The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-04
Written for The Tribune.

At last, after period of twenty
eight days of pleasure and lesurely ira
vel we have reached Puget Sound, and
the restful and beautiful city of Ia
coma the central one of the three large
and important cities of this great in
land sea-Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle.
No one should cross the continent and
not see all three of these rival cities:
their vigorous growth surprises even
their most sanguine friends. Although
Tacoma is the youngest city on the
Sound il yields to none OF them IN
beauty Of location and plan. 1t Is a
favorite city with tourists, and Will be
still more so when the magnificent
S2,000000 hotel. lOlympian). now being
erected. is finished. When selected IN
1872 as the Pacific coast terminus of the
Northern Pacific railroad. the site was
covered with dense forest inhabited
mainly by Indians. Taking its name
from the magnificent mountain under
whose shadow 1t rests, this obscure In
dian village started on the highway 10
prosperity in 1919 with 200 souls. in
creasing in 1880 to 720; in 1890 to 10000;
1892 to 10000 people and. at the time OF
our visit in 1895. u special census accords
it over 10000 of as enterprising, plucky
and hopeful population as the world
ever knew.
we spent number Of days here in
1892. which We're full of interest. and we
Were then astounded with its marvel
GUS prosperity. 1t was then ON sub
stantial monetary basis nearly free
from debt, and In consequence has since
been able solidly to withstand the ad-
Verse effects of n period of comnercial
and financial stringency, stagnatlon
and inactivity brought about by Dem
Ocratic misrule.
The Hub OF the Coast.
Tacoma is point from which the
tourist may radiate in many directions.
Southwark. $50 miles distant, Is Port
land the oldest and largest of the Pa
citic coast cities. save San Francisco,
which Is nearly II thousand miles down
the coast Of California, while at the
very head of Puget Sound. some thirty
two miles southwestward, is Olympia.
the capitol city of the great Washing
ton state, and twenty-five miles north
ward by water and forty by rail, is ,ne
rival sister city, Seattle. in which all
American tourists have equal pride;
while Snohomish, Everett. Port Town
send, Anacostia. Whatcom and other
important ports, lie northward on TINS
famous inland sea coast, which reaches
even to Victoria and Vancouver in the
British possessions. a description or
each place may appear later ON.
Tacoma is one of the most attractive
cities on this continents city OF homes
u city of taste and refinement, city
of marvellous resources and natural
commanding advantages. AS a ship
ping noint it ranks next to San Fran
cisco among coast cities. in its ship
mcnts of wheat, lumber and coal on the
Pacific coast. 1t Is city of business
push and enterprise SECOND to none in
our country. and the wonder is with all
Eastern tourists that within so short a
time such a magnificent city could have
grown here
\ Perfect Natural Location.
Tacoma is admirably situated at the
head Of Commencement Bay i'm the har-
Dor Of Puget Sound. 9S miles by water
way to the Pacific Ocean, at the outlet
of the Straits OF Fuca and forty miles
i'm a direct line "a the crow flies. The
peninsular promontory upon which the
city is built runs out to u point in the
bay. forming a triangle say five to six
! miles OH each side. The highest point
OF the prOmontory Is in the center-a
moderately low ridge extending its
whole length,unti at the extreme north
ern point IL ends in an abrupt. bold
precipice, which presents that appear
ance as We approach the city from the
sound. Like Halifax, Quebec and Nicks-
burg. as they appeared to us on our
different visits. the name of Defiance Is
Aiggested. On each side Of Port Defiance
luff the land rises gradually In natural
erraccs back from the bay along the
water front for many miles. No more
dmirable natural location for great
ity could be conceived. It's position on
he bluffs is q commanding one-A city
Jet ON hill that cannot be hid"-and
overlooking the bay three hundred feet
above the dark blue shimmering water,
like lrving's Cliff. above the Lacka-
waxen river at Honesdale, with timber
clad hills on all sides to protect it from
the heavy storms, while sixty miles
away, Glad in Robes of Virgin White.
climbing. as 1t We're, to the very battle
lnents of heaven itself is the "Old Mon
arch" Mount Tacoma, the monument of
centuries and the shrine of both the
citizens of Tacoma and Seattle which
is worth a journey across the continent
to see. This superb old mountain. near
~ three miles in vertical height from
the sound. which has no rival in the
world for beauty and grandeur. is in
plain view from all the terraces of the
city-a daily luxury to all it's citizens of
which they never weary.
Built on Natural Terraces.
The business structures of Tacoma
are abreast of the times and the private
residences unusually tasteful and at
tractive. The residence portion Is main
1y upon higher grounds and above the
stir and noise of the business portion,
or Old Town. Such Is the gradual slope
of the hillsdes. that. like raised chairs
in theatre. the windows Of nearly
every house upon it command the in
comparable view of sound and noun
tain spread before it. Tacoma is at the
head Of deep water navigation where
the shores admit of almost unlimited
facilities for handling sea and inland
merchandise. and today Is not only the
largest grain receiving and coal distri-
buting center in the West. but is also
the principal lumber-port of the Pacific
Northwest. and one of the great live
stock and fish markets. with coal and
iron available in exhaustless quantities.
The saw mills, coal bunkers, wheat
ware houses. magnificent docks. and
other improvements. extend along the
shore for six to eight miles.
Tacoma is one of the Pacific termini
of the greatest American trans-contin-
entail railway systems. The Union Pa
cific. Northern Pacific, Canadian Paci-
fic. Tacoma, Seattle and Eastern, and
the Great Northern railroads all center
here. To the Northern Pacific, more