Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-05-02
Letter From Tacoma.

EpIroR AGITAToR: / have so many
friends in and around Garrett that
have not time to write each and all in
diyidually, so take this method of letting
all hear from me through the official pa
per of your county, and trust each
friend will consider it personal, and let
ME hear from them.
We left Garrett, March 4th, at 4:3O a.
m.. via Pueblo, Salt Lake, Portland, etc.
and arrived in Tacoma, Washington
our destination, March Sth.
Our first thought of interest is the
vastness of our county. One don't re,
alizc it until he travels over it-practic'
ally Kansas. We left Garrett before
daylight, and did not cross the western
line daylight next morning.
We saw so many things OF interest,
will not attempt to describe them. but
only mention some of them.
Pixies Peak was the first large noun
tain we saw. Cog railroad up the Peak
from its station in Manitou to its sum-
init is Sa4 miles in length. Most people
image the summit as being almost to a
point, but it presents an area OF seventy
acres of broken granite, with United
States signal station on top. This is
large mountain, but we have a good view
from our window across the sound OF
Mt. Tacoma (Raincer) whichis about6oo
feet higher than Pixies Peak, find 1t
hard not to comment as 60 along, put
find il will consume too much time and
space. Manitop Springs, Garden OF the
Gods, Amphitheater, and WilliamsCanon
are picturesque in the extreme. Seyen FAILS
Monument Park, Ute Pass. Cathedral
Spine, Marshall Pass, Mormon Temple
Salt L AXE City, SaItair. the noted bathing
resort, Ogden, Portland, etc. Many
places we passed in the night, and did
not see.
We followed up the Arkansas river thro
the mountains until it was only a little
brooklet. Wecrossed the Colombia river
by running the cars on ferry boat, IN
stead of crossing on Bridge.
We found this beautiful home city OF
$4,000 inhabitants, situated upon a
sheltered arm of Puget Sound (Which,
they say, has almost no bottom), where
Sails and Rails meet.
1t has equal advantages i'll schools,
colleges, churches, public buildings. Streets
parks, etc, possessed by any city in the
land. The city operates its own water
works and electric-liSht plants, but not
the street-car line.
Although formed much later than any
of the other leading cities OF the Pacific
coast, Tacoma is now surpassedin man.
ufacturing and shipping by San Francis
co only. The railroad and steamship
terminals at this point. designed tor the
accommodation of inter-continental traf'
fic, are the most extensive on the coast,
and designed to be, when completed, the
finest in the world.
The Oriental trade is assuming such
proportions that one of Tacoma's docks
originally designed to be 400 feet in length
is now to be made 500 feet in length.
A large and commo dious dock has been
leased by the government for its use, and
practically all the Alaskan business. and
all of the forage for the Philippines. will
now be shipped from this place.
There arc engaged in the Oriental bus
mess from the Pacific coast ports of the
United States and British Columbia fifty
one steamers. OF these, Itwonty-one make
this their home port.
In addition to numerous other wharves
and warehouses, Tacoma has the long
est wheat ware huose in the world. tits
9, 800 feet in length and 147 feet wide; ca
pacity, 100000, bushel, and operated
by the three largest wheat firms on the
Pacific coast.
From this and other warehouses ana
elevators in Tacoma there were shipped,
last year, over 100000 bushels Of
wheat and S13, 900 barrels of -four.
The greatest industry in the North
! west at the present time is lumber. A
few days ago, at the st. Paul and Taco
ma Mills, saw them saw log over
seven feet through, and plane pieces four
by twelve, one hundred feet long, and
scarcely a knot in them. Fir and cedar
are the principal timbers here. Last
year, the Tacoma Mills alone cut 212,.
! 100000 feet of lumber, ana manufac-
tured 313, 100000 shingles, besides turn
ing out a vast amount OF sashes, doors,
blinds, woodcn-wave, furniture, etc.
Tacoma has 1877 wholesale firmes; 279
factories, emplo, ing 6,467 men, with
monthly payroll of $33s,075.
Last year, Tacoma shipped $4,000
tons of coal and S6,613 cases of salmon.
might write of our twenty schools
and 1875 teachers, our smelters, Carnegie
/ ~. In