The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-02-27
L. P. Hunt Writes interestingly OF the
City of Seattle.
Auqean Stables in the Coast Town
Need a Sweeping Badly.
Profits From Gambling Houses Swell
Into Big Figures.
People Are Beginning TO Arise and
Demand a Reform.

| SEATTLE, Wash. Feb. II, 1903
Seattle was in the throeS of a really
| old-faShioned Minnesota snow storm
| for couple of hours today, but the
"beautful" disappeared in short order
| Lincoln's birthday is withal recorded
as the coolest of the winter here, but
when our Minnesota friends are tol6
that the thermometer showed the tenn
perature to be twenty-eight degrees
above zero it will not appeal to them
as being SO eXcuciatingly cold as to
cause widespread suffering.
The city of Seattle continues tC
lgrow-in more ways than one. During
the past eight months some decidedly
fine business blocks have gone up, and
are occupied with as fine stocks of
goods as can be found in any western
city. Merchants here are wholly up
to date in dressing their store windows
and are not wanting in spreading their
/ ''99 cent bargains tactifully and at
tractively before those frugal house
wives who never miss an opportunity
to save those two cents from the good
American dollar.
But the one thing that is growing
most prolifically in Seattle is degener-
acy. 1t is probably fact that cannot
be truthfully denied, that this is one
of the most Shamefully wideopen cities
of the size on the America monument.
Gambling is carried on to an extent
that would put Minneapolis to shame
even in the high tide of AmeS' "big
nit" gang. Houses of questionable
| character are permitted to exist in
numbers that are appalling while
wine rooms and .rOoming houses thrive
without molestation, and with the full
knowledge of city officials. Sunday
observance is not known to saloons or
questionable resorts. Front doors are
never closed in many of these places,
and especially so in the more vile and
diSreputable ones. In fact the way
things are run today is shame and
disgrace to SO beautiful and thriving
a city and one that gives SO much
promise for the future.
But present disreputablc conditions
are pretty likely to come up with a
sudden jolt. The business men, real
izing that things are drifting from bad
to worse, have aroused themselvesan and
give evidence of being determined to
stamp out some of the existing mu-
nicipal corruption. A fund has been
subscribed to carry on prosecution
against law breakers and abettofS, and
from present appearances there is to
be music all along the line. The grand
jury a day or two ago returned indict-
ments against twelve or fifteen gam
blerS and owners of houses where gam
bling is carried on. In one instance,
as sample of the high-handed manner
in which people have been fieeced out
of their money, facts and figures were
presented to the grand jury showing
where single gambling house ''clean-
ed up" quarter of a million dollars
in seventeen months, after having
paid $3.50 monthly as a license to the
city and an expense account of 5000
week for operating expenses, not
counting various sums demanded by
grafters and icon" men. For such
outrageous violation of law the highest
fine that can be imposed under the
statutes of Washington is 800 for
single violation.
Bear in mind, please, that the evil
dence adduced in this case covers but
one establishment and there are in the
city five or six of equal size not to
speak of forty or fifty smaller ones.
Now that an uproOting process has
been inaugurated it is quiet probable
that it will penetrate into all branches
of city government and if it shall it is
likely to unearth a condition of affairs
that will make the recent Minneap-3
oils stencil smell like rose water in
comparison.
Former Mankatpnians residing here
are all well and prospecting. Mr.. Harry
Williams has a beautiful art store
and is doing finely. DIR. Ivan Parry
is working up rapidly in his profession
and gives promise of taking front rank
with the Sound physicians in short
time. Bert Robbins is in the city but
the writer has not been able to get a
sight of him. He is well, however !.