The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-01-31
SEATTLE SAYINGS.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, Jan. I, 1901.
The good people of the North Pacific
coast sometimes wonder-in consider
ing the broad question of ''Expan-
sion'-when the time may come that
the denizens of the East and of the
Middle West-ycleped the North
west" and yet far from it-shall come
to know this fourishing portion of the
domain of Uncle Samuel and accord to
it the recognition which it's standing,
commercially and otherwise, demands
1t has required nearly fifty years Of
these progressive times to make even
San Francisco well known to the East,
and to many it is still the only place of
consequence on the Pacific coast. Port
land, Oregon, is another city of impor-
lance, said to be one Of the wealthiest
cities of it's size in the world; and that
is the only city of note north of Frisco
until Washington State is reached,
wherein are three important and fast
growing municipalities with
36, S4S population; Tacoma, with 37,714,
and Seattle, with more than both COM
bined-S0,671. Seattle's population has
increased 81 1874 in the past ten years;
while Tacoma has increased 1,7O9 and
Spokane, 1926.
Starting in 1860 with $50 people, Seat
tie increased to LOO in 1870; $500 in
1880; jumped to more than $4,000 in
1890, and nearly doubled its population
again between that date and 1900. The
present rate of gain i'll population is
large and can only be estimated by the
amount of building going on during the
past two years, and still in progress
notwithstanding the fact that these are
the "winter MONTHS A touch of Win
ter during the holidays stopped out
door work for few days, but again
hammers are ringing, and street i'm
provements, extension of street rail
ways, paving of streets, etc, are going
on, only hindered by occasional rain.
More than $4,000 600 were spent in new
buildings for 1900
Things are coming her way so swiftly
of late that less evenly balanced ma
tropolis might show some sign of being
''rattled,'' but Seattle accepts the award
of contract for building Uncle Sam a
monster battleship, raises 100000 in
about as many seconds to encourage
tho nd rr;f of
100000 from Andrew Carnegie for
new public library Immediately follow
ing the destruction of the old one by
fire-all with the equipose and self as
surance which plainly shows the Queen
City equal to any occasion, and very
Queen by nature.
Seattle's public library has ever been
a credit to even more pretentious and
populous centers, with between 10000
and 10000 volumes and a palatial home
the old Yesler mansion-now black
ened ruin. The library was worth $780,
600, on which there was an insurance of
sl4,s00. About 5000 volumes were
saved from the fire, aud another 5000
more out among readers. The daily at
tendance has averaged between 1000
and 1000, and nearly 300 men have pass
ed their evenings among the books and
papers. The gift of 100000 by Andrew
Carnegie for new library building, for
which the city promises an annual main
tenance fund of $4,000, will undoubt-
eddy incite the city to erect a magnifi-
cent structure, and probably be the
means of a new city building, now much
needed. In the swift coming years Sc
attic will surely hold firm place in the
worlds history commercially and
otherwise. A glance at the globe will
show her the most direct and conven-
lent seaport in the voyage to the ORR
ent, as well as to Alaska.
o. M. MOORE.