The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-15
IMPRESSIONS OF SEATTLE.
An Indiana Correspondent Pays a
Visit to Puget sound.

Il. f. C. In Hartford City, Ind. Telegram.
OF all the cities In the Pacific coast
Seattle at this time Is probably attract
ing the most attention. There IL evidence
at every hand OF great activity In all
lines of business. The city is located at
the southern extremity OF that great sea
100 miles long. known as Puget sound.
the choicest portion of this vast sea.
Nothing in the way OF navigable waters
in any part OF the world Il finer. Seattle
has a harbor not excelled anywhere, and
II Is destined 20 become one of the fac
tors in the world in the shipping indus
try.
The history of the city. like that Of all
Puget sound localities. dates back half
century. In 1852 the town was laid out
and took It's name after the chief Of a
friendly tribe Of Indians. The EFFORT OF
the early settlers were confined 20 trad
tnQ stores and later to logging, salmon
hacking and sawmilng. In 1870 the IN
hahitants numbered 100. and ten years
later 1890. In 1850 the city. like spokane,
sustained calamity In the way or
conflagration, which destroyed 100000 900
worth OF property. The misfortune only
spurred the people 10 greater exertions-
within year the burned district was re-
built on better scale than before the
fire. Ten years ego there were s3.wo
people in this city. and today there are
not less than 100000. The growth ~ this
time is marvellous Trains and ships are
bringing great loads OF people here every
day. 1t /. the Quitting point for Klon-
dixie. and Il is here that the returning
miners from the ISlondke and the Nome
countries bring their gold.
The assay office at this point was estab-
IIshed in 1898. Last year the amount ~
gold handled was $4,000 600. The rich finds
In Alaska have so increased the business
~. sfsas z M a tHA n
was handled during the month OF July
Mr. Wing, who has charge ~ the ottice.
received word few days ago that the
steamer Roanoke was on her way here
from ST. Michael with n million and a
half Of gold.
The gold that comes 10 this office IL In
dust and nuggets AZ the invitation OF
Mr. Wing the writer ran his hand into
box ~ gold dust and lifted a i.1tp-onnee
bar of gold valued az $4,000. These bars
bear the stamp of an eagle and NUM-
Der They are shipped 90 the mint at San
Francisco TO he coined into money. The
miners bring .helr gold 20 the Office IN
small huckskIn pouches or sacks The
gold IA weighed and the owners are given
a receipt The metals ere then melted inlo
a bar Just Che size OF the Individual
amount. and the owner - paid by check
on one. Of the banks made a depository by
the government. The Individual iars are
then melted into the regulation bars Tor
shipment 70 the mint Mr. Wing turned
through the stubs ~ tn. check book.
some ~ tire amounts were IN the hun
dreds and some IN the thousands They
told the tale Of the miners fortune %
misfortune. few were "a low nH a
hundred dollars. while ne was talking
Of the happy faces and sorrowsni ones
he had seen across the ASSAY 0flce counr
ter. three miners entered with their
leather pouches of gold One, an Ola
grixziy-haired spectator who had evil
IDENTITY been counting the Dame Fortune all
his life. laid down MS pouch with the
words I've a Fttls pile here which ia
like 90 cash IN" u amounted 70 less than
fssa and represented much hard labor ana
priyasions 81 an Alaskan mining carnp.
Another was young man scarcely a. tie
carried two pouches ard they we're very
heavy. They weighed oet over slI1a
The young man lived IN Seattle and the
assay otrscer said that last year BE
brought home t77 90 The third man rad
over $3.50 IN Eoia lie Hives IN Northern
Michigan He remarked that Ne was SO.
ing back. bus farm and give mp the
gold hunting business. ~ be has had
SOME touch - tbs fever and issflo lsek
Il IL probable that bis reaolB'i6n will rot
be strong enough 20 get him out ~ Ne.
attic.