new sawrnill has lately started
up herc With capacity of 3O,Cc0 feet
per DAY. Here, too. Is another ship yard,
where good sized crafts are being built.
Beyond IL the barrel factory. one of the
busiest places ON the Sound, where over
lOO men and boys fiud lucrative employ
ment. 1t is one Of the few places, too,
where the curse Of Chinese labor has
been tabooed. Chinamen oOald be util-
lied here to considerable advantage,
financially. but are excluded in the lease
OF the ground, Am told. As q conse-
quenoe, instead of Chinese ro0Aeii les
and novels and opium dens and filth,
Bslltown has neat settlement of white
families with clean residences. and peo-
pie who build school houses aud
churches. The owners of the barrel
factory, though, are on the eve of clos
ing out the business.