The Yale expositor., 1907-05-17
AIETTtR FROM SEATTLE.
Seattle, Wash, May |, 1907
Mr.. James MenZies,
Editor Yale Exposition,
II.

Mr.. James MenZleS,
Editor Yale Expositor,
Yale, Michigan,
Dear Sir:-As many of my friends
have asked me to write them regarding
my trip to Washington, and my impress
sion of the country and Seattle in par
ticular, il occurred to me that If you
could spare the space in your valuable
paper / might be able also to convey
information to others who might be in
terested.
left Yale April and came here via
the Canadian Pacific. | believe now
that had taken the Northern Pacific
could have avoided being snowbOund
for a couple of days in the Rockies.
The company took good care of us,
however, and gave us the best going
while we were snOwbOund- and you
can bet Jim Teets and took occasion
to get few square meals. Other than
this the trip was made without mishap
with the exception that two of my chill
dren, Ruth and Olive contracted the
scarlet fever on the way and it was not
until we reached Seattle and called Il
doctor that we learned the nature of
the disease.
The day after we arrived a quaran-
cape being shut in. Mr.. Fuller and his
two sons, Jim and moved out.
1t would be difficult to imagine the
difference we found in the climate out
here. AS Jim and went walking up
the street with our big bearskins on
people took us for miners returning
from the frozen North to have a good
time and incidentally spend few
thousands in gold dust.
The grass was at least a foot high eX
cept on the lawns which are being
closely cropped with the lawn mowers
The thermometer gets up to about 90
in the middle of the day and goes down
TO about 80 or 55 at night. am in
formed that il will not get much warm
er i'm the daytime but that the nights
will increase in temperature for some
time yet. They say it never gets too
hot here to prevent one from sleeping
well. Ever since we have been here
the weather has been fine-no rain at
all. was comparing statistics the 9th
er day and find there is really less
rainfall here than in Chicago. The diff
ference is that in Chicago it rains hard
while it rains, while here it drizZles
along.
There is one thing have noticed here
that is noteworthy. That is the con-
tinual breeZes from the North which
prevent one from getting overheated
in the summer and makes it possible
for one to work in the hottest days with
comparative comfort. In the winter
the wind is always from the South.
One thing which is important and
which have looked into since | came
here, is the wage scale. My friends
will be very much interested in this
Carpenters get 50 to 26 for s hrs. work
Masons get So to 81
Teamsters get $3.50 To SO
LabOrers get 80 to 80
In short wages are about twice as
much here as in the east. The cost of
living | find to be little, if any, higher.
Real estate here is on the boom and
| am kicking myself that | did not
come out here when my sister, Mrs.
Fuller, wrote asking me to several
months ago. If | had l could have
made neat pile off the great raise that
has gone on. You can't get lot in
the city for less than $1,000. But by
going out a distance they cost from
$500 up. 1t would then take you about
20 minutes to get into the center of the
city.
There is plenty of work here and no
person is idle in Seattle who is able and
cares to work. The ground for the
Alaska Yukon Pacific exhibition is be-
ing cleared off just across the street
from where we live and they will take
all the men they can get for months to
come. There is good opportunity to
work in the lumber woods and get $50
a month, but Jim and prefer to work
in the city as we can get as much at
driving team and il costs no more to
live here than it would in the country.
Just at present Jim and are driving
teams. We had no trouble finding a
pOsition-in fact one man begged me
to go to work for him. Eight hours is
the regular time here for almost all
kinds of work. Just to give you an
idea of the amount of construction
work going on here. All the regular
city contractors have declined to take
any more contracts for building till
they have disposed of some of what
they already have on hand. They
can't meet their contracts on account
of not being able to get material and
help fast enough.
| hope this will be sufficient to those
who desire some of the real facts about
this country. We are all enjoying good
health and the children, while shut in
on account of the danger of spreading
the disease, are able to run about
Yours very truly,
Alex. Willoughby.