The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-29
Miss Eleanor Barry Expresses Her
Opinion Of This City.

Miss Eleanor Barry the clever and pop
ular actress who closed an engagement
with the management of Cordray's the
alter two weeks ago. vas evidently very
favorably impressed With Seattle during
her four months stay. here, for in an in
terview San Francisco Music and Drama
reporter had with her lpon her return to
the Golden Gate she SPOKE of this city as
follows:
Anyone who visits seattle for the rst time,
especially since the Gestr siction of the city in
the great fire of 1882: raid Miss Barry, sis
deeply impressed by the stately buildings
which line the leading fhoroughfares. Many
OF the business blocks VIII compare favorably
with those along Broadway in New York city,
and the enterprise of the merchants, as shown
in the variety and extensive character of
the stocks carried. would lead a stranger to be-
lieve that he or she was ir: city Of 10000 at
least. Thin the magne fcent street railway
systems of Seattle are really metropolitan in
their number and in the extent OF their mileage.
l understand that over 10G miles of street rail-
ways are now i'll operation, and several new
lines are in process of construction.
No; the residences of SEATTLE are scarcely in
conformity with the scale on which the busi-
ness portion of the city 10 built; but this,
suppose, is due to the cona paratively short time
it has taken to develop the great maritime cen
ter of Puget sound.
/ never had better health than l enjoyed
while in the Queen City, and there are so many
inducements Tor outdoor recreation that one is
led perforce to spend great deal of ones time
in the open mir. The sceneyy amid which Seattle
is set gained and has in me all earnest and most
enthusiastic admirer. Elliott bay, rs seen from
the hills OF the city, is lovely bit OF sea view.
Away on the western shore is a misty, green
woodland fringe which has for background the
serrated Olympic range, whose submits on the
warmest: day i'll summer glisten with
perennial snow. And then to the east of the
city, and forming the eastern boundary, il
the grandest body OF fresh water I have ever
seen. Lake Washington Is the favorite resort of
the residents OF Seattle and it is approached by
three street railways. two of them being run by
cable and one by electric motor power The
LAKE, rs viewed by moonlight, is a scene never
to be forgotten. The greas Cascades loom up AZ
stalwart sentinels betwesn the grain bearing
prairies of the east ana the giant forests and
fruitful valleys of the west; and away to the
south, raising his majestic head above the
silverhued clouds, Mouns Rainier holds soli-
tary communion with the distant worlds. Madi-
son street park. Madrona park and Leschi park,
all situated on the city side of the lake, Sun
days present scenes similar to those witnessed
in the largest watering PLACES of the East in the
summer season.
The people OF Seattle, az would naturally be
expected from the cosmopolitan nature of the
inhabitants, represent ALI that is progressive
and enterprsiug in American character. Their
social life, while il lacks tkc polish and refine
ment Of our largest cities,ts yet exclusive and
peculiarly Western.
Many i'll my profession who visit Seattle
with starring companies are laugh: with dis
rinctivc and unmistaka Bile evidence the super
ior critical qualities OF thetter-goers The caste
line has not yet been drawn SO vigorously in
matters theatrical i'll Seattle as in San Francisco
owing chiefly 10 the deagth OF theaters. How
ever, the new opera house, now under way and
expected to be finished early in December,
will doubtless usher i'll a new policy.
Cordlays theater in Sea.tle is patronized
by the best people in the city, and i'll this re-
spect is superior 10 the Portland house. which
has several first-class theaters to compete with.
/ have learned that Manager Cor Tray has en-
gagged in the construction of grand opera
house in Portland that will far outvie all houses
at present existing.
/ was especially struck by the excellence of
the newspapers published IN seattle. / do not
hesitate to say, far as my observations ex-
tend, that there is not another city of its size in
the Union that caa boast of press equal TO
that OF Seattle. Foreign news, general news
and home news are well represented in its
columns that one is seldom compelled to have
recourse to other journals
Yes: l regretted to leave seattle, but hope to
revisit II in the near future.