The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-06
THE PASSING THRONG.

A Portland business man. who Is IN the
city IN connection with an Alaskan enter
prise. cut out the cartoon THAI appeared
in yesterdays issue OF the Pcst-inteiiigen-
Ger. in which Portland appeared as an old
woman and looking daggers at Seattle.
aer younger, but more attractive, rival.
he sent the cartoon 20 his house in Port
land. and after sticking the letter in the
oox in the lobby OF the Butler. turned TO a
Post-lnteliiseEcer representative 10 say:
That cartoon takes of Portland IN good
shape. ! live there and do considerable
business in that city. Yet / am not fool
enough 10 close my eyes TO the fact that
Seattle VIII do as much Alaska business
during the next year as all or the other
Coast cities put together. Portland Is con-
sentative, slow going and substantial. but
she has been compelled TO sit Idly by and
see Seattle spring TO the front and grasp
the golden opportunity that has arisen in
the Alaska business. There are reasons
enough why Portland cannot hope 10 COM
pete with Seattle in this field. but TIL tell
You an incident that speaks louder than
anything else you can print. A while Ego,
a Portland man who had struck Ii rich in
the kiondike, came down TO Seattle with a
party Of twelve other Alaska miners. All
were broke. except that each had sack
OF gold running from s5.00o 10 $1,000. The
Portland man. loyal to his town, persuaded
his companions on the steamer to go TO
Portland TO spend the winter They agreed
and happened 10 arrive there day or two
before the Portland kloudiker. They
wanted TO buy some clothes the first thing
and so started out TO exchange some OF
their gold dust for money at the banks.
Imagine their smazement and disgust TO
be refused any advances on their nuggets!
They could hardly believe it. While they
were bordering over the stupidity OF the
Portland bankers their friend arrived in
town. They told him their predicament.
He refused TO believe them and one OF the
party and the PortIander started out to see
the banks. Again they We're refused. The
other men Immediately bundled off to San
Francisco and will winter there. This is
an actual fact. and you are at liberty TO
use 1t. The Portland Klondiker's name
was Ross"
c. A. Mann, Of Fir. one Of the heavy
losers by the recent overflow of the Skagit
river. is at the Diller hotel. II, says that
the flood on the island on which Fir is
situated was inundated because a piece
OF dixie hundred yards or so In length
was two feet lower than the other bikes
protecting the same district They are
going ahead now to build the bikes higher
and stronger than ever ne said, land
1t is possible that we shall not have 4
rec ;rres ce of such high wa;,I again for
years. Still, the people there should pre-
pare for floods.
There is low strip of land running
from point up the river about fourteen
or fifteen miles across the fields 10 Joe
Leary slough on tide water. If the people
OF the lower valley would club together
and cut shallow channel across this low
strip four and one-half miles long it would
take off the surplus in case OF flood and
save the dikes and fields below.
The plan is not new one. but 1t Is q
good one. I think, and the farmers In
Skagit county viii certainly have to do
something to save themselves"
Tom Tilden. who mixes cocktails at the
Mirror saloon. was in a reminiscent mood
last evening. II tell you," said Tom, as
he walked out from behind the bar and
stumbled over Nance Lewis right-angled
dog, that there is no place in the Pacific
Northwest like that corner In Portland
where George Barrett killed Frank Will
Jams last Friday morning. 1t IS a regular
dead mans corner. In 1889 Sandy Odds
killed Emil Weber. was there myself
March Is, 1894. when G. III. Cove murdered
Conrad Smith on account of woman
scrape. There were bullets enough to
make f1rst-class riot. After Cove had
shot and shot at Smith, ne hit him In the
back and on seeing him FALL put the pistol
The Chinese highbinders had their battle
In that locality and the cutters actually
ran with pure blood. There have been 9TH
er shootings there, the particulars of which
do not recall
Capt. c. Fl. Francis. the government
pilot. arrived In the city yesterday from
Victoria. He is here awaiting the arrival
OF the Wheeling, which is 10 relieve the
Marietta in Alaskan waters within the
next month. The Marietta relieved the
Concord last month.
Capt. Francis has spent nearly thirty
years in Northern Pacific waters He has
been with the coast survey steamer Pat
terson for the past thirteen years and
knows every line OF the coast Of Southeast
Alaska like book.
Harry j. Collins. formerly a well-known
Seattle business man. has Just returned to
the city from an extended trip In the East
He says that there Is more talk in Chicago
about the KlondiSs than he had any idea
was possible. Seattle appeared to be rec
ognized as the logical point from which IA |
start out and also outfit While In the
East Mr.. Collins visited his old home AZ
Troy. n. T.. where for years hts father
was the owner of a large sash ana door
factory.
Personal.
, Frank Benham. Cherry Valley rancher
Is at the Diller.