Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-10-17
A BIRDSEYE VIEW OF THE CAP
ITAL CITY.

to Olympia first catch a glimpse of the
city from the deck of one of the several
steamers which ply between the Capital
and the other cities on Puget Sound.
They have gotten on board, perhaps at
Seattle or Tacoma, and have found
some delightful spot on deck, where
comfortably seated in an easy chair,
they can enjoy the magnificent scenery
of the country through which they are
passing
1t is beautiful picture. The clear,
sparkling water, the shores covered
with forests or green fields t. The very
waters edge; the mountains with their
eternal crown of snow in the distance !;
the steamers, sailing vessels or tugs
passing up or down, busily engaged in
developing the resources and CONNER
cial interests of Washington's great in
land sea.
Half way between Tacoma and Olym-
pia the quaint old Town of Steilacoom
is passed, and across the water lies
McNeirs Island, with the grey stone
bastile and barred windows of the United
States penitentiary. Then the Sound
grows narrower and deeper, and an
island Of an acre or more in extent is
passed. Hall an hours more steaming
and Dolilmyre's Point is rounded, and
the traveller is aroused by the cry from
some fellow passenger of"There's Olym-
pia," and sure enough ut the southern
extremity of Budds Inlet, rs this part
OF the Sound is designated, lies the Cap
ital city on the side of hill, which
slopes gradually from the water front.
Our traveller catches at once the salient
features of the panorama unfurled be-
fore him. He notes the broad, wide
streets; the wharves, the shipping, the
green trees that shade either side of the
principal thOroughfares; the many
handsome buildings and business
blocks; the church spires, the new
hotel, and higher than all the rest, on
an eminence that commands view OF
the Sound and the country for miles,
that stretches to the distant Olympic
and Cascade ranges, he sees the Cap
itOl in the center of n beautiful park
with the green of the forest trees behind
it, to set it prominently forth as one
OF the most noticeable landmarks in
the picture. On either side of the city
there are gardens, suburban homes
orchards with cherry, peach, pear, ap-
pie and apricot trecs laden with fruit,
and then the wonderfully beautiful
forest that is the striking feature OF
the whole Sound country. While cur
traveller is taking rapid glance at all
these objects of interest, his steamer
has approached the wharf. There is a
sharp toot from the whistle, as though
the ship was glad that its journey was
over, the usual excitement of making
call fast" and running out the gang
plank, and our traveller steps ashore,
grip" in hand, enters a gurney or
hack and is rapidly driven to hotel.
A little later, perhaps Ale starts out for
drive around the city, and a glimpse
at its four thousand inhabitants Start
ing from the wharves he will naturally
be driven up Main street, passing the
Dolan, Woodruff, Olympic, Chambers,
Williams, Turner and Mckinney, two
three and four story brick blocks,
all with fine large stores on the ground
floors and splendid offices upstairs.
There is the State Bank with capital
OF 100000; the Capital Bank with a
capital of 500, 900; and the First Ma
tional Bank with capital OF 100000
in its beautiful stone-front building
one OF the finest pieces OF architecture
in the State-in the second floor of
which the Surveyor General of the State
has his offices; there are seven or eight
splendid dry goods and clothing stores
with elegant displays in their hand
some plate-glass windows; there are
drug stores, stationery stores, lawyers
and physicians Offices; the omnipre-
sent real estate agent; the splendid
brick block surmounted by handsome
tower and clock that the Odd Fellows
own and use partly for their hall. To
the left is the fine brick Stewart Block
with its wholesale and retail grocery
stores, beyond which is a fine square
or park, of which, by the way, Olympia
has four; then several handsome homes
and the new hotel, "The Olympia" is
reached, and our traveller is delighted
and surprised to see building as fine
as The Tacoma" in the "City of Des-
tiny" with every modern convenience
and Accommodations for 200 guests. Just
across the street is the fine Masonic
Temple, with massive columns support
ing the portico in front, and then the
Catholic Academy, with the beautiful
little church at the end OF one of the
cross streets behind it. Another block
and the handsome edifice of the Con-
gregational church is reached, and a
little distance away, on another street,
can be seen the Episcopal church, just
being completed. More beautiful
homes are passed until st. Peters Hos
pital, which has recently been greatly
enlarged, comes in view, and then still
another block and the carriage turns
to the right and our traveller alights at
the Capitol. The room where the Con-
stitutional Convention met, the two
large libraries, the Supreme Court
room are inspected, and the visitor steps
upon the front porch to enjoy one OF
the finest views in the world. The city
lies at his feet. The Sound stretches
out for miles before him. He sees
Mount Rainier, or Tacoma with its peak
lost, perhaps, in the clouds to the right
and away off in the distance the ma
ijestic Olympic range, the whole scene