Amador ledger., 1905-12-22
Travels in
Alaska.
Adventures in the North Continued
By DR.. q. H. Gibbon.

the Willamette river, about twenty
miles above its confluence with the
Columbia. 1t has about 12500O in.
habItants, and is the richest city in
the northwest. Probably it would be
the metropolis were it not for the
bar at the mouth of the Columbia,
which is great handicap to navig.
alton.
We went to hotel for the night
and after supper spent the evening
"rubbering" on the principal streets,
visiting a photograph parlor and
biograph and vaudeville show, wind,
ing up our ''spree'' with an oyster
supper, with all the enthusiasm OF
children just out of the woods. Next
morning we moved to suite of rooms
where light housekeeping was allowed,
for we wished to live upon fruit,
milk, oysters, or anything we pleas
ed, until the novelty of such luxuries
was passed. After getting 'settled
in our new home" we went to the
Exposition grounds, three miles from
the centre of the city. Having seem
the Worlds Fairs at Philadelphia,
Chicago and st. Louis, ! hardly ex-
pected SO great treat as was given
by this one, commemorating the
now famous expedition of Lewis and
Clark. Of course its size and scope
was relatively very small, out the
novelty, and abundance of novelties,
was surprising, and up to date pro-
gressiveness was pleasantly favored
with northwestern character istics.
Two notable pieces of statuary were
"the cowboys" and 'Sacajewa, the
Indian girl who showed the trail to
the adventures, when they were dis
couraged and ready to give up and
turn back. What mighty results de-
pended on that ignorant girls de-
clsion. The California building is a
credit to the state, and stands in a
prominent situation. But you have
better accounts of the Fair than |
have time or ability to write.
After nine days of sight seeing, l
said goodby to the California friends
who had been my companions for
over three years in the pleasures,
privations, failures, successes, dan
gers and glories of the northIand,
they going to their old home in the
Gland of sunshine, fruit and flowers, -
while | return northward. Leaving
Portland in the morning, | was in
Seattle before supper time, where I
remained nearly three days, the
steamship being delayed about 40
hours, on account of her immense
load of freight.
Seattle has the best prospects OF
any city west of the Mississippi to-
day. Situated on one of the best
harbors in the world, and l think
the only one where very short canal
makes it possible to take an ocean
ship into fresh water lake, to soak
off the barnacles, etc. the terminus of
three transcontinental railroads,
immense coal mines almost in the
edge of the city, boundless forests
within easy reach, bountifuI water
supply from the unpollutable high
streams of Mt. Tacoma, surrounded
on three sides by land of unexcelled
fertility. A wide awake, progressive
and aggressive population, and great
est of all, on the most direct route
between the Occident and Orient.
Seattle is about 1000 miles nearer
Manila and other AsiatIc ports than
San Francisco. For proof of this
take a thread and measure, on a
globe. This fact was ignored when
the cable was laid from San Francisco
and is yet, when Asiatic mail is
diverted from American boats sailing
from Seattle, sent by rail to San
F'rancicso, and there placed on British
boats, at loss of time and money.
The American Steamship Company do
not keep lobby in Washington to
influence post office officials, but the
Seattle papers are making roar that
is bound to reach the ears of some
equally high in authority. No small
share of Seattle's rapid growth is due
to the Alaskan trade, of which 1t has
practical monopoly. This amounts to
more than twenty million a year
and Is constantly increasing. The
population of Seattle in 1900 was in
round numbers, 5000, in 1905 it had
more than doubled. Los Angeles also
gained more than 100 per cent, in.
creasing from 100000, to 2O4, 200,
while San Francicso grew from 342,
600 to 450, 0O0-a gain of 81 per cent.
The first nine months ofsthis yeal
the value of domestic merchandise
exported from Puget Sound was ovel
80 million dollars. From San Fran
cisco in the same time less than 81
millions. San Francisco must wake
up or get left.
: On the 18th of September, at 1.3(
p.m., sailed from Seattle on the
Santa Ana, of the Northwestern line
The ship was literally crammed will
freight and passengers, mostly fol
Seward. The hold was balIasteo
with all the steel rails she coulc
safely carry and filled up with lum be-
ALI the space ON the passenger decks