The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-09-20
ASTORIA AND TACOMA.
Present Standing of The Two Cities
TACOMA. W. T.. Sent. IL. 1889.

I al leNel CITY.
Astorians think that we have some
high hills, and that walk TO the Cath
olic church, or to the cemetery is steep
but COxcomb hill; were it over here
would be considered no height at all.
The city is built on a series of ter.
races: each street is graded so that
the ground floor of a building that
runs through to the next street, is
the second story on the street below.
In this way the Tacomaites get two
ground floors in each building.
The difference a railroad makes in
the growth of a place is manifest here.
Where l saw nothing but trails
through stumps on my last visit here,
is now covered with fine buildings,
and laid out in streets that are
crowded all day and a good part of
the night. The amount and style of
building here is noticeable. From the
corner where Frank McMurtrie IS
located l saw this morning Sl,OO0,OG
worth of five and SIX story buildings
| in process of construction. One OF
the builders wanted ninety feet front
on Railroad street, but was unable to
get If for 100000, so had to make his
building ninety feet shorter.
The streets are wide-75 and lOO
feet across, are very rocky and dusty,
and all the streets from east to west
are as steep as the side of house.
The men are young, go-ahead,
Americans and are building fine city.
The women here are a homely lot.
1t is the comment of every Astorian
here, land there are Astorians on
every corner) that they haven't seen
good looking girl since leaving As
toria.
Good looking ladies are so much
the rule in Astoria that their presence
is taken as q matter of course.
The ladies visiting here from As
toria have been the constant recipi-
ents of compliments from the press
and public since arriving here, which
shows that the Tacoma folks are at
any rate capable of appreciating good
looks.
have wired tournament news, and
shall he able to give the results by
wire long before this reaches you, so
shall say nothing of fire matters here
beyond this: Astoria has the finest
looking and best trained team, and
for reason of that, coupled with AstO-
ria's record in this regard, it is impos-
sible to get bet on the result, except
at enormous odds.
The city council, at its next session,
could with great propriety, under the
head of public welfare" make an ap-
preparation of $1,000 to furnish trans
pOrtation here and return to about
twenty Astorians, whose names will
readily rise to nearly every lip, Just to
look around here for awhile and see
what is being done. Itwould do them
good, and might effect a change.
With ten times the advantages of
this place, our seaside city is away be-
hind in the race for supremacy.
This is humiliating, but it is an exact
fact.
We have all the natural advantages:
Nature has been generous to Astoria;
but we are dormant and our advan-
tages are undeveloped.
Faith without works is dead"
The people here have shown by their
actions the measure of their faith.
On a barren, rocky bluff, overlook
ing dreary tide flats, on an arm of the
Sound they are building a splendid
city; our magnificent peninsula, the
rightful seat and site of a great city,
the spot designated by the finger of
destiny as the place for the center of
commerce for the Columbia basin, is
still undeveloped.
One Astorian, speaking to some Ia
coma men about AstOria's railroad,
inadvertently implied that there were
people In Astoria, claiming to be de-
sirous of advancing their own inter
ests, who, though owning property,
had not a dollar in the Astoria and
South Coast road. He was listened
to with polite incredulity. No one in
Tacoma could believe that any one,
outside of an insane asylum, could
neglect or refuse so sure an Opportu-
nifty of wealth if he owned foot of
land in or around the city that such
road would SO greatly benefit.
Tacoma is getting ready to ship
wheat. In its efforts to keep Astoria
from forging to the front as a wheat
shipping point, Portland is cutting its
own throat.
Portland long since instituted a
quarrel with the Almighty in trying
to make a seaport of an inland town
l15 miles from the sea.
Theyinow have a choice either to
ship wheat from Tacoma or Astoria.
The advantage all lies with Astoria.
The business, however, is gravitating
this way.
This is a matter of immediate con-
Germ to Astoria. What Portland does
or does not do; what Tacoma is trying
to do, should have no bearing on the
fact other than to make Astoria put
forth determined effort to wrest the
valuable prize from Tacoma, her real
competitor.
Tacoma's only advantage is this /:
it is a newly settled place and has had
no time to sink into any ancient
grooves or ruts: it has no ancient
grudges, and if Smith sees a chance
to make $4,000 he doesn't let it go,
because Brown will make s., 800 by
reason OF the same transaction.
Each one is working for himself,
and realizes that the surest way to
"get there" is not to be a chronic
kicker, or an obstructionist, but to
help himself in helping others whose
prosperity must help him.
OF course all is not harmony. These
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