The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27
A CIVIL WAR IN TACOMA.
OVER TACOMA MOUNTAIN WHICH
SEATTLE PEOPLE CALL MOUNT
RAINIER.

ma story.
Tacoma, WASH, June 1S.-"Hello.
stranger! Come out here to take a hand
in the civil war;"
The station was Tacoma, and the new
conner, an eastern traveller, stood upon the
steps taking his first look at the country
of hills. Around him gathered a little
group of old inhabitants, eager to post
him on the current events of the town.
There's civil war going on here now.
and no mistake, over the name of that
mountain. We call it Tacoma. The Sc
attic folks on the other side call it Rainier.
The trouble has broke out fresh every
year since Tacoma got settled. But this
year it's hotter and heavier than ever.
'Taint safe now for a Tacoma man to go
to Seattle, nor for a Seattle man to come
here. Haven't you heard about it? Why,
the Cuban dispute amt in it with the Ia
coma and Rainier trouble. We are in the
right, and that makes us strong.'
Yes, and it's a good 'ad' for the town,
too,'' said the real estate man. He was
standing with foot on the lower strip of
the railing that runs along The east side
of st. Helen's avenue, to guard foot pas
sengers against falling over into D street,
which lies the depth of two Tacoma lots
below. Eyes, that mountain is corking
good 'ad' for the City of Destiny, and we
work it for all IT'S worth, too. You bet
your life"
AS he spoke he raised his head a little
and waved his hand across the dismal mud
flats that extend for miles from the head
of Commencement bay. In the distance
was the lad" The newcomer looked. He
saw the bay, the mud fats. the deep green
belt of pine and cedar forest reaching over
the foothills of the Cascade range, and
then the mountain, 1900 feet in hight, with
only the sky for background.
1t was covered with snow. 1t always is.
And the rays of the setting sun still lin
gered on the peak, tinging it rose color, too
delicate, one might say, for so huge
thing, but it softened the rugged outlines
and brought them into beautiful relief, CIV
ing distinct grace to the majestic vastness.
why do you say Mount Tacoma?" quer-
led he. II thought Rainier was the old
name, given before Tacoma was settled"
ooh, you've been to Seattle and let those
muffs talk to you down there. They're
sore because We came here after they did
and are beating them out of their boots.
Ask Judge Wickersham. He's written
book that proves that the town was named
after the mountain. The Seattle men say
it's the other way, and that we're running
a bluff. He's got the Indians all on his
side. They say Tahoma, with the III pro-
nounced like k way down in their stom-
achs, like it was swallowed. Tahoma
means Mothers Breast according to the
judge. He's way up in Indian language,
and says that Mount Tacoma is a mothers
hr.oa ef r. oil ~
the soil and gives it strength
but how about the mountain being
known as Rainier for many years before
the city was even thought of? Wasn't it
named after an English Admiral Ranier?"
Say, who in the world was Ranier?''
You don't know, nor any one else, ex-
cept that he was a pirate or a privateers-
man, which is the same thing. No one in
Seattle ever saw him. He never saw the
mountain. And I'll tell you another thing
There amt Seattle man dare come down
here and say Mount Rainier. Wed push
him on his face if he did Anyway he
wouldn't be let do any business here.
might sell him some of tide fiat lots but
the Chamber Of Commerce would not let
him ship goods from here without paying
for his misuse of Names
When the newcomer was in Seattle a
few days later he felt himself ready to
combat all the arguments of the Queen
laughed at him. One man pointed to a
hump on the east side of the mountain
and said: IF you really wish to know
what Mount Tacoma is it's that dirty little
knob there. Tell your friends in the CITY
Oh Destitution." In book store where he
Ventured to inquire for literature on the
subject he was told that no books In
which the mountain was called Tacoma
was allowed in the place. It was the
largest store in town, too, with a large
business. The charming young woman
who waited on him said:
we ordered 200 magazines not long ago.
but when they came and we found that
there was story in it that told about
Mount Tacoma, we wrote to the publish
ers that they could recall them. We
would not put them on sale nor did we
care to handle so Enthusiastically a mag
acme anyway. The 200 copies are still in
the cellar"
I know that good many folk in the
east mink the mountains name is Taco
ma They do not know anything about II.
If Tacoma sounds better TO them than
Rainier they will say Tacoma likely. But
the Northern Pacific railroad is resnon-
sible for the name Tacoma. It was The
nrst road to come through to the sound.
1t laid out the town site of Tacoma on
the sound at the end of the road and then
started in TO advertise. 1t spent hundreds
OF thousands of dollars booming its ter
minus. AS Seattle would not give IN its
water front to the Northern Pacific and
refused TO be dictated to by the rail
road people they did all they could 10 in
jure us They were full of spite ana did
make great deal of trouble for us until
the Canadian Pacific and the Great North
ern roads came in. IL was Just TO bother
us that they got up that Tacoma name
for the mountain. Any mountain In the
dialect Of the Indians right around her is
Tahoma. The word does not applv 10
Mount Rainier more than 10 any other
peak.
But the Northern Pacific people tool,
the word, gave II 10 their town and then
printed millions of circulars which thew
sent all over the country and TO Europe
In each circular there were pictures Of
Mount Rainier with the name Of Tacoma
underneath. Before the Northern Pacific
came through few people had Thought
much of names Of the mountains here ana
no one had heard OF Mount Tacoma. n
was Rainier always then. with the finish
ing 70 the railroad the false name was
spread abroad, as I have told YOU. But
now that Seattle is gaining and IS inde-
pendent Of the Northern Pacific ana tho
poor city OF Tacoma Is having such hard