The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-30
WHAT HENRY WILLARD SAN.
RAILROAD NAGNATE's VIEWS OF
TACOMA AND SEATTLE.
OF Desfiny-Seattle's Extraordin-
airy Progress Due Largely to Its
Enterprisinx and Devoted People



a-e- 10 begin WIKI TIE nrst named. ne
cry on Commencement hay Was from the
START an artificial creation - hyr Than =
Hatdfai 0NtgTo@ta OF favorable .ocai tIT-
IeEe are many other god Aartocs Oh the
SOUND, afG Tacoma would 10. have risen
Dlt iot its seiec don as the terminus 81
scat NdAscofi @lnental railroad line, the
No!sAeiH faciic. A. sucn terminus. the
railroad company naturally sought 20 Du-lI
W TIE largest possible pace 20 swe. lis
passenger and freight traffic and 10 derive
t5ie profits from lis principal ownership Ia
me to"A-s1te. This led 20 the graIuAl eX-
pshaltLre Of millions IL ioca ~ improV cIieut>,
"I4ch gave q start - he town and - al
ny promoted is growth. The appreciation
u feai estate resulting theretrCIn brought
a large part OF this outla. back - the
Iai4oad treasury out Of t1wn-.oi sssie=. *
MAS taken Tor granted too. ina the very
TACT OF It's beng the terminus 81 the North
egn Pacific afforded sure guarantee that
Tacoma would pe not only a local business
centey. bat Jne focus " me North Paciac
e9aslNIse trade as well 5 a great eDtrepot
O me commerce between North America
"a, .'.4ce grew from u mere village in
Is.9. IN which year the Northern Pacific
Yoke from It's six years oI compulsory
inactivity ana the construction ~ the
main line was resumed. into a city oI
between io,sV and o. 49, inhabitants. III
$50 IL Mas laid out and provided with
pubic improvements for q much Larger
population There vas 10 business 10
warrant such growth, but the continu-
Gus lnf!0N OF new capital for real estate
Investments and building purposes kept
Up the iIi4sIve expectation OF uniuter-
Fupied progress. Al my visit in 1891 the
people were stiil fun Of confidence, aud
Iny iH-iofep9dings brought forth only
1tfislFe smiles ana shrugged shoulders
The panic "t 1893 made short work OF tn.
artificial fabric and reduced II 10 the
lowest level EYerything collapsed in
Guiding the great railroad, and general
tuiI! hung over the community. All the
banks. except the agencies Of foreign
institutions. failed Many business houses
einsed, and most II the surviving ones
eSef out prOiitless existence Real
estate became entirely Unsalable. The
Tacoma Land Company, the parent Of
Pacific was largely interested. and which
had paid large dividends and commanded
a high premium. could NOT sell any more
lots nor collect deferred payments ard
rents enough TO pay its taxes. 50 that
hey remained in default for several
Gears, and its entire property came near
motel IL rndert"ok 70 erect stands TO-DAY
only two-thirds finished There are long
business streets. on which not one in
thF@e OF the buildings l. occupied Even
weil-improved properties viii today not
bring more than from q quarter 10 third
- fhelr cost can Illustrate this de
preCiation by a practical experience OF
my own. Against nv will became TIE
owner OF q piece ~ hand in the outskirts
u me city. | had 70 take II for debt
2gent Ia find II and get an estimate of
Is value He astouished me BY naming
50 m acre as the highest price 1t might
possible bring. The street railway sys-
TEN of the city was sold under foreclos-
are of a second mortgage Of 81 ga 0e0 sub
lot 70 q FIRST mortgage 81 >S5 600. The
salH yielded only Ito per cent net h
'he second mortgage h0ndhoidera That
telling commercial thermometer. the local
Earrings. likewise disclosed great dwin-
fliDg away 81 general business
Sfiil, there is visible evidence SanlA
sold substance Is lvft I'm the urban body
"a" residence part Of the city. inhabited
by the better class. contains a great mum
her OF attractive. well kept up homes. mos
NJ the owners Of which were able 10 ha,a
on 10 them during the hard inns rne
appearance ~ tt.is quarter Is most ere q a
he. ana distinctive feature q the place
showing fine taste and public spirit ana
indicating that there eS!st excellent social
clements. II - well known indeed thai
al unusual percentage u Intelligent, col
'ored families are included in She cammu-
nifty. anl to their presence the hish char
aeter II lle educational facilities found
here may he ascrihed
= resurrection ot Tacoma began some
line age and appeifs TO proceed slowly
hut steadily. The banks once more nave
something Ia do, ana the merchants make
gains. The local Industries great Stw an!
planning mills. and others arr again III
tuH blast, and even The smelte-. which
"ss started 10 help the Northern PaGu
but pro"ed Tor years losing venture, :
- operation again ana being enlarged
The fat1Voad company has also Increased It's
Working force At tGe great Fepalr-sAups
near the city Il IS NOT easy - zee. how
EYER where t.e increase p s..sgucss i -
come from. whieh is absolutely recael -
81 este uew USES t9r the great number o.
tac~n; business places. A. Tacoma Aas
r}if limited agricultural fiGterlar Z. AVID
as IN" ttaftc q tce ueignh2rirg coal mines
She slneltrr au8 saw and planning mills
consists mainly in Transit shipments the
prospect can rarI5v be hn"etu. unless moe
iorai indus f+"s ar" es;attsaei Az.