The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-03-03
TO keep BUSINESS
IN SOUTH END
PROPERTY OWNERS AROUND PIONEER SQUARE ARE NOT ANx
Ious TO HAVE IMPROVEMENTS ON UPPER FIRST AND sac
ON oAvENUEs

An organised effort among certain
prominent citizens holding heavy In
terests IN the present business cen
ter Of the city to prevent the natural
shifting Of that center northwara IL
one Of the reasons Tor the refusal Of
Jacob Furth. president OF the seat
he Electric company. TO construct "a
new line on second avenue north q
Pike street.
such az least is the opinion u old
timers who have been following
matters closely. They aver that the
same fight has been wased inter-
mlttsntly since the DAYS when seat
lilo was IN itu swaddlinH clothes
Furth himself il known 10 have
heavy interests eentersd In the Vi
entity Of Pioneer square. and Il u
said that he among the rest IL op-
posed 10 the establishment Of tho
new retail business center.
II has been this same opposition.
organized but under handed. that
has 80 long hampersd Contractor q.
}, Efieksoa In hts regarding Of seo-
ond avenue. it n claimed. II WAS
certain important business influ-
encss close to Ysslsr way that skill
hiliy prevailed upon Major Mills
local United states engineer. 60 stop
Erickson from dumping his dirt into
the bay. ana brought about the
many other obstacles that the con-
tractor has been struggling with.
II is generally acknowledged that
Eriekson Il far from being light
ming mRnipulater OF grading cone
tracts. but persons competent 20
Judge say that had the aans OBJ
struetions been thrown Ia the way
% other contractor. they would LONG
ago have given up I'm despair II
vas only Esrickaon'a bulldog auaii-
ties that enabled him Co hold on. lie
has now sold his contract 60 the
Walsh Construction company and II
Is rrobabls that all further obrtrue-
ton viii prove futile. an the new
company IL equipped 10 push the
work against all odds.
Il vas when the fufility OF trying
TO further delay tho reEfada q Sec.
ond avenue was discovered that the
WeHtiska boulevard project was
pushed with such remarkable viHor
n IL W.il known that M similar pub.
DC improvement has been Forwarded
with such aaslduigy AZ has thtH The
object. % II said. was nothing else
than 90 giv~ business an opportunity
Co expand along that rev thorough
fare before Il could take it, more
natural course up Second avenus
and broad street
The interests In the southern part
of The eitY did not leos upon the
Wcstiak- movement With any joy
"a al. but they encouraged II as be-
ms a good counter movement 60 the
more dangerous rivalry Of Second
svenus north of Pike street.
Thsr- are thoss here who femsm.
Der the GOOD old days when there
vas a Seattle and Beiltowu. the lat
ter being IN. present Sorth Seattle.
AZ that time a akid road along a
guilsy was the chief means u com.
between the rival ham.
lets. but even then there was ter
rife fight 20 prevent the more
northern settlement from getting the
upper hand. B.lltown VAS uudouht.
e1iy the better site for city. bat
Henry L. Yesler. who had staksd his |
fortunes around the present location |
q the totem pole. appears % have !
avorooms. by energy and strategy.
the natural obstacles which he was
ap against
lie built a sawmlli at the foot Of
Y ssler way. That settled the futurs |
growth o. the city. Helltown more
y held on. II became a mere ad-
iunct Later when First avenue. |
hen known aa Front street. was 70 /
b graded from University street
lorth. another plan Was eonsun-
mated for cutting or Beli,oVn rom
IL more prosperous rival The grade
sas raised a considerable disfhuc.
4 Pike street. making a hump that
prevented easy communication ba@
wocu tho two sections % the city. |
In the grading Of Third avenue q
similar plan was adopted. the pres.
mt hump being left at James street
10 prevent traffic from getting past
T. ~
Natural advantages have a last
inserted themselves. however and /
ne natural growth north ward IL be.
.nE accelerated BY the regrads %
Second avenue and Of wsstiaks
boulevard.
II looks now also an though the
new city han and court house will |
be built somewhere IN the vicinity |
u the old university grounds. sun |
further adding 70 the norhward |
Certain members OF the
council stated openly at the time |
the new city hall project was voted /
on at the last election that 1t would |
4. 4. a.