The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-04
WAITING FOR TITLE.
Factories Will Not Locate on
Tide Lands Without 1t.
HOW ONE WAS SCARED AWAY
Sash and Door Factory Would Have
Come but for the Muddie-First
Decision in Test Suit.

There's no use to talk about getting
manufactures in Seattle until some means
is found of clearing up the title on the
only land available for sites. The Cham
Der Of Commerce may pass resolutions
and the newspapers may print page after
page OF glowing matter, but il won't do
any good. The prospective manufacturer
Will come out here and look over the
ground, but when he finds that he can't
own the land on which his buildings are
10 stand he will go away. and that Will be
the last of him, so far as this city is con-
cerned."
Those were the words of George Stetson,
OF the Stetson & Post Mil Company, yes
terday afternoon, when asked about the
prospect for manufactures. He con-
tinued:
when we first located on the present
site of our mill it was a long time ago,
and there We're great many trees be-
tween here and town. We then employed
attorneys to look into this matter of title,
and We now have a big book in the safe
giving a long line of judicial decisions,
showing that Our title should be clear. But
il isn't, and I cannot tell when it win be.
Before the big fire of 1889, when our
mill went up in the flames, we had the
largest pay roll in King county. After
ward we built a small mill on the site of
the old one. but refused offers to put in an
extensive plant because we felt hampered
by this very question of title. Our busi-
ness has grown, and we have added to the
mill from time to time; but after all. ii is
a piece of patchwork and intended only as
a temporary structure.
There is another feature that strikes di-
rectly home TO the citizens of Seattle, no
matter what may be the views OF tangle-
foot council, and that is that enterprise
after enterprise is going away from Seat
tie for the one reason that no one can get
a good title. Only short time ago a rep
resentative of a sash and door firm, who
was trying TO perfect arrangements TO put
in $500 900 plant on property owned by us.
was here. All details had been completed
when he began to inquire particularly into
the question of title. / told him exactly
how the matter stood, and his only re-
Spouse was to shake his head and go
away know of four more enterprises that
left Seattle for the same reason. I've be-
come tired of showing prospective manu-
facturers grounds. for there is always one
result. They decide not to come"
Mr. Stetson did not show disposition to
blame any one in particular. but he de-
plored the fact that citizens did so much
talking and so little practical work toward
clearing UP title to land on the flats and in
that way making an open road to sites for
factories.
Meanwhile the first in the line of deci-
sions has been rendered IN the proceedings
begun by the CITY council to ascertain
whether the state land commissioners have
power 10 change the appraisers plat or the
tide lands, pending a final decision on
which the council proposes to withhold va
cation of the old plat. The following tells
what was done:
Olympia, Oct 3.-Special.-The petition Of
the city council Of Seattle to the state
board OF land commissioners. asking for
modification of certain streets, including
Railroad avenue. in front of that city, laid
out by the local board of tide land apprais-
ers was denied. the commission taking the
position that they had no jurisdiction to
modify acts of a local board which had
been made matters of record prior TO the
taking effect of the new law