Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-04
EPPS IN THE WEST
Ottumwa Attorney Talks About
His Recent Trip.
he VISITED PACIFIC COAST CITIES
Tours California and Other Western
Stats Spending Considerable Time at
San Francisco, Seattle and Tacoma
Commercial Activity in the West.

w. w. Epps has recently returned
from weeks trip to the west, in the
course of which he visited various
points of interest and pleasure, enjoy
ing his trip greatly and receiving much
benefit therefrom. He went partly for
pleasure and partly to look after bust
ness matters, and, although he saw
much in the western country that is
alluring, he stated today that he still
prefers Iowa as place of residence.
Visited California.
1 Mr.. Epps visited California first af-
| ter leaving Ottumwa, and put in some
| time in a trip to various orange, lem
on and olive groves later visiting the
oil country. He speaks in the highest
terms of the well known fruit re-
sources of the Golden Gate state. and
says that the oil well industry, though
as yet comparatively in embryo. prom
ises rich rewards to investors.
1 Saw DR.. w. L. Orr.
While in California Mr.. Epps visit
ed the famous Shasta Springs and
drank some of the water which comes
from them. He hade visit to Oak.
land, where he called on DR.. w. L..
4 Orr, formerly resident of this city.
He reports that the doctor is in excel
lent health and sent his regards to all
of his old friends in Ottumwa. Mr..
Epps was about FIVE minutes too late
at DR.. Orr's residence to see Herman
Kehm, formerly of this city and now
a member of the crew of the battleship
Oregon, and who had been calling on
DR.. Orr at Oakland.
On Board Wisconsin.
Mr.. Epps was at San Francisco
, while the battleships Oregon, Iowa
} and Wisconsin were in the harbor,
) having recently returned from China
He went on board the Wisconsin and
l visited the different parts of the ship
5 He laughingly said today that after
seeing the monster guns on the ships
} and the powerful Notifications in the
!. harbor, lurking sense of fer lest the
l Chinese should some time invade the
: United States was completely and Tor
ever dispelled and he no longer fears
for the safety of this country.
e Seattle.
: While Mr.. Epps was at Seattle
: which place he visited after leaving
San Francisco on his way home, the
u chief of police of that city was muir
dered, and at the time of the murdel
{ he was within block of the scene
He saw various Ottumwa people
Y among them George Scully, who wa
= in the office OF a most prosperous Law
= firm; the McKelvey brothers, who ar
5 holding good positions in a larg
wholesale fruit house; George Goo
frey and others. All those to whom
e he talked expressed themselves as eS
e tremely well pleased with Seattle an
n it's possibilities of business nature
!, Seattle and Tacoma.
It Mr.. Epps says that the differenc
It between Seattle and Tacoma is yer
n noticeable. At Seattle everything i
l. hurry and extremely businesslike. Sc
I attic is the Chicago of the west. O.
d the contrary, at Tacoma there is
e great deal of business and the boom
4, operative there as it is at Seattle, bu
OF course Tacoma might be called tn
Philadelphia of the west.
n A Great City.
W Seattle, as Mr. Epps describes it,
l. one of the greatest cities he has eve
e SEEN With the addition of civiliz;
g ton and its advantages, it is muc
It similar to California in 1S49. Price
% are high on everything Land sell
e. for a good price today and tomorrow
le sold again at a gain which means
1t fortune. Seattle is place where me
can get rich quickly if they strike til
situation right and people are dali
- taking advantage of this fact.
a. Expenses High.
Expenses are high in Seattle, and
Id man must either have a good treasur
,e behind him or strike a good thing
/ before he has been there very Ion
er or his money will be nearly exhaustet
he Mr.. Epps said that an office suitab
III for law firm would cost $50 pt
lie month in Seattle, even if it could |
/ secured, but there are now none ft
re rent. There are several people in S
re attic today hunting for locatio
ct wishing to locate there but are unab
he to find quarters.
VI Commercial Activity.
- The Alaska trade has much to {
~ with the commercial activity of Sea
y, tie. In one large wholesale house tt
" business done on account of the Ala
ka trade in one month amounted
100000. The fisheries and shippir
h. furnish another big item, and tt
building of business houses and res
dences another This applies also
Tacoma, as in both places there a
Id large districts which few montl
ls since were nothing but unbroken fc
g. est, but are now covered with found
at lions for large business blocks, or ha
as completed residences of almost pal
is tial proportions.
en-
ar An Example.
Mr.. Epps tells of one man who owl
Dr. large fruit farm near Seattle. tt
nd farm is now fifty acres in extent al
tie few years ago he sold thirty acr
ee which he owned in addition to the
at fifty, at $500 per acre. Before the pr
on chaser had paid the money he had SO
the land for $3.50 per acre, and it W
later sold for $500. Land is worth
that country all one is able to pay
it. The conditions are those of me
7n lively boom, and the people are ia
ing the advantage of the situation.
let the meantime the cities are growi