Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-15

! AZ ouk tuc tUItNluH critics WAT stUs
the Pacific coast north OF San Francisc
Seattle Will always take a proninen
rank. n II does not occupy the frs
place. 1t Ia about forty miles up Admi
raity Inlet, and boasts already 5000 in
haoltants. Before the year has CLOSED
another 200 will have been added. 1
| IS IN the center of country aboundinl
IN almost inexhaustible mineral anc
agricultural resources, and has aranC
future before it. II is known as tn.
"Queen City" of Puget Sound, and hal
we'll deserved the title. 4 is a oompar
atlvely old town. dating back as far a,
1851, but for long time grew slowly
and the rapid advance only began feu
years age. Today 1t is city rather
than town, its streets being lined with
handsome and expensive busines:
structures of stone and brick. while il,
residences are attractive and in many
instances very costly. 1t is the seat OF
the State University. which is housed in
large and imposing editice: has pub
lie school building which cost 81 600
and Is about to erect another supports
three daily papers and has expended
two million dollars in public improve.
ments. though neither the city nor the
county government owes a dollar o!
debt. II has some fine blocks of build
ings. including the Occidental Hotel
and the fesler Learv block.
thousand tons of coal per day
comes into Seattle by rail fr-m mines
near the foot Of the Cascades, but the
treasures of three mountains are vet
comparatively untouched. and probably
undiscovered
Three large steam GOLFERS. owned by
the Oregon Improvement Company, are
now engaged III the coal trade, averag-
Ing i've trips per month between Seattle
and San Francisco. each carving a
cargo of about 200 tons.
From the wharf at S attic to the New
castle mines the distance is about TWEEN
ty-five miles, over . substantial, we'll
equipped narrow gauge road, which
With little delay is to be extended some
twenty miles to new discoveries. and.
however great may be the demand for
this roal, the facilities for supply are
adequate, and shipments from Renton
are carried on by sailing vessels, {. g
Seattle Company's narrow gauge being
utilized in the transportation of the
coal from the field to tide water.
Enough coal is in sight between Green
and Cedar rivers to furnish a thousand
tons day for fifty years. Handsome
specimens of white, gray, red and mot
tied marble were shown me. Granite.
gypsum. limestone and kaolin are known
TO lie III immense quantities among
them. Anthracite coal is said to be
hidden high up the mountains. Within
twenty miles of Seattle a deposit of
gypsum has been discovered. but has
not been uncovered sufficient to deter
mine lis extent. Iron ore of high grade
exists in the vicinity of Snoqualmie
pass in fabulous amounts, the varieties
are magnetic and hematites.
Fog ore is found almost without OK
ception wherever there is bog. Lying
on top of the iron are immense lodges
of white. gray and blue limestone and
marble. Growing on the surface are
forests of iarch, many IF them 40 to 60
inches In diameter. and 100 feet to the
first limbs. When made accessible to
market this wood will serve the purpose
of white pine, which it somewhat re-
sembles. East of the pass of kle-al-lum
discoveries Of rich copper lodes are re-
ported. as we'll as iron, limestone and
promising gold and silver ores and ga
lena. West of the pass copper pros
poets have been known for wears, and
during the past summer new discover .es
of iron ore have been made Prospect
ors have brought in from Skykomish fine
specimens of gold and silver bearing
rock and galena. Coal aud iron. the
chief factors of modern progress, abound
in our country in illimltable quantities,
and the facts will warrant the assertion
that no area of equal extent vet discoy-
cred between Cape Horn and Behrinp
Straits possesses enduring natural re-
sources equal to King County. OfiRi-
nally there was bnt little fiat of few
acres to start a town on, at the foot of a
steep bluff but the work of greding,
ltvollng and terracing is so far along
that the tewn is indisputably handsOmer
than 1t would have been on level. Its
cost must have been enormous. Dust ia
the only drawback of the city. There
are half a dozen steam saw mills. and
half a dozen other wood working shops
using steam, besides three fOundries
and machine shops, within Compare
lively small area, which also includes
the principal hotels and stores. The
mills employ about two hundred men,
the factories about as many more, and
the machine shops at least an equal
number. A hundred II en- are employ cd
in the manufacture of lumber.
The city is flOurishing, and. next to
Portland. the largest in the No thwest.
Its streets are used SO as to show its
bus ness to the best advantage. Every
thing Centers at one point, where the
postoffioe, the banks, the newspaper
offices with one exoeptiOn), the munic-
ipal hotel and largest bu, iness houses
are III sight at one glance around. All
the stir and business is in view, and no
sma city street or corner in the United
Statesmen excepting the principal cor
ner in Virginia City in its palmy days
could ever show more hustle or a bigger
crowd.
Ship-buildine is an i'm portant indus
try i'll the city. 1t leads Portland in the
number Of national banks. There are
tire besides wealthy private bank.
Its schools are modelled after the best
in the country, and fully up to the
standard. The two most prominent
buildings, as seen from the bay, are the
public school house and the Territorial
University building. The latter is a
hourishing institution. with two hun
bred students.
The people are eEterprising and mu-
niticent, and for good objects are Law
ish of the wealth bestowed on them.
Ii the progress of the city and county
be measured by the enterprise Of the
people, Seattle Is bound to be one of the
greatest cities Of the continent.