The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03

Seattle n essentially a commercial city.
r. liz the commercial center, not merely OF
Puget soigrd. but % the state OF Washing
ton ard q great tributary REGION. X mas
herd tnss pre-emsnenf position ever s-nes
rha Beginning OF trade on Puget sound,
and no rival has been able seriously % as
paYts - seadeTehip. IL has grown with
rse Development Of the coEnEneFce OF the
atafe and has steadily drawn a continually
Increasing share OF mat commerce. 20 IL
self Like other commercial cities. Seat
sle 10 rot dependent on IT'S local surround
fngs but draws IT. support from every
part Of the great region 70 which It's trade
extends. Why v should have achieved this
eoasynandin position and why II is GER
tain 70 continue 70 hold II, a glance at the
map Will show. The chef trading center
o, Puget sound must necessarily be on its
eastern shore, where railroads and steam
ships car meet and exchange their freight
and passengers. To the northward Of Sc
attic access TO the shore Is cut on by Isl
ands or can be gained only by Channels
more or less difficult. Seattle. on the
other hand. Is reached from the Straits or
Fuca by wide. deep and nearly straight
waterway, without shoals. reefs or dam
ger0as currents, giving IL safe and direct
communication with the ocean. Moreover.
A. Is the first haroor on the eastern shore
OF the Sound reached BY incoming vessels.
seattIc's Field for Trade.
The trade OF Seattle reaches nearly ev-
cry part or The state OF Washington and
extends 20 idaho on the east and British
Columbia and Alaska on the north. IL has
wfested the larger share Of the Alaska
trad from San Francisco and Portland
The growth OF this trade IN the last few
years has been remarkable. hut & IS cas-
lily accounted for. Vessels from Portland
and san Francisco bound for Alaska must
not only travel a much greater distance,
bur must traverse the open ocean. Com
n1unlcatlcn between Seattle and Sitka and
Juneau. on the other hand. is nearly all the
way through a series Of inland passages.
perfectly sheltered. and as free from storms
ard dangers as Puget sound itself. or
winch they are bu, a continuation Seat
ties alert and wel-eauipped mercantile
houses were quick TO avail themselves or
these natural advantages. and the conse-
quence IL that their trade with Alaska
winch. five or six years 20, hardly had an
existence. is now estimated at rs per cent
OF he totai. Duriag the last season this
traffic became so great that the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company had 10 run ex-
ira vessels in addition 20 its regular week
III line Of steamers. while a numerous fleet
OF independent craft found profitable en-
pl0yxnent The North American Trad
ing Company. which runs line OF vessels
Up the Yukon river and maintains on THAT
river series OF trading posts, has It's
headquarters and purchases the chief part
OF It's supplies I'm Seattle. There Is 10
douht that the Alaska trade las come 10
Seattle 70 stay or that winh the develop
men;. now hut beginning, OF the vast nat
ural resources OF that country. Il Win grow
TO great proportions.
The japanese Steamers.
Tfak.. ~.
terminus OF the great Japanese steamship
hne--the Nippon Yusen Kaisha-suppllei
shs only connection required 20 complete
its commercial supremacy. The lack or
direct steamship communication with
Asa had long been cause o; deep regret
90 Seattle. The city had waited long Tor
q direct railway connection with the East.
IL was amply repaid for It's years OF wat
Ing BY being chosen as the Pacific ter
minus OF - powerful and progressive
rAlircad as tho Great Northern. II was
equally fortunate IN securing transPa-
cinc steamship connection The Nippon
YuSen Kaisha 10 one OF the great steam
ship companies OF the world IL has a
capital OF . 81. 600 yen and owns 81 steam
ships. with tonnage OF iss.eoo tons. and IS
building and about 20 build dozen more
OF a newer and larger type. It's vessels
reach AL The principal ports % Japan ard
X has a regular service wsth China. IN
ia. Asiauo Russia. the Philippine Islands.
Hawah. the Straits Settlements, the Red
and Mediterranean seas. and London
and Antwerp. IL receives q heavy
subsidy from the japanese governmeng.
which enables = 20 carry freight az rates
that defy competition. IL has established
a monthly service between Yokohama and
Seattle. which has been - successful that
Il has already had TO put on an extra YES
sci. tAs AgapanTsIua. OF ass gross ton
rage. which sailed from Kobe on the 18th
% December. Operating under traffic
arrangement with theGreat Northern rail-
way. and having among It's stockholders
snany % the heaviest manufacturers %
Japan, IL was sure 81 n heavy traffic from
the srars. II has already furnished a con-
siderable uiartIe; for our sumher. -four and
other products. Il Is certain 90 bring other
large enterprises ln tts tram. The eStab-
iisagnenF here OF Touring mlll q i.eo
barrels daily capacity is already assured,
and other industries VIII undoubtedly fol-
bow
The Many Sources of Trade.
Tae great fundamental resource % sc
EtN-e $ rs lumber, and large pa~t Of tho
trade - ~ $ product Is tributary 20 SCAT
tls. Is excessive grocery and hardware
concerns Furnish ne supplies for the mis-
s14 segglag~camps scattered throughout
Western WASHING TIE great shsnxle
T~oapef - ktng, Suehonl sh, SsaEst and
Weatcora ceuntses IS handled cAtfy BY
Seattle dea-ers ard banks. One arr q
brokers e.oas has ~o'a during the aazt
year no less thSn &6Q cars o. sf{neles.
Besides having severas lumber nails upon
- water freaI ere greatest mil IN fha
esNurfry - t1t seven ~ ie~ dg-canr "a "a
tha tawn Of Ballard wnt-h has a,evan
luracs- niEs aua eurna ou- r~sasar .,t,t.
pat q ss4n<ies cnar say othar town ~ -
star~. - virtually q par ~ ne sew 90 S.
ats,A Besides iumser as sasrr.su q
large pa~of tss Oh produets % LEI. "a
---aat nsA. w'hsat. eay. cas-. hons .-ult
ca-se. h3e& and Gstry p-oau,. Ga
ha-.f.ea ~ seattle 3eabers. ia hes Two
large salmon cannertss ara ra-ssr...s
oea ers n Trash And cgre3 esA. tHe sst7-
UrtHs - wh5eh 80 Eastern markets has
s-owH to axe proportions wsct.a a fex
yoa-s Tha QsAatisv &C Nsest gar .fl-.i
~ftca 8 Tea years AFo amounted sa rc.a-
les decreases yea~ ~ year. TX was greater
"a atc isss yeAr gaan ever SefcTe. ana e
ceTta.th - inereese "a ~ ere GeEes 9prnrat
ard enlargement &c re fed trinusa~y 10
ERE Great Nortters ra-lW&y, Tae sn re
produces q sAs Fra KIN. Naerrs sic
Back NsEfuond a-3 egas~ coal rssnss "a
the IRE C fhe Co3amh1s Z FaEst s1slaA
"a road, aH8 - the l3saaa mine Oh tae
Seattle 8 i1ee~uassoEls}. IS eltaer sa.-,e-a
fgssa EAN NAsrgeS ~ :. .sr.te or t.sr-ssr-s,e.g