The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-11-23
ABOUT TACOMA.
THE BUSTING CITY ON
PUGET SOUND.
An Interview with a Prominent
Business Man of a City
Which has FOUr
Railroads.

In Tacoma, Wash, at present |
there is considerable talk among |
the merchants TO establish a
steamer line between Honolulu |
and their city to compete with San
Francisco merchants. To learn !
something about the city named,
and ADVERTISER reporter called on
Mr.. W, Z. Simpson yesterday at
the Hawaiian Hotel, where he is
staying.
Mr.. Simpson is a well-known
business man of Tacoma, and is
thoroughly informed on mercantile
matters in that busting city. In
the course Of a conversation, the
following was elected:
There seems to be an impression
among the citizens Of Honolulu that
the city of Tacoma is not as active
as it was-in other words, that our
"boom had busted" That is true, so
far as real estate transactions are
concerned. Five years ago 80 per
cent. of our bank clearances was
| from the speculative transfer of real
estate, at present about the same
proportion of the clearances are from
legitimate business sources. There
has been a steady increase in the
bank clearancCs over the same week
in 1891.
The report Of the Tacoma clearing
! house for the week ending October
9th shows transactions of S1,47S,-
SO 40, as against 1898, 90S Sc for the
corresponding week last year, an in
crease of nearly so per cent. The
total clearings for October reached
So, 7S9,7 ia 81, or fully S500,O00 in ex
cess Of any month since the clearing
house was organized. Taking into
consideration the fact that an extra
holiday was crowded in by Columbus
day, this is remarkably good show
ing.
The assessed valuation Of the real
and personal property in Tacoma in
1882 was $4,000, it is now $45, 249,
600
The Post Office receipts last year
were $76,06990.
There is at the present time under
construction in Tacoma, structures
to the value of $2,50O,000, among
these is a million dollar hotel. county
court house S350000; city hall $780,
900; and chamber of commerce
building $25O,000; the balance is
principally residences. Tacoma is
essentially a home town. She has
always been the peer OF any new city
in the country in the matter Of fine
homes.
-Four years ago there were no job
bling or wholesale houses In Tacoma,
now there are quite number Of them
last year the jobbers sold 1926, zoe
worth Of goods; employed 2560 men,
and had II travelling men on the
road; this is separate from the manu-
factories which have capital OF
over nine million dollars, employed
last wear 1882 men, monthly pay roll
, for the year being $18S,270, an out
: put OF the various manufactured
/ articles aggregating S10,OO0,0OO.
} The port of Tacoma, barring Sar
t Francisco, is the liveliest shipping
l center on the Pacific coast, and the
record she is making is certainly
gratifying. The day [ left Tacoma
p there were thirty-two deep waite,
s vessels in the harbor, either loading
or waiting to load our products TO
t the foreign markets-it was simply
q forest of masts. Over 20,0O0,00
5 pounds of tea have been unloadeC
= this season in Tacoma up to the pre-
. sent time, and not less than 100000
J. pounds more will go there before tn
d season closes. The palmiest days O
the Golden Gate will not excee,
S this. Last year there was $4,000
tons Of coal left Tacoma. There wa
q" 7,073,590 bushels of wheat shippe
from there during the same period
~ and this years wheat shipments wi
r. be nearly twice that amount. Las
+, years clearances were 1861 vessel
r, with 1,174,959 tonnage.
5, Harbormaster Cliffs report for til
;. month of October show all previoU
records to have been broken in ii
- exporting line. The shipments {
~ wheat and flour reached 23,S79 lon
d. tons, to the value Of 1928, 1872. Thel
u were 4,527,709 feet of lumber sci
a out, worth S49,956.95, and 29,471 tor
OF coal shipped to San Francisco al
es Japan. The total tonnage Of arriva
during the month has been 107, 60
The arrivals of sailing vessels we
of 21,16S tonnage, and departure
22,471.
no Here is what we sent to San Fra
IA cisco last year:
. Wheat, bushels ......... ,..... ...... 395, 4
Oats, sacks. ........ ........... ......... 33,2
ne Flour bbls......... ........... ...... SIS
de Flax, lbs.....,.. ................. -, 1850
ar Barley, sacks. ......... ............... 6S,4
of Shorts, sacks..............,,..... .... 1,2
VI Hides, lbs....... 1000. ............... $500
We Nails, kegs.,........ ................. SO
- Excelsior, lbs ..... ........ ..... q. $500
IN Ore, lbs ..... . SO. 40, o
"A Pelts, lbs......... ...... ...... ...... 300
=" Bullion, bars......... ............. 50,5
70 This does not include lumber
coal. The total amount of freig
II