The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-02-21
SEATTLE, WONDER CITY
CHANGES OF % YEARS GREATER
THAN TABLED TWELVE LA.
BORIS OF HERCULES.
BIG, BUSY AND BEAUTIFUL
Hustling Industrial Metropolis Has
Many Unusual At.
fractions.

In writing of Seattle the theme is so
large that one hardly knows where to
start in, ond when the start is made
the material is so expansive and d.
yersified that one does not know
where to end. Seattle is real city,
and an old Washingtonian, even If a
resident of the east side, can not fail
to take a pride in Seattle, the superb,
the present metropolis of the state,
destined to become the metropolis of
the Pacific coast. 1t holds position
of unrivaled advantage on that inland
sea, Puget sound, the greatest harbOr
in the world, and the ascendancy 1t
has already gained, the growth it has
already made, is only precursOry OF
what is yet to be, and time will place
Seattle in the ranks with the leading
cities of the country.
Our first visit to Seattle was in the
early part of January, 1888. and the
changes that have taken place sur
passes the widest flights of the i'm
agination. From a crude, embryonic.
western town 1t has sprung up like a
mushroom, a vast, beautiful. import.
ant, modern commercial and indus
trial center. Thirty years ago the
business section occupied cramped,
dingy, unattractive quarters along a
ragged, unimproved water front, the
.=hillsides dotted with rather shabby
residences. hanging in many places
on precarious footing, like birdnests
along a cliff, with here and there more
pretentious homes that were show
places in those days, but under the
changed conditions of this year of
grace would be looked upon as rather
shoddy affairs in which to house a
family with bank account. The
ubiquitous real estate agent was in
evidence in 1888, as he Is today. but
at that time he was a trifle more ur-
gent in working the game and much
more Obtrusive in beating up bust
ness. We distinctly remember that
thC lin Ao0 AoA Wy AAAO0 oAtOA OWING
through the form of registering, when
we were approached and solicited to
invest in lots, we'll in, at figures that
would sound ridiculously paltry at
the present time. The insistent dirt
merchant kindly chaperoned us about
town, and block back of the bust
ness streets, trails and deeply rutte1
wagon tracks weaved in an out among
huge stumps. The town was void and
without form beyond the edge of the
rough board walks, and to the strang-
er the clearing and leveling of lots
offered at such attractive figures
seemed herculean task, too expen-
sive to warrant even the small invest
ments required to obtain a deed. To-
day, as we write, and realize the Op-
pOrtunity lost, we feel like going into
the back lot and taking a fall out of
ourselves, for the same lots that
could have been purchased for a few
hundred dollars in 1883 are now held
at thousands of dollars the front foot,
and worth the money asked. The old
timer who failed to make the best of
he golden opportunity has regrets
coming: but, pshaw, the most opti-
mistic of US little dreamed of the mar
velous Transformation that would be
wrought in so short a time. Those Of
us early birds who have been spared
to see the Aladdin-like changes, and
failed to profit thereby, can at least
feel contented in being a witness of
grand and glorious strides of prog
ress and enjoy to our hearts content,
within the limits of our means, the
modern conveniences and the attrac-
tive beauty that the hand of man has
wrought in wondrous Improvements,
Nowhere in the west has mone.'
4 been spent more lavishly in public
n improvements, or individual effort, in
making a city beautiful, or for utili-
tartan advantage. than in Seattle. In
4 IS primitive state the land over
y which Seattle spreads, and is still
spreading, was exceedingly rough and
broken. Yet these physical drawbacks
seemed but an incentive to spur on
y the people to effort and accomplish
v ment. Seattle was fortunate in being
q people by the most earnestly progress
sive and indomitable city builders
# that ever gatherd together in one com
A munity, and those who profit through
the EFFORTS Of that band of hustlers
and enjoy the advantages that have
been secured through their efforts owe
the leading spirits of the argonauts a
debt of gratitude beyond payment
High hills that barred the natural
ppread of the business district were
3eveled down. In this respect what
eeemed the impossible was overcome
Take for instance the Denny hill. A
lew years ago It was a vast. unsightly
Elevation, and the street stretching
over the west side was as steep as a
r mountain road Today II ia level with
he adjacent business section, COW
4red with great business structures
ne most noticeable being the Wash
pgton hotel. Then there were nu-
~ Ferrous draws and depressions to be
Fought up to uniform level that re-
utred enormous fills. Since thirty
Xears ago the changes in this respect
ave been 80 great that the stranger
1siting the city at the present time