St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-23
A Winter Where the CpOeus
and the Pansy Bloom
Steadily.
Gorgeous Word Painting OF a
Wonderful Morning
Scene.
A Nasty War on Foot. Which
Show a Theatep'S
Value.

nlSh its readers With reliable inIor)na-
ton rather than hastily formed opinions
from cursory obseryations-fact rather
than gush-I have waited these long
ten weeks before venturing to give my
impressions of Tecoma and the sound
country. 1t was in 1884 that first saw
Tacoma, coming out with the Willard
party to participate in the great golden
spike fiaSco. AT that time | represented
the GLoBE.and if the trouble were taken
to search back through the files of the
paper, it would be seen that six years
ago, when Tacoma existed scarcely more
than in name, there was springing
up a great rivalry between this city
and Seattle. This rivalry still exists,
and has grown in commensurate pro-
portion to the marvellous growth
Of the two cities, reminding
one forcibiy Of the fierce rivalry
and bitter hatred which existed
ten years ago between st. Paul and
Minneapolis. OF course the readers of
the GLOBE arc aware that Tacoma has
grown from sparsely settled little
hamlet to busting, earnest city OF
some twenty thousand souls, but they
do not all know how such transition
from an embryo to full-hedged city ap-
pears to one who sees the result, out
does not witness the development. Five
years ago the Northern Pacific officials
with their guests marched up from the
dock by the side of steep bluffs to the
hall on the one street, with its scattered
stores, ali wondering where there could
be found room sufficient to o. ace de-
cent depot, much less to build big
city. Now street after street. well laid
O 1T and wide, extends back from the
bay about mile and a half, while adj
dtions are plated, and in some in
stances graded, for six miles beyond the
city limits. There seems to be no diff
ference of opinion in regard to the extra
ordinarygrowth OF the city, but there does
appear to exist a great difference of
opinion regarding the climate and the
ultimate destiny of the city. at al
ways rains" says one. Nothing but
mud and siush." says another. '-Fogs
that you can cut with knife are per-
petuai," growlS third; while others
have not seen the sun shine since they
came into the ''infefnal country" And
one gentleman wrote back to his wife
in Minneapolis, after six weeks So
iourn here, that he had not been warm
since he left Minnesota. Others again
are in ecstasies over the climate and
the lovely green which prevails through
cut the whole year. THESE differences
Of opinion regarding the climate are
even exceeded by the variety of senti-
ment expressed upon the productive
ness of the soil, the city's salubrity
and as place for making money. L
was told 10y scores of people that moth
ing grows here: that the soil is either a
gravel bed or clay pit; that the
cabbage, potatoes and other vege-
tables are imported from California
because none can be produced
on such rain-soaked clay and stony
ground; that the magnificent apples,
colossal plumS and gigantic pears which
appear in the many fruit stores are all
flom Oregon or California. And as for
the health of the place. smallpox, ty-
phoid fever, consumption and rheunla-
tism are carrying off mere than one-half
the pulation-permanent and floating
and rendering the lives OF the other
half perpetual misery. L was most
Solemnly assured that there was an av-
erage of over four funerals aday during
the week, and twice that number on
Sundays. This. in population of less
than 10000, would make pretty heavy
percentage of deaths in year. But
now for some decollete truths and hon
est opinions formed after ten weeks
observation and diligent inquiry. The
facts here set down are perfectly nude,
not even covered with the slightest film
of varnish. but the opinions may he
taken by the reader for what they are
worth.
For the first week that l was here it
almost incessant rain. 1t rained the
day | arrived, it rained the day follow
ing: the third day it was Sunshiny and
bright till 4 O'Clock p. m, and the day
closed with a gentle down-pour. The
fourth day was like unto the third, a
still brighter morning and a still more
miserable evening. There was, of
course, plenty of excuse for the
''kicker'' who complains OF the mud, for
none of the streets are paved. The city,
however, did its utmost to render the
streets passable for pedestrians by hav-
ing a man on almost every corner to
keep the plank crossings clear of the
slushy mud of about Inconsistency of
buckwheat batter. Notwithstanding
the Herculean eXertionS so characters
tic of a city's employees, the crossings
Ill BlCoSitiiiso u
barrier of from three to six inches of
the delectabe compound. striking terror
into the Wearer of patent-leather
Oxfords, but not lettering in the
slightest degree the fair daughter of
Tacoma, who passed through the nire
rs unconcernedly as a st. Paul lady
would walk about the courts of the ice
palace. An unusually violent raising of
the flowing skirts, however, disclosed
the fact that she is fully armed and
equipped for the muddy encounter with
gum boots extending to the second
joint of the siiapely Tor otherwise eX-
tremitieS. During these days-it was
the first week of December-roSeS and
pansies and pinks and English daisies
were in bloom in the open gardens; here
and there stray wallfoWer OF stock
and clusters of chrysanthemums ling
cred as though 10th to acknowledge
that such thing as winter, in
never so mild form. was
possible here. In the vegetable world
thre were still growing cabbage and
beets and lettuce. while the grass was of
the greeneSt green of any grass outside
of the Emerald Isle, and not one shade
less vivid than the sod of Erin.So says one
who has seen them both. The fifth day
was still more gloriously bright III its
opening hours, and old Tacoma was
seen towering up above the range of
snow-capped peaks around him like a
venerable supplied priest above a
surpliced choir, while the tleecy clouds
hecked the azure canopy like clouds of
incense rising to the groined roof of a
stately temple. 1t was a magnificent
sight. The first rays of the still-hidden
sun fell upon the edge of the summit.
turning that edge of the eternal snow
into narrow stream OF molten gold.
which glistened and scintillated and
glowed, ever widening and deepening,
rejecting a halo of light back into
the pellucid air. while the gray clouds
beneath mingled with the gray mists of
early morning. When the sun arose
above the mountains, old Tacoma ap-
appeared as if clothed in silver armor