The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-18
TACOMA's PUBLIC SPIRIT.
An AdmiFer Tells what the CITY Has
Done for Itself.


Seattle Wash. July II, 1899.
To the Editor: After our great city con-
Migration. ten years ago last month the
people OF Tacoma worked day and night
baking bread and preparing other food for
cur sufferers. which they brought here in
immense quantities. and scores OF their
prominent citizens worked here for weeks
In the distribution OF the food Since that
time. the people OF Seattle have felt very
kindly towards our neighbor on the south.
In an editorial today you give currency
and approval 10 the reflections which the
new president of the Tacoma Land Com
pany, Mr.. kilner casts upon the enter
prise and public spirit OF the citizens Of
Tacoma think you do them a great I'm
Justice They have not merited these re-
fiections. and Mr.. Kiiner is talking with
out knowledge. have seen Tacoma grow
from a village OF less than l.500 inhab!-
tants. and ] am familiar with the part play
ed by its citizens In securing for II in a
few years q population OF so CO., They did
more than nine-tenths Of the work, and
made more than nine-tenths OF the sacrt-
fees. They raised $500 in the winter Of
1851 for the purchase Of lot upon which
they erected handsome building for their
newly organized Chamber OF Commerce.
They next raised 1900. with which they
made the road into the Puyaliup valley
passabie. and thus brought business to
the town. Then then purchased the steam
er Bob Irving and established a trade
route on the Upper Sound. They did all
this before the population Of their town
reached 2000. and while there was not .
man OF large means among them.
AS the town grew, Their spirit Of enter
prise waxed strong. They raised large
subsidy for the Portland & Puget Sound
Railway Company. and secured for 1t sat-
isfactory terminal grounds. They boom
ed" their town to all visitors and WHITTIER
soever they Travelled (unless they have
papers,. and chung tenaciously to the
name Of Tacoma for the great noun
tain peak which overlooks their harbor.
They made persistent and partly success
full efforts On spite OF the Northern Pa
cific oppositionp to get the Puyallup reser-
walton thrown open TO purchase by the
whites. Before the crash Of 1888 brought
down their wholesale houses, they had
extended their business as far East as
Montana They spent their time and mon
ey freely on several occasions TO secure
one Of the United States senaiorships for
Their town. and they have at last succeed
ed. They secured, quite early. and they
still hold. one Of our two representatives
In congress In the midst of hard times
they got up a highly creditable exposition
of the products OF Washington. Oregon
and Idaho. They built and operated steam
ers for the main purpose OF diverting the
Bellingham bay trade from Seattle 10 Ia
coma.
Only last month they raised over $4,000
for a Fourth OF July celebration on large
scale l venture TO say that the Tacoma
Land Company did not pay one-tenth OF
this amount. II has never done one-tenth
OF the works of public spirit by which Ia
coma was built up. II has been little
more than a toII-gatherer. II was always
its policy when IL built a hotel or did any
thing else. TO raise the price OF lots and
virtually make the people pay the cost or
the erterprisc Its management was new
or liberal. far-sighted or philosophical
The citizens OF Tacoma are fine class OF
Americans and they have never failed
In public spirit. They are fairly entitled
10 the very highest praise for self-rei.ani
enterprise and activity. When Mr.. kiiner
has learned the history OF Tacoma ne VIII
see how unjus, his comments are.
J. A.