The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-11-12

The action OF MG@efs- hA1ett &NfAns
iatxert and Others in taking bold Of the
steamboat proposition In q practical and
energetic wsy, Is to be highly commended.
Esccsss Is already assured. In short
time, through the aid OF the company now
organizing, there viii be sneh additions TO
seastie's fleet of steamboats, - will make Il
a. superior ia quality ~ il row is in ton
mage. over the feet Of any rival city.
The great bulk Of trade and travel from
other cities, towns and districts Of Puget
soznd have heretofore soughE Seattle as
their business center and metropolis. The
extent 70 which this city has been en-
riched and In other respects benefited
from these sources has been enormous.
They have. la fact, been the most prolific
sources OF her prosperity.
And up to the present tune, or nearly
80, Seattle has responded with facilities
very fairly proportioned to the reasonable
demands Of The situation. In doing so she
las been very materially assisted BY a
noble body Of citizens, owners, managers
aud officers OF steamboat lines, who have
not hesitated on many occasions TO make
material sacrifices in furnishing the best
travelling and freight transportation facil-
tiles at their command. And in any
scheme for improving the steamboat SER
vice on Puget sound, between Seattis c.sa
tributary points, IL would be the height of
ingratitude for the leaders Of the new en-
terprise 10 ignore their predecessors who
have befriended and helped 10 build UP
Seattle In the days Of her earlier struggles.
But this city holds supremacy in the
travel traffic Of the surrounding country
which she cannot afford 10 reiinquish.
She must not only hold what aile has. but
must add TO il in proportion TO the work OF
development which Is going on everywhere
around her. and must head OF and settle.
at once and forever, any pr esumptuous at
tempt al rivalry.
The steamboat transportation facilities
which were adequate 10 the demands Of Sc.
attle's patronage Eve, or three. on even one
year ago, are totally inadequate now. With
the extraordinary increase Of population,
and the phenomenal strides IN industrial
development that have been witnessed dur
ing the past year, there has arisen neces.
sity for corresponding or proportionaIly
greater improvement in the amount and
quality Of steamboat transportation accom-
modations. This has been 50 conspicuous
that Il has stimulated efforts TO meet the
demand Ia a manner to divert from Seattle
the largely increased patronage which
properly belongs 10 her, aud which only
requires the supply Of proper facilities and
II viii grayitata in this direction just as
naturally and as surely as did the great
volume Of the traEiie OF earlier days.
That there is a demand for improved
faciiisies-a great and rapidly increasing
demands perfectly apparent The fact
that the demand exists and Is rapidly in
creasing is proof that Il will pAy 70 supply
IT, And thu latter fact eonveys an assur-
ance that II Seattle capitalists DO not, some
body else will supply 1t. ThAt these con-
illusions are correct nobody can deny.
Then the whole matter resolves itself into
a question whether Seattle capitalists will
promptly meet The emergency. or viii they
allow this city TO be heavily injured by the
diversion ef patronage whinh prefers 70
come here and which naturally belongs
here, and viii they in doing 50 allow others
20 get ahead 81 them Ia what must newt
abs prove sieh paying investment They
can save the city from severe loss while 81
the same time making splendid invest
msnt for themselves. The statement oi
this fact conveys the assurance that the
emergency will be promptly net.
Rui IL is well enough 10 repeat that The
public viii MOI sympathl1e With or approve
any scheme which does eot give faa and
fair consideration 70 the pioneers in this
line, Seattle owes them dest Of grausud,
which eanaot he ignored, and there ars
nene better qualified than they 10 aid Ia
making success Of the proposed improved
facilities