The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-12-14
SEATTLE AND IT'S SAUk CENTRE CONTINGENT
PEN SKETCH OF A NOTED WESTERN CITY BY MRS. ALICE NEWELL
AFORMR Sank CENTRE RESIDENT

Have you ever visited Seattle?
If not read this article and l will
try to give you a conception of it as
1t appears to me.
Col. Stone, the Great Northern
railroad man who was here recently,
is quoted as saying that Seattle is
the largest city of it's size in the
world, and the remark is in many
ways appropriate, as one must admit
who witnesses the energy and speed
with which all obstacles are over
come here. Seattle covers twenty
eight square miles and has a
population of 1872, 900 exclusive of
it's unannexed suburbs.
The railroad terminals are close
to the water front, the city extend
ing back toward the east and up
slope after slope. Three blocks
from the beach is Pioneer square,
so called because here the first
buildings of the city were erected.
First avenue here crosses Yester
Way and Occidental and James
streets branching out form Seven
Corners. In the centre of the
square is tiny triangular park on
which stands the totem pole
brought from Alaska five years ago,
and supposed to stand for the
history of some Indian tribe. 1t
has most grotesque appearance,
the faces carved upon it reminding
us of a Punch and Judy show.
One block east and We reach
Second avenue and find ourselves in
the very heart of this busy city, and
everywhere as far as eye can reach
these streets are filled to overflow
with rushing pedestrians But it
means nothing out of common, just
the every day state of affairs on
these streets.
Everyone who has visited Seattle
and spent an hour or more of weary
waiting in the dingy, rickety old
depot down by the Water Front,
will be pleased to learn that the
new Great Northern depot on
Jackson and Fourth is nearing
completion and is fine building
with all modern fixtures and con-
veniences. 1t is built of brick and
it's tracks run through a tunnel
under the city.
On the highest point to be found
in the city, back on Fifth avenue,
stands the Hotel Washington,
which once seen at night will never
be forgotten, festooned as it is from
it's lofty peak to foundation with
electric lights, and now in the re-
grade with which Seattle is at
present convulsed, we learn that
this slightly structure may possibly
be removed. 1t stands now upon an
eminence high above the surround
ing streets, left there alone, but a
private line of street cars climbs to
its very door and free bus in the
shape of an automobile, meets every
train No better spot can be found
than this from which to take obser-
walton of the city. Before you to
the west, you look down upon the
busy scenes in the harbor. The
"Jim Hip boats are constantly
loading and unloading their i'm
mense cargoes and of late the fog
horns lncessant blare makes mourn
full music to the unaccustomed ear.
To the right lay Queen Anne and
Capital Hill, the aristocratic resi-
dence district of the city. Fine
residences, however, are the
exception rather than the rule.
There are more fine residences In
Sank Centre, by far, than there are
here on the same space of territory.
In fact, it is hardly safe to build an
expensive house on any of these
hills, for the chances are that the
frenzy of ''Regrade'' will attack the
city and the very dirt beneath your
feet is scooped out and washed
away and houses are hustled to one
side regardless of expense. For
some time had noticed an elevated
track passing over the southern
part of the city on which lay an
immense pipe and l have since
learned that this pipe actually
carries the dirt from a distant hill
which is being leveled, to a part of
the bay which is being filled up
positively removing mountains by
means of water power.
There are few fine public build
ing in Seattle. The Alaska,
thirteen stories, being the only sky
scraper, and within a stones throw
of this building there are board
shantles, some of them with fashy
fronts and some standing in their
naked, rickety poverty, an eye sore
to the passerby and SO it is all over
the city, squalid chinese laundry,
junk shop or joint standing side by
side with the most pretentious
houses of the city. In discussing
buildings we must not fail to
mention the fine Public Library
now in process of erection. 1t is a
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