The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-19
Worth Coming all the Way From Eng
land to O. A cnuainted With the Citx

land to Get Acquainted With the City.
When l announced my intention of COM
ing here to spend the summer great was
the establishment among my friends.
Seattle Where in the world is it? /
can't find it on the map" was the remark
| grew tired of hearing, this particularly
as it was always pronounced "Seetle."
This / knew to be incorrect from Puget
sound catechism which a friend had
kindly sent to enlighten my ignorance. l
carefully committed the little book to
memory, and then was ready for all in
quiries. 1t was provoking, however, to see
the skeptical smile with which the glib sem
fences were usually received, and, in spite
of myself, the enthusiasm which filled me
after reading all the pamphlets furnished,
was slightly damped. The best plan I
found was to show photographs of the
buildings, carelessly mentioning at the
same time their cost and few facts culled
from the various books and papers The
unbelievers were generally impressed by
this sufficiently to express wonder ST
say, 1t must be quite place" was ejacu-
lated, followed by But you'll find it aw-
fully rough and quite out of the world"
have now been here q month, and
have not yet discovered that it is either
the one or the other. Far from being ont
OF the world, | feel very much in it. There
is no sense OF being cut of from the great
currents of the worlds life. The activity
and progress of the city rather suggest
that one is in the mid-stream of advancing
civilization. This is one of the first things
that strikes the stranger with pleasant
surprise. 1t is, in truth, a city of sur
prises 10 the greenhorn whose notions of
progress are gained from the slow growth
OF European cities and the leisurely FASH
ion III which the Britisher adapts himself
to new ideas
But let me return TO the very beginning.
which was the shouting of the word "Se-
attic" at the door of my stateroom AT the
unearthly hour of 4 q. m. The faithless
steward had not walked me till we were
close to the wharf, so / missed the view of
the city from the sea, but that omission |
have since made good. 1t is fine view
the picture of handsome, thriving CITY.
pleasant 10 look upon and pleasant to live
IN. The extent Of ground covered by the
suburbs spreading in all directions is a
feature that one accustomed to the closely-
packed houses of older cities can appreci.
ate 1t gives a sense of ample space and
room 10 breathe which is delightful.
The next impression one gets is the slope
OF the streets, which nothing in the photo
graphs prepares one for. The jaunty bold
ness which has treated this obstacle as of
no account quite takes ones breath away.
Horses going up and down these streets
positively at run and, most amazing of
all, cars packed with people sklmming
rapidly up and plunging down with easy
smoothness-al this / observed on nv
first walk abroad, and any one familiar
with the London bus or the horse car of
New York can judge that the comparison
/ mentally drew was not favorable to
either OF those jolting. humping, crawling
vehicles
As TO the buildings in the business part
OF the city, they are simply magnificent,
and would do credit to any city in the
world. The sight of these handsome
solid piles makes it almost impossible to
believe that couple of years ago not one
existed. The wide, well-planked streets,
with tine stores and electric and cable cars.
the thousand and one signs of civilization
and luxury, suggest city with long past.
The marvellous growth is all the more in
credible because il has taken place
in every direction at the same time.
Why, the car lines alone are a