The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-05
institutions to the pupil in the world. The
ma jority of its students are poor.
The Tacoma Myth.

A
| Company and its allies to exploit the
grandest feature OF washington's scenery
for advertising purposes. This has brought
| out number OF attacks upon this news
| paper. from believers in that myth. the
most elaborpte OF which appears In
whatcom newspaper from an anonymous
correspondent Like most communica-
| tions OF the character. it Is principally
| noteworthy for its almost hysterical bad
temper. its ignoring OF the historical side
| OF the controversy. and its deliberate man
| ufaeture OF authorities. No attempt what
/ ever is made to meet the facts which the
| post-InteIigencer advanced.
| These are the facts. Not one single
! printed allusion to the name Tacoma, In
| any of its various forms, with reference to
| Mount Rainier, has ever been brought to
| Hight which dated prior to the location Of
| the terminus Of the Northern Pacific rail-
road on Commencement bay. nor indeed
| for many years thereafter. with the sole
exception OF that In Theodore winthrop's
book. The files Of the newspapers pub
nshed on Puget sound. from their earliest
establishment and for a period Of twenty
fve years thereafter, can be searched
without finding one instance in which
the name Tacoma Is applied to the
mountain, although the name Rainier sp-
pears frequently. Not map. book, gov
eminent or territorial report. newspaper
article by traveller, or IN fact any form
OF printed reference to Mount Tacoma has
ever been produced bearing date prior to
1873 Hundreds Of the older settlers OF the
state, having had in early days constant
association with the Indians. assert that
they never heard the name applied to
anything save the milling hamlet on Com
mencement bay until this controversy
commenced The village OF Tacoma had
been established In the neighborhood Of
fifteen years. and the railroad town cf
New Tacoma some six or seven years be-
fore any newspaper published in that
town ever advanced the proposition that
the town was named for the mountain. or
that Tacoma was the Indian name for the
mountain.
The attempt to foIst the name Tacoma
on the mountain was not made by any
student Of the Indian tongues: but was
purely an advertising scheme. brought
forward solely in the interest OF q town
site speculation. The alleged authority Of
experts in Indian tongues. and Of Indians
themselves for the use Of the name Ia
coma In reference to the mountain. came
afterward. in the attempt to back up this
advertising scheme. No statement Of any
such alleged. authority has ever a. yet
been brought forward which bears date
prior TO the time when the advertising
scheme was first put forward.
Against this array OF facts. not one Of
which is disputed. and all OF which are
within the personal knowledge Of thou
sands of people who are stiii living in this
state. this anonymous writer brings for
ward hts bald statement that certain old
settlers. the majority of whom are now
dead. told somebody. 1t does not appear
whom. or when. that the Indian name Of
Mount Rainier was Tacoma; and forth
with proceeds to deliver a torrent OF abuse
opprohrIum upon the scientific iabors Of
students of Indian dialects. such as these
Referring TO these old settlers. the Post
Intelligencer may be permitted to ask
when 1t was that the late Francis Henry.
whose poem on Mount Rainier was
among the most admired OF his produc-
tons. ever said that the ancient Indian
name for Rainier was Tacoma: unless II
might have been when. with the saturnine
solemnlty under which he disguised his
rich and varied fund Of humor. he was en-
gagged In the particularly congenial occu-
patton OF filling some inauiring fenderfoot
with a wealth OF transformation about
the country ANA its inhabitants. II is per-
fectIy legitimate likewise TO inquire when
and where the hate Judge Swan gave In
his allegiance TO this myth. Judge Swan
was steady contributor TO the news
paper press. particularly on questions af-
fectlng the early history Of the Sound.
N he ever contributed 10 this controversy.
Il would b. interesting to learn where that
contribution has been emhaimed, save n,
the memory OF this anonymous writer As
TO Angelina and Moses, II would be also
Interesting 70 learn when and where they
gave IN their testimony
The Anonymous writer asserts. on The
alleged authority of an old settler. that
saS~-capp@d mountains we've called hy
the skagsss "FFaix- rachomas. on account
OF their akensss 80 wonans sf~asss.
This b precisely the character o. story
which the humorous wssierner delights
In springinx upon an fnauirirg tenderfoot.