Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1889-12-09

h1 AcAtSV 49, Al AAOa< a O0k HSa-
ter in this city, and is given space for
what it may be worth. In connection with
this matter we have only to say that the
'exsrsyagant talk of this paper is irr-
aginary with "F. G. w. whose criti-
cisms, We may also add, are quite incon-
sistent and are perhaps written from
selfish standpoint:
SxATILx, Dec. 18th, 1Sa2.
EnUo8 Poe1-IxTxLxroKxcx1- your
kind permission I will indulge In q
slight criticism Of the press in general Of
Seattle: not that l feel any ILL., Gili to-
ward It. but wish in a friendly manner
to give 1t q mild reproof for an error in
to which II 10 falling. Is 10 not my in
tsution to find fault, or 70 say that
which will call forth vindictivs reply,
As would be the case in California II
anyone had the aud4city to find fault
In that perfect State, which indeed it Is
quite possible to do, but IL fully worth
mans chances of future bliss to attempt
it. a. in nine cases out Of ten the entire
press Of the State will come down upon
him and abuse him roundly-for they
acknowledge no faults. but to return
from the sunny climes to our own busy,
thriving, industrious town of Seattle,
and 70 the error" in question, which,
Ar. Editor, Is this:
Let Us pick up for a moment the Posi-
IsrKLLIGESCER, the Herald, the ChroIi-
Gle, or any one of the numerous bright
little sheets published here, and in one
and all We find the same strain of talk
about the demand for mechanics, espe-
cialiy carpenters. and which an investi
CATION proves to be very extravagant
talk. and il is of the ''extravagance" !
wish TO speak. Take for instance the
case of a Carpenter; he reads the paper,
notes the demand for men, and also
sees various advertisements for Gar
penters Wanted starts out, applies to
the bodybuilding and receives this answer
invariably: swell, no; we have as many
men as We can get lumber from the
mills to work at present" He then
turns his attention to the other new
buildings and gets the SAME reply. Then
ne starts to see what the advertisements
amount to, and after climbing up hill
to this last man is informed, oh, that
'ad' should have been out long ago."
And SD it goes. Although 1t is an indis-
putable fact that there Is considerable
building going on here, it Is also fact
that there are considerable many men
to do it. 1t is all well enough to say the
market is Ovsr-hoOded with poor work
men, but it must be rem embered that as
a rule first-class workmen always have
plenty of work at home, and only the
poorer kind are enticed from home to 4
new country by glowing newspaper ac-
counts. And right here friend editor Is
where the harm of such 'extravagant
talk" rs prosperous paper, feeling
happy and seeing others around them
prosperous and happy, is very apt to in
udigo in-nOt to purpOsely do harm or
mislead any one, We are sure-but 1t
falls into the error by force of its own
bright surroundings.
Of the harm which such thing is
possible of doing, let US take one exam
ple-suppose one of our papers filled
with the glowing accounts of the advan-
tages of this place to mechanics
chances to fall into the hands of poor
man In some other part Of tho country,
he has a family, is we'll known where he
Is and Is sure of making liyIng-he
reads, and decides he can do much bet
tor by moving Out hers-he sells out
what little he Possesses and starts, the
Gu .noes are that by the tune he arrives
here with his family, he is about oat of
money. He, of course, must go to a
hotel, and immediately begirs the search
for house, and what y vain search
1t Is liable to prove, for even days to-
gether. and all the time the terrible Ito
him) expense of his family at the hotel
we'll, after desperate efforts, he sue
ceeds even In this, and then comes bis
search for the work and the big wages,
should he be SO fortunate as to secure
work, what must be his disappointment
at the end of the month to See how lit
tie he has earned, for with days of rain,
rain, rain! Can We safely say nineteen
out of every month? ana with waiting
for the mills to turn out lumber, he has
been necessarily idle much of the
time.
Yet, for all this, do not imagine for a
moment t at would discourage anyone
from coming here, for l believe in the
future greatness Of Seattle, and hope to
$50 the day when 1t will equal. aye and
excel San Francisco, and compare even
favorably with New York, for, glance at
our Puget Sound, is there, ON she face of
the earth, a more lovely sheet of water?
Imagine the forests along its borders,
replaced by beautiful farms, elegant
residedces, its wafer covered with pleas
ure steamers and yachts. plying in every
direction, our shore for thousands of
feet lined with tine wharves, and for
est OF mOsts bowling to each other with
the ceaseless moving Of the water-im-
agine our streets graded and maoadam-
lied, q few more church spires towering
above our house tops. and pointing
Recommendation through your minds
eye and see several railroads centering
nere with their laundering noise
and smoke, SEQ the cable cars go flying
aim ost over the hill back of lake Wash
ington, by rows of elegant residences to
more lovely ones on the shore of the
lake-hers again pause and reflect upon
the grand possibility of naval CON-
structiOn station, and q canal to lake
Union and to the Sound. Who will dare
say that Seattle has not a grand future
before herr With her rich mineral.
timber and farming lands nestled about
her, with wealthy, generous, energetic
people, surely her future looks bright!
must claim the privilege of seeing her
faults, one Of which have pointed out,
not strictly speaking of Seattle, but of
her guardians, the press.
n