The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-07-05
STORY OF SEATTLE
Letter Written From There BY G. A.
Hultengren to Dan Bowen
From Tuesdays Daily. s ~

From TUESDAY DAILY. 49, ~. Il
G. A. Hultengren writes an interesting
letter which tellss the story of Seat
ties remarkable growth The communi-
cation is as follows:
Seattle, Wash, June %, l9O7.--Daniel
| r. Bowen, Mankato, Mimi. Dear Friend
| The city of, Seattle has with its sub
urbs 100000 inhabitants and at the
rate the city is growing the population
will be fully 100000 by 1909. 1t is sit
uated ON Elliott Bay, an arm of Puget
Sound. Puget Sound has shore line of
! 1000 miles and is one of the greatest
harbors in the world, the heaviest draft
vessels of all nationalities are seer
every day in the year in Seattle har-
Dor. and besides the many fleets that
regularly ply in the port, the war yes
! sells OF our own and other nations are
frequently here, adding a picturesque
aspect to the city's water front. Puget
Sound holds extensive commercial in
| tercourse with the whole world. For
! 1905 its exports We're S56,0oO.000 and
its imports Sl0,600,0O0. making total
foreign commerce of S66,600.000. The
Great Northern freighter Minnesota"
has carving capacity of $4,000 tons.
Three transcontinental railroads en-
ter Seattle, and two more are rapidly
building. toward the city. The following
facts and statistics pertaining to Seat
tie are of interest: Total bank de-
posts S6C,O49.O00: annual product of
| factories S6O.000,000; value of building
Improvements in the five years 1901
1905. inclusive. 49,. 100000; bank clear
ines in 1905 1902. 100000, compared with
SOS. 900. 900 in 1896: postotfice receipts
increased from S244,000 in 1902 to
S4S6.599; population increased from
l.lOl in 1870 to 100000 in 1906.
The city has forty miles of paved
streets; twenty public parks and l25
churches of all denominations. The
clubs include Seattle. Athletic, Rainier,
University, Golf and Country. Flrlock
and Concordia. The United States as
saw office was established July ID, 1898,
and up to December 81, 1905, it had re-
ceived G,9l3.373 ounces of gold, for
which it paid Sll6y006,73S.
More than tewnty steamship lines run
vessels out of Seattle to cOastwise,
Oriental. Alaskan, European and South
American points. In addition there are
great number of tramp steamers that
do hOurishing trade with this port.
Shipbuiding is an important industry.
The Moran company, the most extensive
plant. built the battleship Nebraska,
now one of the largest vessels of Uncle
Sans navy.
The Puget Sound navy yard is Just
across the sound and its supplies, the
expenditure for which exceed 100000
per month are purchased here. 1t en-
plovs 700 mechanics and has the only
government dry-dock on the Pacific
coast large enough to dock a tirst-class
battleship.
Fort Lawton, a United States regi-
mental military post, embracing 6oo
acres of beautiful park and drill
ground which were denoted by the peo-
pie of Seattle to the government, is
located within the city limits. The
lumber and single mills of Washington
employ $4,000 men and have an annual
paw roll of $65,OO0,OO0. They cut
yearly 4,OO0,OOO.0O0 feet of timber and
6,5OO,OOO,O00 shingles, representing
value of $95,O00,000. Much of the BEN
efits of this industry are enjoyed by
Seattle, where large part of the lum-
Der business is handled through the CEN
trail offices of the companies. Respect
fully yours, G. A. Hultengren.