The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-03-17
mailer plants on the water front.

Perhaps the fish. interest should
stand second in the list of industries,
but of this cannot speak specifically
as have had tough bit of expert
ence in that line. At the house of
friend, while at dinner, the fish or
salmon question came up and yen
tured, tenderfoot as l was, to repeat
story 1 had heard of the taking of
1900 in a trap of night. A smile
seemed on all faces around the table
and directly gentleman opposite said
that be had seen from 5000 to 1000
taken at once and that was not much
of haul either. So you will excuse
me when it comes to fish stories.
Seattle is by far the most important
shipping port on the upper coast. On
the same day ships may be seen load
ing for Liverpool, South America,
Japan, China, Central America, San
Francisco and Alaska. The building
of the Great Northern road seems to
have decided the question as to which
point on the sound should take and
hold the supremacy as shipping
port. With a harbor equal to any in
the world, free from the drawbacks of
cold climate, on the shortest line to
the Orient, the people of Seattle have
good reasons for confidence in her fu-
ture growth. They do not, however,
base their confidence on ocean traffic
alone. Three trans-continental rail-
roads meet the Pacific here, bringing
the wheat from East Washington, cot
ton from Georgia, railroad iron from
Pennsylvania and many of the pro-
ducts are manufactures which added
to the lumber of the sound, furnish
cargo for vessels in the foreign trade.
With rich mines in the Cascades,
coal in great abundance fifteen miles
away, the fruit and general farming
interests of the sound in addition to
the above advantages, surely Seattle
has prosperous future.
have not mentioned the rush to
Alaska which is, at present, so large
factor in the abnormal increase in
business activity in every line. See
ing the city at present one must keep
strong guard against giving too large
verdict as conditions are not normal.
Everybody is busy, sidewalks full of
people, goods piled in front of stores,
drays busy hauling to the docks and
everything showing the greatest actiy-
itv, but if you will examine you will
find that very large part of the goods
are marked Dyea, Skaguay, Juneau,
Copper River, etc. Take up paper
and three-fourths of the space is taken
up with Klondike advertisements. The
street cars carry Alaska banners, while
men parade the streets wearing pla-
cards to warn the incoming throng
that such and such firm are reliable
outftters.
From the best view this great rush
is temporary, and though while it
lasts Seattle is gaining a great advant-
age, yet finally affairs must return to
moderate stage, and for this 1 feel
sure the merchants will early prepare.
They have gained a great advantage
in being for the time the best adver-
tised city in America.
Your readers, no doubt, want to
know something of the homes of this
active people. For the most part each
house is given full lot, while many
have two or three. and the lawns are
we'll kept and shrubbery, flowers and
fruit trees are the rule, nearly all give
the impression of culture and comfort.
1t is fair to say for Seattle that she has
within her limits more ideal homes
than any place of its age I have ever
seen.
My visit was during the rainy sea-
son and yet there were only eight
rainy days in the month l was there.
There was, it is true, more or less driz-
zle, and fog now and then, but not to
in any way Inconvenience one. It was
my privilege of a morning in Febru-
airy, while walking in one of the best
residence districts, to see a perfectly
clear sky and the sight was one shall
remember for many a day. The lawns
on every side were perfectly kept and
as green as we expect to see them in
June, with flowers of several varieties
in bloom. Lake Washington was at
the left with the waters of Elliott Bay,