Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1889-02-28
ON PUGET SOUND.
Tacoma, the Metropolis of til
Northwest Pacific Coast. \

One sees so many eastern people
here in Tacoma. he hardly realizes
that he is on the Pacific Slope. This
city is, without doubt, destined to be-
come great commercial centre; 90 ia
what direction you will, you can SEQ
the mason, stone cutter, carpenter and
machinest busy. The buildings in
course of erection here, are of modern
architecture. and those being put up
for residences, are very beautiful, Der
ing of Gothic style. The streets are
thronged with people, and it is almost
impossible to secure comfortable quar-
ters. The N. P. Railroad is extending
its tracks to meet the increased dex
mand of freight and travel and the
saw mills in this section, are three OF
four months behind with their orderss
Several new mills are now nearly conn
pleted, and will start up in few;
weeks. Iron works are also being es4
tablished, and the manufacture of ice
on large scale, will also soon be com3
menced. Eastern capital is coming
this way, ana real estate men are kept
busy showing them over the city,
Several sales. involving large tracts of
land have taken place during the past
week. The new Opera House is fast
approaching completion, and when
finished, will be one of the finest on
the Pacific Slope. New coal mines
are being opened up few miles east
of here, which will greatly add to the
interest of Tacoma. A walk along the
wharf reminds one somewhat of Port
Richmond, or Hoboken, on seeing
steamers and sailing vessels of large
dimensions, loading coal for San Fran
cisco and other parts of California.
There is plenty of water at all times of
tide for the largest vessels, and the
Naval Commission, appointed to lp-
cate Navy Yard, on Puget Sound, are
now on the Sound inspecting the df-
ferent ports; they are expected in Ta-
coma in q day or two, as Tacoma has
many advantages over other points
on the Sound; the people here are
hopeful Of Securing the new yard.
There is one fault to 6nd with this
city, and that is the Post Office facili-
ties, and after careful inquiry, we find
that the fault all lies with the author
tiles at Washington.
A stranger coming out to Tacoma,
would do well to have his mail ad-
dressed in care Of one of the principal
hotels. or some business house. 1t is
a common occurrence to stand in line
for an hour waiting your turn for mail
matter addressed to the office OF
general delivery. The authorities in
Washington treat this city as though
it were village. 1t is disgrace to
this country and an insult to the in
habitants of this city, and should be
looked into by those in authority at
Washington. Vegetables and fruit of
all kinds grow here to enormous size,
and the day is not far distant when
this county will figure prominently as
a canning centre.
Several large wholesale houses have
been opened here during the past year.
Prominent among them being the firm
of ciarretson, Woodruff and Pratt DRY
Goods, and it is said this firm will do
half million dollars worth of business
this year. This firm has already had
orders from British Columbia for their
goods. The young man of the East
who is looking for place to locate,
would do well to come out and look
over Tacoma, and learn personally of its
advantages. The city supports three
daily papers, two morning and one
evening sheet. They compare favor
ably with many OF the newspapers of
New York City, Boston and Philadel-
phia. There are several banks here,
and they are all doing q large amount
of business. To rent a residence it is
impossible, as there are none to rent
houses are rented before the cellars
are dug. Some of the large merchants
here have been compelled to put their
goods in stores before the walls were
plastered. I mention these facts to
give the eastern people some idea of
what this city is. We know of one
man who shipped his household goods
from New York who was four months
in getting house to move into. You
can live here about as cheap, outside
of rent, as you can in any Eastern city.
Furniture goods and clothing is about
the same as in New York City, and
you have just as much of variety to
select from. Tacoma is live modern
city, and full of live merchants.
G. M. G.