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

I ground Tow covered by Rayrnord.s shoe
store. in the Butter block. The Western
Union did business in a room about isxls
in one-stery frame building where the
National Bank 81 Commerce ROW has SIS
| banking room. The half block ssiagnnaIly
across. now covered by the New York
block, was fruit orchard. Yesler
hall which tor years had served IS The
theatar af the town. stood on the corner
Of Front ard Cherry streets. but some
years before had been turned into Offices
up stairs. while Lowrnan and Hanford Ok
capied the lower floor. The old Yesier
home which stood or ground now covered
by the Puget Sound National bank had
been reiegated 70 the rear OF the block
standing about where SchloSsn acher's
tailoring establishment now Is. /; had as
tenants the Times Publishing Company,
Guy {. Phinney. Herman Chaplin and
John Leary. the latter going into the new
Butler block when that was PUT up in
isss. Chaplin moved TO the Boston block
when X was tenantable and the Times 10
a frame building on Madison and Front
at the northwest corner. Before this old
house stood the tao celebrated trees on
which justice was melted out 70 the high
waynea adiudged by the crowd as guilty
OF the murder Of George Reynolds in IsSa.
The new era for Seattle began in 1877
and by the fail Of isss the town was In the
midst Of a veritahie boom. In two years
the population was doubled. The real es-
tate excitement of Los Angeles Was dy-
Ing cut and hundreds came north 10 par
ticipate IN that just appearing in Seattle.
Men with money were coming from tho
East. The Lake Shore and Eastern had
been built up To Woodinville. Willard,
who was supposed 10 be a friend Of Seat
tie. had secured another hold on tho
Northern Pacific. street railway men were
in town looking the ground over and the
la Esz.s no.
TO the lake.
The center of life was in and around tho
Occidental hotel This hosiery had been
considerably improved in ISIS. its Office
enlarged and new cafe opened 1t was
the rendezvous for half Of the town. and
II IN the evening a man was not TO be
found there IL was safe TO conclude ha
had temporarily left the city. Real estate
mea came faster than offices could be
fitted up for them and were largely in
evidence around the hotel both night and
day. For year or more the scenes at
the Occidental were fun Of life and inter-
est Nearly every one In town made a
pilgrimage thither at least once during
the day. IL was the heart and center OF
the city's life. Since the fire there has
never been a place like il where half Of
the town made IL a regular business 20
congregate.
The furry which began in 1851 and ran
through lsos pekSn 10 SNOW slEDs OF
spending itself In the spring OF tSS9. There
had been "A good many real estate trans
actions but they weis slight nourishment
for a community which was claiming that
il would consist Of 10000 souls inside OF
three years. Ii became evident the bot
tom WAS going 10 drop out of this era OF
good feeling. Deals were not made so
easily. The demand for property began
to fail of. Nobody seemed to be produce
ing anything. Along In April and MAY
things actually began 10 be dull. Stag
nation was setting in. and some thought
a collapse was at hand. There would
have been one If. on June 6. a pot OF glue
had not been upset on the stove in Tom
McGough's paintshop. which stood on the
present vacant lot at the southwest cor
ner of Front and Madison streets.