The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-26
4 COMMON EXPERIENCE.
Futile Hunt Of Two Weeks for >
Business Location.
a Large Jswesry K4ssbsishnsst sA.s
WIN Not - KssablisAsd d.
seattle.

A disappointed man i Mr.. J. d..
Wallace. OF Portland, who came 10 Se-
assae two weeks ago. and who hiss been
hunting diligently eses since Tor 10
cation IN which to establish large
jezelry business Mr. Wallace Is act
ing in behalf OF San Francisco capital
lists. and IL was intended to TT up and
stock . large establishment, With IS
heavy 3 capital A. the business, pres
ent and prospective. would Justify
There u not - fees OK business
property in this city at al suitable for
my business that hare not exam
ined. said Mr.. Wallace. There IL
not single place there was shadow
Of q chance OF securing that / have
not made On effort to grit; but l hare
met with disappointment everywhere,
and am completely DISCOURAGED The
best offer lad was from q dealer who
wanted 5000 for his location and store
fixtures. He had no lease on his
store, and his fixtures / could not
have used; the insurance was high.
the building old, the rent steep, and
/ the location only fair. And vet this
was the best chance had
II did not come 10 Seattle expecting
10 find place already fitted up for me.
and 70 step into nice business al
once. came anticipating many diff
hc1ities and rebuffs. but | thought
that with due amount OF perseyer-
anee and coin / could get in some
where. | would have been satisfied
with almost any sort of All oppor-
unity. and expected 20 have 10 over
come considerable difficulty In obtain
ing il. But | did not count on the
continued bzeksets and discourage
ments | have encountered. / had
always believed that money would do
all things for anybody, in a business
sense, but found that the usual or
der OF things Is entirely reversed in
Seattle.
Il know | am talking pretty severe
~ about Seattle, but / feel that / have
q right to. / was born q few miles
below Seattle, and have always firmly
believed that it was TO be the future
city OF the Northwest. I have talked
OF little else bat Seattle for at least
four years, and l have long been in
tending 10 come back here and essab-
fish myself in business. | never
dreamed that my tgo weeks persist
ent hHnt would result as it has. l am
forced 10 50 AVA syjfh desE rsgret
anu | shall probably take advantage
OF business opportunity | have in
Portland. But shall always be sorry
that | have not been able 20
locate here, for / yet firmly believe
that there is great future for the
city. But there viii have 10 be more
encouragement 10 outside capital By
| the construction OF more buildings
The rows OF shanties that are 70 be
seen even on the principal business
streets are an absolute disgrace TO the
city. What estimate can you expect
people from great cities like ST. Paul
and Minneapolis, both new Western
towns like Seattle aspires TO be, will
place on city whose property-owners
will allow such veEitabie rat-traps 10
disgrace its streets Do you think
they will invest here? DO yoa think
they will believe In the enterprise, in
the future OF the place.
Yet | think more OF Seattle than
any other place / have ever been in.
am withal deeply SOLICITORS for its
prosperity, which IL seems 10 me is
so greatly endangered by the lack of
public spirit of some of Its property
owners. There are some who are GO
ing TO put up brick buildings. that
will be a credit 10 the city, but they
are not adequate 10 accommodate the
great demand There should be q
general building movement, If Seattle
expects to keep pace with the growing
development OF The country, and
maintain her position as its chief
business sler,3t.