The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-06-27


man TO go TO Seattle. nor for a Seattle
man To come here. Haven't you heard
about it? Why, the Cuban dispute ain
in II with the Tacoma 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. lie was
standing with a foot on the lower strip
Of the railing hat runs along the east
side Of St. Helen's avenue, TO guard
foot passengers from falling over into
ID street. which lies the depth OF two
Tacoma lots below. "N es. that mountain
IS a corking good 'ad' for the City OF
Destiny, and we work ii for alls IL 8
worth. too. You bet your life.
As he spoke he raised his head a little
and waved his hand across the dismal
mud fats that extend for miles from the
head OF Commencement bay. In the DIS
tance 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 height. with only the sky
Tor background.
1t was covered with snow. II always
Is. And the rays OF the setting sun sim
fingered on the peak, tinSing 1t rose
rolor. too delicate one might say. for so
huge n thing, but IT softened the rugged
outlines and brought them into beau
tiful relief. giving distinct grace to the
majestic vastncss.
MOUNT TACOMA"
'Why do you say Mount Tacoma?'
rueried he. Il thought Rainier was the
old name. given before Tacoma was
settled"
"Oh. you've been 10 Seattle and let
those muHs ak to you down there.
They're sore because we came after they
did and are beating them out OF their
boots. Tacoma's the right name. all right.
Ask Judge Wickersham. He's written a
book that proves that the town was
named after the mountain. The Seattle
men say It's the other way. and that
were running a bluff. He's got the In
dams all on his side. They say Tahoma.
with the n" pronounced like X" way
down I'm their stOmachs. like II was swat
lowed. TahOma means Mothers Breas>,
according 10 the Judge. He's way up IN
Indian language. and says that Mount
Tacoma is a mothers breast to all the
country for II nourishes the soil and
gives II strength"
But how about the mountain being
known as Rainier for many years before
this city was even thought OF? Wasn't
Il named after an English Admiral Ra-
nier?"
SAY. who I'm the world was Rainier?
You don't know. nor any one else. ex-
cept that he was a private or privateers-
man. which is the same thing. No one
in Seattle ever saw him. lie never saw
the mountain. And I'll tell you another
thing. There amt a Seattle man dare
come down here and say Mount Rainier.
We'd push I'm his face IL he did. Any
way. he wouldn't be let do any business
here. I might sell him SEINE OF tide fiat
lots. but the Chamber OF Commerce
wouldn't let him ship goods from here
without paying for his misuse or
names"
THE SEATTLE SIDE.
When the newcomer was in Seattle a
few DAYS later he felt himself ready 30
combat all the arguments of the Queen
city folk. but when he spoke the people
laughed at him. One man pointed to n
hump on the east side OF the mountain
and said: 'lf YOU really wish to know
what Mount Tacoma is. it's that dirty
little knob there. Tell your friends In the
City Of Destitution." In n bookstore
where he ventured 10 inquire for ltera-
ture on the subject he was told that no
books in which the mountain was called
Tacoma were allowed In the place. n
was the largest store in town. too. win
a large business. The charming young
woman who waited on him said:
I'VE ordered 2O magazines not long
ago. but when they came we found that
there was n story In II which told
about Mount Tacoma. we wrote TO -
publishers that they could recall them.
We would not put them on sale. nor did
we care 10 hande so untrustworthy a
magazine anyway. The POO copies are
stin In the cellar"
II know that a good many folk in
the east think the mountains name Is
Tacoma. They do not know anything
about II. If Tacoma sounds better 10
them thar Rainier they will say Tacoma
likely. But the Northen Pacific Raj
road IS responsible for the name Taco
ma. II was the first road TO come
through TO the sound. II laid out the
town site of Tacoma on the sound al the
end OF the road and then started In 10
advertise. n spent hundreds or thous-
ands Of dollars booming It's terminus.
As Seattle would not give I'M It's water
front 10 the Northern Pacihc and re-
fused 70 be dictated 10 by the railroad
people they did ell they could ~ in)ure
%. They were full Of spite and ala make
= great dea! Of trouble for us until the
Canadian Pacific and the Great Northern
soGAs aams n II We 5ust TO bother