The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-01
now THr CRY ranrvrp.
Countsr-Irritants AG~ays Eneetays Ii
ArensinE PnbIIe spirit.

HOW THE CITY THRTvED.
Iountsr-Irritauts Assays Effective In
ArcnstnE FsbI1e spirit.
N II Just about tlree years since Seattle
shook of the lethargy that seized upon sts
vigorous limbs at the time al Wizards
aowutsAs and, inspired tonew effort BY the
Inauguration sEsSa~ West Coast road enter
prise. 6egan the march that has culfain-
aied n the city Of today The struggling
city had had many hard knocks and had
been apparently laid out on several fasefni
occasions but the application Of "coun-
Yer Hritsfit revived the latent energies
OF her etsizens, and many times was VIC
tory pluekei from the very broW Of defeat
These counter irritantsn we're applied in
many gnises. Years ago. when the North
ern Paeife definitely settled upon Tacoma
~ the terminus Of IS road. the people OF
Seettie. not dismayed By the failure Of their
expectations OF years. determined to build
road o. their own, and then began the con-
sLrnetion OF line from Seattle 20 WgIla
walls. True, they didn't reach waila
Walia; and. indeed, the road. little
narrow gauge that was some day Co be
widened into standard gaiake, never
passed the boundaries OF King county.
BIT The road served iis purpose. II d.
verted the attention OF the PEOPLE from
their disappointment and stimulated them
into seif-hespful effort to find their owR
way out Of their diE2iculty.
Again. when the Cascade branch of the
Northern Was about completed and IL Was
better understood what effort was intended
70 be made by the Northern Pacific TO
build great city at is Western terminus.
u seemed that, after alt. seattle was to he
distaneed IN the race. The lugnbrious and
doubtful declared that the city was doomed
and thai there would be an exodus from
Seattle 10 Tacoma; and the streets would
soon De deserted, business would be peral.
yzed, and the owl and night-biFd would
roost IN security IN the deserted haants OF
The once thriving city. The deser-
ton never occurred; for a counter
iFritant was applied in the shape
OF the Seattle, Lake Ehorc & Eastern,
originally the West Coast road,
that was 10 build north 20 the Canadian
line and make Seattle the acteal terminus
likewise OF great tFanseonsinental line.
Construction was begun in earnest three
years since, and the sight OF the great
freight wagons transporting supplies from
Seattle 10 the front encouraged the conf
dent, and revived the tagging hopes OF the
hesitsnt, who, fortunately for Seattle. were
few indeed. The road was not at that
time fully completed, but the enterprise
was wholly feasible and il assumed tangi-
bic forna; and 50, again, the counter irri-
tant' was the savior Of the city.
The development OF seattle since the in
cephon OF this enterprise has truly been
wonderful. II involved with IL a train OF
other important enterprises in the way OF
sawmllls, the opening Of coal and iron
mines, the whitening OF the agricultural In
dustry aud The beginning Of a thousand
other projects for the development OF the
unltiform resources of the country that at
tracted the attention Of Eastern capital and
brought here phenomenal tide of lmmi-
grafton. Business expanded with wonder
fui speed. and the city grew in every de-
rarsment OF industry. Tho streets were
full OF an exultant people who had come TO
stay ID who had brought money with
them. business men came with great
stocks Of goods seeking locations Ia Seattle.
Here was presented a strange anomaly.
There was no room for them all and many
were forced 20 tarn back disappointed and
invest their money and contribute their
share 10 the volume of trade
ttSSNhefes AAlS - now ~ came G@MfLG
was city OF wood. It's streets were lined
with one and two-story frame buildings
erected years and years ago, 70 answer the
purposes of town on the frontier coast
These structures. thickly built In the heart
of the city brought enormous rents, and
the owners having given long leases, loath
20 eject their tenants. or Tor other reasons
that to them appeared valid. were unable
even ia the period of the
eity's highest prosperity TO re-
place them with substantial structures.
Occasionally one would burn down. and in-
variahly a splendid brick or stone building
would be started on the smolderinR ruins,
but. unfortunately such calkmitieS did not
occur frequently enough. and the larger
part Of the business Of the city was carried
on in these ansighfiy and inoonvenient
structures.
The fare os june q. lssa was an APPALLING
calamity. At one sweep it wired cut mil
lions of dollars OF property; bat Il wiped
out Also these frame structures and gave
opportunity for the construction in their
stead OF handsome. coagruou8 and con-
venignt structures = credit 20 the eite and
durable monument 10 the enterprise OF
its citizens always best displayed, like Mark
Tapley'S hum0r. under the most adverse