The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-01
THECOMING NEW YORK
Seattle Destined to Be the Pa
cific Metropolis.
PROPHECY OF r. ROCKEFELLER.
Big Manufacturer and standard OH Man
Wishes He Were Younger to Help
Build the Great City.

You people OF Seattle win have the
New York OF the Northwest. Nothing on
earth can prevent IL. 1t Is bound 10
come"
The above words were spoken by r.
Rockefeller, of Cleveland. o.. vice presl-
dent OF the Standard OIL Company. AT the
Northern hotel last evening. They were
In answer TO a question as 20 what Dir.
Rockefeller thought OF Seattle. He con
finued:
This Is my first visit TO this section, and
must say that / am aEtoDiShed. had
not conceived OF the natural advantages
afforded by this place You have "A h4rbor
that In far better than that Of New York.
and your resources are unparalleled. Take
the single item OF iron. Here within sixty
miles OF your town. with easy connection
by water. you have mountains OF iron,
OF coal, OF lime and all the crude materials
that could be asked. You could manufae-
ture sheet iron and not only supply the
entire Pacific coast. but could ship extern
siveiy to foreign ports. Why. think OF IL
just two blocks down the street I saw a
window fun Of iron and steel materials
manufactured in Cleveland. IL could as
well be made here. and your people reap
the benefit.
'Thfs suggests another matter. mean
the development OF the Orient. There is
China who as soon as she RECEIVERS from
the licking Japan has given her, Will want
20 build railroads. Where will she get her
railroad iron? You send -four over there
now. and might jVst "a well furnish the
rails for the greatfoads that viii surely
form a network in China.
EFT seems to me that there is rot sin
gle thing now manufactured East OF the
Rocky mountains that you need depend
for ar3ou the East You should go ahead
aud Enar-it yourselves. There is no qnes-
ton that tae transcontinental railroads
are anxious for conditions 10 remain as
they are with respect 10 manufacturers.
for they will be paid freight until the
Northwest begins 10 manufacture for her
self | am not Interested in ans road.
but am merely saying. as n visitor. what
] think You can make your own goods
from your own natural materials. and
there Is not even question but what you
will do IL. why you can't help &. even
IL you try You will be the New York OF
tho Pacific coast as certainly as you are
located here on Puget sound.
II am connected with perhaps one of
the largest iron plants in the whole coun-
try. but 7 am sincere In saying that III
were fifteen years younger, / would ar
range my affairs and locate here. II n
man has good business habits a little cap
ital and some nerve. he could come here
and prosper I think you will have many
new and substantial citizens. for the ten
dency in the East Is toward Capitalization.
and business in many ways is overdone.
Capital Is seeking investment. and this
place invites II. I am told that a railroad
deal prevented the citizens from having
an iron plant here already. | should think
the people would take hold and build
railroad themselves TO obtain IT.
"you will become great city. bat not In
a minute. Seven years ago you had 1900
people Now you have 60.9oo do not hes
jtate to predict that the ratio OF growth
for the future win be fully as large as for
the past
To-day went over the city. out To the
lake. and came back TO the top OF the ridge
where I obtained a good view of the
mountains and other scenery. I was very
much pleased with IT, Then ! went down
10 the flats of Elliott bay and took sur
yey OF the proposed Improvement ! am
OF the opinion that Seattle not only wants
the south canal and the north canal. but
that she cannot afford 10 do without them.
The advantages to be derived from the
improvements are too plain TO be COM
mented upon.
Mr. Rockefeller here spoke a few words
on the growth OF the city. He thought
there were about thirty-three miles OF
etreef car lines here. and was slightly
surprised to learn that the trackage ex-
thlng for the people 10 keep together.
THE man IN the outlying additions gets
the advantages of city organization with
ont paying his proportion of taxes, and
this throws the burden all the heavier
on the resident IN town You can't make
a clty OF the entire country. he added.
Avoid the boom and the boomer. Look
AZ Kansas City That place mas doomed
too much Right after the boom burst
the hard times came on. and Kansas City
Will require a long time 70 recover. Yet
I think Kansas City Is all right. Then
there Is Wichita. 7 was down TO Wich-
ia when | could have loaded the entire
place on a couple Of wagons and have
carted 81 away The boom struck 1t. and
now Wichita has hundreds OF vacant
houses II is absolutely dead. Some OF
these street car men come into a place.
and the FIRST thing one knows they have
n railroad built out to nowhere. Their
next step Is 20 sell out. and heir next
90 20 of somewhere else and build an
other road. They are Of no good 20 the
community.
Mr.. Rockefeller. rcferrlng TO the re-
vtVai Of business. said that undoubtedly
conditions we're better all over the c0un-
try than al any time during the past
eighteen months. we have again set
the people 10 work" he said. and NOW
the problem IS 20 keep them at II. | be
l.eve Ne will succeed"
Mr. Rockefeller WAS a private in che
seventh Ohio infantry during u war
and AZ that time became well acquainted
with T. T. Shelby. ~ this city. who was
in the Twenty- ninth Ohio Tie went
through The campaign on the Potomac.
and then was sent down into tho cum
heriand under Fighting Joe Hooker. He
saw a great deal % bard lighting. and
now. 10 use his own folw ed expression,
has sense eroagli 20 keep ont of a war
He - n brother Of John j. Rockefeller
whose name Is known throughout the
length and breadth - the land as the
head ~ the standard OF Company. on
this "trip which Ne SAYS has hecn made
entirely for recreation. hV is aCss0-n panied
by Y. +. Kline. his attorney and counsel
or. also resident az cleveland kline
and : snt worked down." said Mr. Rocke-
fffier and have made This visit simply
IS a matter of pleasure We came out
with James Nc<aWght. au3. having spcft
two DAYS IN Seattle, viii leave tomorrow
saturday fsr the East over thP Greaf
Northern. That Is Rad wish 20 ser. ="
Mr. RcckeFeUo~ Is anna remedy g. years
OF axe. of medium height wellknlt fig-
ure. and a bearing thas Indicates a man
Of iron viii Tt{s face Is pleasant being
s4aoos shaver. With thc exception 80 a
closely crepHea gray n1usfache over a
Tra1-looknS mouth and chin his ewes
are blue ~ gray ana rest steadily on the
psrSon - horn he q speaking His hair
Is rather short and tt0Eed with gray.
There IS 30 mlstakius that ~ ia e man
pf determine I'm voice ana manner
thfvr is a shade o. severity AZ FIRST hat
b becomes S0fte1ed into a 3een ~ rneSt-
ness as he becomes Interested in his sab
scot Tie s;eeaks IN a lew tone and ~ Che
Hn M,ln