The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-27
WE NEED BUILDINGS.
The Urgent Necessity for More
Room for Stores.
r,s~rview with q Capitalist Money
Leaving Seattle for Want Of
Accommodation

Tosay that eeattle's business buildings
80 entirely inadequate for the city's needs
nd that capital seeking investment IN
trade is driven away through lack Of houses
!, vhicti to establish stores, IS 10 repent an
ala story. bst it viii bear repeating until
me need IL supplied. In order 10 publish
ne exper;euee Of q man who Is probably
- familiar with this subject as any other
mar IN seattle, a Posr-IsTELLIsEScEa man
~sstertsay sought Mr.. Herman Chapin,
,,arncer Of the company which built the
poston block, and asked him 10 give hts
views faily-
ssYou want me to express my opinion on
,h. necessity Of building in seattle, do
vosgr inquired Mr.. chapiR. warmly.
wei. I fear cannot fud language at my
command TO voice my feelings on the sub
;er. with the force it, vital Importance de-
rsnds. Sewe., larger, better buildings
and store-rooms for this city Is the crying
re,d Of the hour. The demand for facfii-
tics for the establishment of enterprises,
wholesale and retail houses. manufactures
~ an kinds, aud every conceivable sort Of
nroIsct dRriag the past six months has
Keen something wonderful. and II has been
6IIed oaiy in an aggravztiugly slight meas
urr At very low estimate 40 people,
rs,resenting various amounts Of capital
fr9r probably SIS Go down. and almost a.
manY different projects, have come 70 me,
come Of them alrzDst begging for quarters
n which 30 establish themselves. / have
not the slightest doubt that IL had been
he proprietor OF t1ree buildings Ike the
Boston block, mp on Second street. would
have been long since able TO lease every
rnom in them at advantageous figures.
S. = h.w
rented for months, and am compelled 70
turn al these people away with the state
aent that have no place for them.
sgcw, there IL where the great danger TO
Seattle lies. These people have come TO
the Sound 10 invest, and q great portion
OF them are attracted 10 Seattle by the
great business promise IL holds out 10 them.
But they must have buildings. and they
are not willing to let their capital lie idle
for auv great length of time: 30 they go
sonewhere else, where they can secure
convenient quarters at reasonable rem
tai. But very small effort IL made
70 keep these people here. Some OF the
moneyed men OF the town are CARED
AWAY by an exalted estimate OF Its present
great prosperity, aud do not look ahead TO
the time when the capital. seeking invest
menf, will net come to Seattle at all.
Then Is when the difficulty win come. and
1t will come just as sure as these new
corners are not afforded proper facilities
and encouragement for the permanent In
yestment of their means.
somebody may want 70 know why these
Eastern moneyed people do not erect
buildings themselves. For the very reason
that when they find neither inclination
nor intention on the part Of resident capt
talists 10 bald, they come 10 the IN
eyitable conclusion that these people have
not faith In their own town, and they
a $50 -. L.
those who are vitality interested will not
invest. They see also the rows OF shasties
that disfgure the business streets, but that
nevertheless on account OF their promi-
Bent locations draw heavy rents, and they
fear TO erect expensive buildings whose
rental viii amount to bat little more than
tnat OF the primitive structures beside
them.
aThis iuaetion on the part OF our local
capitalists is certain 10 burt seattle In two
ways II drives capital away. and II al
lows rival towns TO secure 10 and upbuiid
themselves by it. One, or two. or three
men who attempt TO secure building here
and fail. aud then 70 to TacoInn ana locate
there. may not have very appreeiabie ef-
feet upon the prosperity of the city. but
when the occurrence IS repeated NO often
that II has become alarmingly common
then 10 begins to look ns IL IL was time 10
iuaugurate measures 20 keep these men,
their money and their buJness with US.
some timid property owners OF Seattle will
not build because they fear that they can.
not secure tenants: but II strikes me that
my experiesce, which has been that OF
every other person In Seattle who has q
leasshis building. has clearly demonstrated
that paying tenants can be found almost
before the foundation OF any new build.
ing ts finished
The board OF trade should take the mat
ter IN hand, and appoint committee 20
call on the men Of money, and present the
need clearly to them. and endeRvor 70 per
suade them TO utilize their means to ~
iieve the grea. necessity.
THE newspapers, too, should use al
their influence in behalf OF the pablo
good. aud agitate the question until some
action is taken. Money iscasy now. rent,
are high, and We are floating along on tbs
food tide OF prosperity. hnt unless SOME
radical and intelligent measures are taker
we are liable to wake up some morning
and find ourselves stranded on the beach
of business inactivity because We have
neglected Our opportunities, our trade has
been taken from us by those very people
who might have been induced 10 remain
in Seattle, and some other town on the
Sound viii possess the prosperity that
might have continued ours"