Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-23
THE SEATTLE OF TODAY
Life and Business in the Puget
Sound City.
IT'S A TOWN OF YOUNG MEN
No Place for a Man Unless He is
Hustler.
TRULY WONDERFUL GROWTH
Rich Real Estate Owners - Some
Western Water Powers - The
Great Lumber Industry.
Copyright, 1906, by Frank G. carpenter)

Special Correspondence OF Inc Star.
SEATTLE. Wash, June 16, 1906.
I came into Seattle late Saturday night
and. before going to my hotel, took car
rage drive up and down I'd avenue. This
is one of the biggest little cities of the
United States. Its population is only $780,
coo. but 1t is doing a business equal to al
most any Of our towns Of twice that size.
There are more people here on the side
walks after dark than you will see In Cleve-
land. Buffalo or Cincinnati; and the crowd
is cosmopolitan, broad minded and western.
Saturday night it seemed to me as though
the whole town was out of doors. Second
avenue was crowded, and the electric lights
were so many that it made me think of a
worlds fair I asked what was going on
and was told with a deprecating air that
the city was quieter than usual. AS I went
on through the streets 1t appeared that
everything was wide open. 1t was only
short time until Sunday but the saloons
showed no signs of closing, and the 10-cent
theaters and 25-cent operas were% still rum
ming. Seattle has more cheap concerts than
any town of its Size in the Union, and one
can have any amusement he wants and at
almost any cost for the paying. I under
stand that the saloons are restricted by
ordnance to the main business sections, and
that this keeps the residence quarters free
from such places and thereby adds greatly
time there are plenty OF churohes-Baptist,
Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Episco-
pahan and healthy Y. M. c.. A. There
are twenty-seven Methodist churches and
the Catholics are strong.
A Town of Young Men.
like the Seattle crowds. They are made
up of all classes and conditions of men.
There are miners from the Klondil.e who
have made their piles and come down here
to spend them; there are the farmers from
the wheat lands of the Big Bend country:
log rollers from the forests of the Cascade;
fishermen from Puget Sound, and business
men from every state and every part of the
world.
Seattle is town Of young men There
are few gray hairs or gray boards. The
crowd is smooth shaven and the wear-and-
tear OF fortune making has painted wrinkles
on some who would be considered boys in
the east. The country here has not yet
been swallowed up by the corporations
There Is q chance for the Individual, and
everyone is measured by what he can do
and how he does It. Among the newcom-
ers are the sons of many prominent men.
They bring letters of introduction and are
gladly welcomed. They are well treated at
the start, but IL they have no business
ability, push or energy they soon fall by
the wayside. This is an excellent place
for any man, young or old, but he must be
a man who can stand on his own feet
There Is no room for the youth with the
rubber backbone, and none for him who
expects to ride to fame anG fortune in an
automobile. softened with tires filled with
the gas OF his fathers reputation. The
first will be doubled up and crushed by the
crowd, and the machine of the latter will
be punctured by the tacks of his betters
before he has gone many blocks. At the
same time the middle aged and the old
must not look for respect to gray hairs.
Everything here is on a plain business
basis and the only criterion is that of sue
cess. The east Is fast becoming land
run by the sons of their fathers. The big
trusts are crowding the brains, muscle and
young blood to the west. where there is
still some chance for individual efforts. 1t
is always the cream of a country which
emigrates; and Seattle is now getting a
large part of the cream of the states east
of the Rockies.
How Seattle Grows.
The people realize that they have a big
thing, and their faith is strong In that
Seattle will be the biggest city on the Pa
ciffe slope. They claim greater advantages
than Portland, San Francisco and Los An
geles, and as to Tacoma. Spokane and
other Washington towns, they have long
since given UP in despair in attempting to
compete with Seattle.
Indeed, the growth has been wonderful
here since the discovery of gold in the
Klondike. The town was begun half CEN
fury ago. and there were only 5000 names
IN It's city directory ABOUT Six years ago.
It has, as have said. now population
of 100000 and. with its suburbs at Ballard
and elsewhere. perhaps 20oO0 more. 1t is
growing In business faster than in popula-
ton. It has big stores, which carry ex-
traordinary stocks for a town of It's size
The rents are enormous and property is
everywhere high. On I'd avenue some of
the lots are worth from 81 600 to 5000 a
front foot I heard OF one lot which
changed hands about year ago for about
q hundred dollars for which the owner has
since been offered more than 100000 AS
to rents, they are on the steady ascent.
Not long ago the Great Northern Railway
rented q corner room on I'd avenue at $500
per month. paying q bonus of a months
rent to get the lease. The agent here was
criticised by the officials at St. Paul for
paying the bonus, whereupon he wrote
them that he had offer OF $4,000 for
his contract, and that If the company were
not satisfied he would throw up the lease
and look somewhere else. So far no
change has been made
Speaking Of the Great Northern. 1t has
just completed tunnel under Seattle to
Its new depot on the water front. The tun-
mel runs for mile under the chief business
section. and 1t will land passengers right
In the heart OF the city at one of the finest
stations Of the northwest. This is located