The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-13
1BE TOURIST CAR.
.rv LETTER FROM A RECENT
v1sfTOR TO SEATTLE.
:. neserfbes His Experience on n
e.~spa-cIass Railroad cnr-The
..~ss. He saw at the Cliff House
- the Testimony Gathered That
-. natter In Not Dead After ALL


s,<esai Correspondence 20 ths P.-f
e.x yRASrISCO, Dec. 19.--Mcsf read
:. n tie Post-Irtelligssscsr vii - Will
=. a. positively assert thaf Een Butter Is
100 sarta no more. ! was Of the con-
sl.sss init yesterday. Tel them that
~ noose, the Ciin House curso dealer,
-. mat Ben Batter stii3 lives. All con
.,rrrwlse Newspaper reports notwlfh-
s..-asnx.r said the keen-eyed elderly
.srt,sasan whom every tourist and most
sssageraians nave met az the famed re-
- established by Adoiph Sutro out az
- bod pronontOTy near The Golden
...s and where tbe seals oask Ia the
&C snd entertain visitors with their
esEy concerts.
rzsa s@arnsd that over across the
.sp.snads In the Susro baths museum il a
n stuffed seal win a cock eye and q
ard saying. "Ben Butler, Oldest end
kszsst seal along the coast" bot this.
~ Moore stontlY asserss. Is & counter
=. osa BEN He declares that the cenu-
.as Is ssla on the rocks and. tudgiag from
Is Dugaacious disposition and h4olts OF
ne key 20 remain curious sight for
"a rslioFs 10 the ciIf House for many,
rxny days 70 come.
Yer many years the curio department.
4 he Cliff House. has been presided over
- sxactly the right man. IL tax 80 genius
. Gel. curios. and I have met dealers In
Ysrsds, al Saratoga and Niagara fans. IN
Essena. al the Thousand IsIes, New
vsst. Atlantic City. Coney Island and IN
,esry every resort OF America some 90
/ arriving business, others sell so few
Articles that the obsarsant tourist won
DIR and pondeTs over the existence prob
km a. applied 20 that unfortunate deal
sr's cAss.
from varied observations I ar OF the
sgiason that the prosperity OF some deal
sss Is due TO natural genius
and aptitude tor selling curtos.
~ friend Moore. for II you ever
Ysi. the Cilff House youil soon reeard
sszs gentleman as q near and oft-tlmes
sAs friend. opened the conversation yes
;sasy b. observing; TITS a fne day and
yga'E be able TO see the seals splend!d8y
from the ysranda." Then he conflden tlal@
b remarked. Bring your lady and IN
sssr you something intended for Sarah
E4snhardL" The "somsthIngs' vas a
handsome sealskin rug OF CASTLE soap
Eetasngs and iron gray and brown In
sslefs. There was also small cape. and
bsIh we're very fine specimens.
Then Mr.. Moore explained that they
ras captured or Golden Gate point, and
b knsw the history. lie was saving
SEN nntn the divine Sarah came 70
frisco. which. according 10 his
E<nd Roland Reed. who was out to the
c1 House the week previous. would be
d three months.
q Z AJAX SIS for the rug and IS for the
s cps. and should think ! might sell them
szsily TO come tourist without waiting
sas Sarah comes" the curlo man said
pfay
Aos to keep him ia suspense 7 spoke OF
~ newspaper connections and ne hur-
faily put the articles away. Then Ia
ksan telling most delightful little stories
q he seals; the actors and actresses
rao always paid the GIN House and seals
fitt when IN Frisco. and as be talked
s Be- kept handing out souvenir spoons.
q sisly painted shells. bits OF jewelry AID
s. saaly views or the scenery about the
81 house and Golden Gate. He succeeded In
N getting In some shekels for articles, and
81 thsa he stated that Ben Butler was not
81 tsas, but alive and fighting out on the
foeks. According 10 Mr. Moore. who
sAoald certainly Anow. tbs bis seal WAS
samsd Ben many years ago Tradition
Faces his age az - years. Ito alone OF
d the big fellows made but a very short
uie In summer 10 The Farraliones and
Usually veserred keeping bachelor hall
On Seal rocks One Gay no was rni1sing
| Then came the death OF big seal. and
tie story was stared that IL was Zen
Eutlsr. He was handsomely mounted and
paced In the museum at the Sutro baths,
wAiea Use shs CHI House belong 10
-AaepA snlro
Cutie naturally ,hs story was permitted
- Increase IN stature and rescued the
Frisco daily papers. ]. drew business 20
TIE museum and IN day or SO the gepu-
Inc and original ora Ben made his reap
Isaraaee In the usual form and place on
TIE rocks. aad be Is sti.l easily oistln-
a rob ~ All h.
Surveys, and easily one-fourth larger.
even when seen az fifty or sixty yards dis
tsnea than his counterfeit Fealship "a the
museum
hr. Moore loaned The Post-InteIigence
representative marine glasses and this
eeaght Old Ben's huge form and honiae
ssee to close quarters. IL Was then sasy
2 see that MI. Moore's assertion that Een
flsiar vas alive was borne cut by facts.
Al present there sre fully 800 seals a.
III sae rocks ard they arrive Ia new parties
ssiy. Mr.. Moore thinks that by Christ
tss there vii BE- 700. The present fall
tso newcomers can be seen. Both are
'ffy hlg seals and tie curia man cafs
ese Mckinley and tho other Hanna lie
sa!s BY an. very dark brown seal With
~ tmpedlment IA his waddls and Cor
~ peapasour cut TO his frieze. has TAX
y as departure. Later, however. a keen
tsa Ailanalse h0stier a. the Sutro
sAases furnished the information that
s'1sa had simply moved ar3and 10 the
~ ste OF the rocks out OF observation OF
san House ioungers, and where the sill
- eeads had less OF the iatter-day
MIA lining.
sse eaiesg thing Of seal life seems 20
ne gsneols 81 the baby seals They
~ iafnoie and slide through the water
sas NEST graceful manner possible.
avery man Or woman Of national celeb
81. Whether Ia politics. before the foot
So. O az central feature OF social
go tae pulp, or forum who vtstts
.aea gees out 20 the C9iG Hoasa rTtz-
.%aoas and Shaskey were there about
- slas q the hght. The latter had one
- Nnted beautiful carnatioa color
- tfllne. Jim had two friends with
AL Julian lowered anxiously near.
australian kept his face glued FOR a
s'ne 4 tho glass watching re seals.
NeEaeFiHilY fond ~ animals. SAar-
sas s.eadly Indifferent to seals ana
sNet hsn. lt r. hardly probable that
- ena9neut VIII ever ~ selected g
49, easn'auGua gathering. sie wHi
- sespie forward fsom overweight
- f@la Sill as Mica woer remarks.
s.e;h Is cut % the suit"
- eeodNin ate Thanksgiving dinner
edG House. aua I Judge thauEht
- Z els lawyers fees. President Hav-
- ssrht severed hours watching tha
. - als tour west several wears aee.
triad "a get Ii Hung Chang th6re
eesl1a't reacn.
As o. sesls reminds tna % the
sss The S.skiyou and shasta noun
= Southern Paciuc tcaFlst car.
: - I'VE ways one can take 10 come
"a - attic 70 't'rtaco. One IS ~ boar.
-. a fght soo3 Nav. I'm tott- the
! b So, ~ train. ass it's ala oNlne 90 the
Z. g tae Traveller tsass ~ year and
- ae masg Keep en rouse,
. s2. ssas at2er IS coed or bad IRE
- car Is Wesra~n feat.t~e - -s4,.