The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-04
Inn the Wonderland
OF North America.
Twenty-first Paper of Northwestern Travel
The Wonderful City of Tacoma.

than all other influences combined. does
she owe her development and prosperi-
ty. Tacoma Is also the terminus Of the
Trans-Pacific line Of freight and pas
senger steamers between Tacoma,
Hong Kong and Yokahoma. a
line of clipper-ships between Ant
werp and other Belgian ports.
two lines of steamers to British
Columbia and Alaska and Hawaiian Is
lands-also three or more lines to San
Francisco, besides twenty-five sound
steamers arrive and depart daily for
sound ports Tacoma is the great dis
tributing point of America for trade
with China, Japan, Australia and all
Pacific Ocean countries. and together
with Seattle, the nearest point In Amer
lea by steamship to four hundred and
fifty million people.
Ships OF All Nations.
During each day of our stay here the
harbor Is dotted with ships of all ma
tions loading lumber. coal and manu-
factured products of the United States
for Europe. Asia, Australia and the
Islands of the Sea. The Northern Pa
cific operates line to Yokahoma,
China and Hong Kong, which brings the
largest cargoes of silks and teas ever
brought to this country. The imports
VI tNo iuSt ycti "CiV bSt"OSh
100000 and 100000 pounds. Forty
thousand tons. or so per cent. of all tea
brought to this country. goes over Ia
coma's wharves. In view of the fact
that this route is 500 miles; nearer than
by way of San Francisco, the latter city
will have to look well to her laurels.
The Victoria, Il steamer we boarded
of this line, carrying the English flag,
make the trip OF 4.440 miles to Yoka-
homa in fourteen days. The distance
from Tacoma to New York by rail is
3,27S miles; by water. around Cape Horn.
1896 miles; the Nicaragua canal when
built will shorten il to 5,537 miles. All
Pacific coast people are anxious, as are
all Simon-Sure Americans, that the
Nicaragua canal shall be built at once
by American capital and controlled by
the American government.
The Tacoma dry dock Is one of the
features of interest to the tourist. 1t Is
325 feet long, 100 feet wide and cost
$3.50. 900. 1t is capable of taking In any
merchant ship and ordinary war vessel
for repairs. s
Four miles north is the line of the In
dian (Puyallup) reservation. and with
in this area of three or four square
miles lie series of flats. so low that
the high tides cover a large portion of
which are being dyked and will afford
the very best possible location for mills
and factories that have business equal
ly with ships and cars. on them i'm
mense lumber mills are now in opera
tlon. Here are sixteen, with daily
capacity of 800, 900 feet. The output of
these mills annually is over 100000, 900
feet. valued at S12,OO0,0OO The amount
shipped to foreign markets yearly
amounts to $1,000, 900 feet The shingle
mills of Puget Sound shipped over
1000, 100000 shingles last year, CA fur
ther description of the immense timber
found here will appear in my letter on
Puget Sound and Big Trees" next
week.)
Tacoma As n Coal Center.
Tacoma has within a few miles of the
city, say thirty to forty miles, in the
foot hills of the Cascade mountains. n
large area of coal deposits, estimated
at hundreds of thousands OF acres. The
character of the coal ranges from Ignite
to anthracite. A good quality of semi
bituminous Is being mined and brought
to tide water for from So to $3.50 per ton.
The output is from 1000, 900 to 1000, 900
tons annually. II is said to be eX-
haustless in quantity. Concerning this
resource we shall speak again.
Excellent schools and Churches.
Tacoma has an excellent school sys-
tenn and commodious school buildings.
which compare favorably with those of
the New England and Middle States.
The fifteen public schools, two business
colleges. seminary for young ladies'
(Annie Wright), founded by her father.
C. B. Wright, of Philadelphia. the col
lege for young men. the Emerson High
school and also the Young Mems Chris
tian association have reputation,
which is the envy of many larger cities.
Tacoma has fifty-two churches, repre-
senting all denominations. The Epis-
copal. beautiful stone structure. was
erected by Mr.. Wright, as a monument
to the memory Of his wife. There are
three well equipped hospitals, twenty
banks-with q capital Of nearly $10,000.-
000-and three daily newspapers. There
are a hundred miles of graded streets
that cost the city over $500, 600; four
large foundries, two car wheel manu-
factories. and the Northern Pacific rail-
road car shops. which occupy sixty
acres of ground, and cost $1,5o0,00O.
Here are four grain elevators with a
capacity of 100000 bushels, and the
Northern Pacific Is about to erect an
other. The three Touring mills have
udhy CdpdtIty vi DuSHelS.
Smelter. said to be the only one on the
coast. has yearly output of 81, 600 900.
There are also mine Woodworking
establishments, with n capital of 81
100000, besides various wooden, furni-
ture, mattress and other manufactures.
The combined capital invested in man.
ufacturing in Tacoma exceeds $1O,5 ,5O0,-
900. Tacoma's iobbing business reached
in 1892, $4O,OO0OOO.
An Electric Citv.
There Is one feature eSt1ecially no.
ticeable here. as in all the new flourish
ing cities of the Great West. They are
in love with electricity. Almost every
town along the line has a. system of
arc and incandescent lights, and many
have a line of electric street cars In
tercOmmunication between the different
portions of this widely extended city.
Is easily obtained by both cable and
electric cars. Tacoma has over fifty
miles of electric cable cars and forty
two miles Of steam motor and cable
cars. the latter being used largely in as
cending the hilly streets. which have
very steep grades. 1t also has several
horse railroads. confined mainly to the
"Old Town." Tacoma has many fine
public buildings and business blocks
equal to those of eastern cities. The
City hall'cost s2S5, 900; the court house,
s400 900: the Chamber of Commerce
building, $15O,OOO; the Hotel Tacoma.